Going through the roster with Killervogel5 and a plethora of featured content
We interviewed Killervogel5, who this week has had the final list in the Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster promoted. Killervogel5, also known as KV5, has been editing Wikipedia since January 2006 and has contributed 57 featured lists, 4 featured topics, 8 good articles and 83 did you knows. KV5 gives us background information on the featured lists, his plans for the future, and suggestions for those who wish to write featured lists.
On the Philadelphia Phillies roster project: I began the Phillies roster project in May 2010, and it was completed in December 2011, so the project as a whole took me 19 months to finish. Originally, there were 21 articles in the topic, but during the course of the various and sundry FLC nominations, it was reduced to 18 through mergers. The most time-consuming part was definitely the table building. That was the first part of the project that I tackled and it turned out to be a smart move. If I hadn't had all the tables done, it would have been nearly impossible to write the ledes for each list and I probably would have quit somewhere about ... probably letter F or so.
The most difficult part of this project was adjusting to the changing FL standards. At the time that I nominated Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster (A) for featured list, a site-wide movement for better compliance with Wikipedia's policies on accessibility was gaining ground at FLC. I offered to make that first list a testcase for successfully implementing the improved accessibility standards, but this occurred after the lists had already been completed in userspace and moved to the mainspace. So I had to go through and change the format of each list. (I have to give a shout-out to RexxS for his help on the ACCESS requirements.)
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the most fun part: all of these lists were moved to the mainspace at the same time, and they became a gigantic DYK. I had a lot of good times developing a good hook for that.
I chose to improve the Phillies' roster lists because it is an intersection of my two big loves on Wikipedia: the Philadelphia Phillies, a team I've followed since I was a young child; and writing featured lists, which gives me great satisfaction. I really do enjoy taking on large list-related projects. Some previous baseball-related list projects of mine include the series of Rawlings Gold Glove Award and Silver Slugger Award lists and several lists of Major League Baseball managers.
On KV5's plans for the future: I haven't quite decided on my next project yet, but rest assured, I'll try to make it something monumental! I have started improving the List of Philadelphia Phillies owners and executives, using a book I received as a gift last Christmas (yes, I asked for a reference book for Christmas just for Wikipedia), but I've gotten away from it so maybe I'll tackle that next.
On writing featured lists: Featured lists require significantly less prose, but there is a lot of specialized mark-up that writers need to know to comply with accessibility standards. For new writers trying their hands at FLC, I always suggest peer review before an FLC nomination. There are so many little things here and there that can hang up an FLC nomination. Always check and double-check the reliability of your sources. We have the reliable source noticeboard or the FLC nomination talk page if you have questions on those, or you can seek out help at an appropriate WikiProject talk page. Finally, always review the appropriate criteria and make sure that, in the case of featured lists, your list meets the standards for prose, the lead, comprehensiveness, structure, style, and stability.
Featured articles
Eleven featured articles were promoted this week:
- Mark Hanna (nom) by Wehwalt. Mark Hanna (b. 1837) was a businessman and the political manager of American president William McKinley. After being expelled from college, Hanna served briefly in the American Civil War before finding employment with his new wife's father. Soon made a partner in the firm, after his 40th birthday Hanna turned to politics, becoming a political manager (he is often credited with originating the modern presidential campaign) and a US Senator. Hanna died of typhoid fever in February 1904.
- Crescent Honeyeater (nom) by Casliber and Mdk572. The Crescent Honeyeater (right) is a songbird from south-east Australia. The species has dark grey plumage and paler underparts, highlighted by yellow wing patches, with the females being slightly duller in colour than the males. The Crescent Honeyeater forms long term pairs, with the female building the nest and caring for young. The current environmental classification of the bird is least concern.
- "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (nom) by Jivesh boodhun. "Single Ladies", a song by Beyoncé Knowles from her album I Am... Sasha Fierce, was inspired by Knowles' secret marriage to Jay-Z. The lyrics address men being unwilling to commit in relationships and are put to dance-pop and R&B tunes with dancehall and bounce influences. The song, which won three Grammy awards and was named one of the best songs of 2008, peaked at number one in the United States and has been certified quadruple-platinum.
- U.S. Route 2 in Michigan (nom) by Imzadi1979. US Route 2, which connects Everett, Washington, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, runs 305.151 miles (491.093 km) and was designated on 11 November 1926. The route includes several memorial highway designations and historic bridges, and passes through two national and two state forests.
- "Rehab" (Rihanna song) (nom by 1111tomica. "Rehab", from Rihanna's album Good Girl Gone Bad, was written by Justin Timberlake. The lyrics, with vocals provided by Rihanna and Timberlake, discuss the singer's former lover as if he were a disease. Although critical opinion was divided on the song, "Rehab" went on to reach the Top 20 in five countries.
- Diffuse panbronchiolitis (nom) by Rcej. Also known as DPB, this inflammatory lung disease is of unknown cause and is found predominantly in East Asian males. Usually striking around the age of 40, the disease causes lesions in the lungs and inflammation; it can lead to bronchiectasis, an irreversible lung condition that involves the enlargement of the bronchioles, and the pooling of mucus in the bronchiolar passages
- Kenneth R. Shadrick (nom) by Ed!. Often incorrectly called the first American killed in the Korean War, Shadrick (b. 4 August 1931) joined the US military after dropping out of high school. He was killed by machine gun fire from a North Korean T-34 tank on 5 July 1950; his death was reported widely and hundreds attended his funeral.
- "One Tree Hill" (nom) by Melicans. "One Tree Hill", a song from Irish rock band U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree, was written to honor Bono's friend Greg Carroll, who had recently died in a motorcycle accident. The song, written to reflect Bono's thoughts on Carroll's funeral, was further developed through a jam session with the rest of the band. Critically acclaimed, "One Tree Hill" was initially not performed in concert as Bono feared for his emotional state. Today the song is performed sporadically.
- American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (nom) by Dana boomer. The ALBC is a non-profit organization which promotes and preserves rare breeds of livestock. Founded in 1977, the organization currently has 3,000 members, 9 staff members, 19 members on its board, and an operating budget of almost half a million dollars. The organization has seen several successes, saving breeds from extinction and (for a time) keeping a gene bank of rare breeds.
- Robert de Chesney (nom) by Ealdgyth. Robert de Chesney, Bishop of Lincoln during the middle of the 12th century, was an early patron of Thomas Becket; however, his nephew Gilbert Foliot was one of Becket's "implacable foes". Active in his diocese, de Chesney wrote at least 240 documents and disputed with St Albans Abbey over his right as bishop to supervise the abbey. He died in December 1166 and was buried in Lincoln Cathedral.
- Les pêcheurs de perles (nom) by Brianboulton. Les pêcheurs de perles, meaning The Pearl Fishers, is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet (pictured at right), to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. First launched in a season of 18 performances beginning 30 September 1863, the opera received scathing reviews from the press and was not revived until 1886, after Bizet's death. In these later performances, the score was modified; however, since the 1970s attempts have been made to perform the opera as Bizet intended.
Featured lists
Seven featured lists were promoted this week:
- List of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. seasons (nom) by Struway2. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, an English association football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, was founded in 1901. The team have spent 7 seasons in the fourth tier of the English football league system (with two divisional titles), 55 in the third (with 3 divisional titles), 18 in the second, and 4 in the top tier.
- Warren Spahn Award (nom) by Muboshgu. The Warren Spahn Award is awarded annually by the Oklahoma Sports Museum to the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). Created in 1999 and named after famous left-handed pitcher Warren Spahn, the awards are not recognized by the MLB.
- Twenty-five Year Award (nom) by Found5dollar. The Award is given yearly by the American Institute of Architects to buildings that have "stood the test of time for 25 to 35 years" and "[exemplify] design of enduring significance". The first building awarded, in 1969, was the Rockefeller Center in New York City; the most recent winner is the John Hancock Tower in Boston.
- Radiohead discography (nom) by GreatOrangePumpkin. British alternative rock band Radiohead have released eight studio albums, twenty-four singles, seven extended plays, thirty music videos, seven video albums, and two compilations since their debut album, Pablo Honey, was released in 1993. Their most successful album, OK Computer, was released in 1997 and went on to be certified triple platinum; their most recent, The King of Limbs, was released in February 2011.
- Philadelphia Phillies all-time roster (nom) by Killervogel5. The Philadelphia Phillies, an American baseball team, have had 1,892 players since its founding in 1883. Based on family names, the most represented letter is M, with 202 players; the least represented is X, with 0. The most successful is R, with 4 out of 97 players holding records (Wall of Fame pictured above)
- List of colleges and universities in Minnesota (nom) by Ruby2010. Of the nearly 200 colleges and universities in the US state of Minnesota, Hamline University in St. Paul, founded in 1854, is the oldest. The largest is the University of Minnesota, while the largest private one is the University of St. Thomas. Six tertiary education facilities that were once located in Minnesota have since closed.
- List of best-selling singles of the 1960s (UK) (nom) by A Thousand Doors. This list of best-selling singles (defined as releases having fewer than four tracks and not lasting longer than 25 minutes) was originally compiled by the Official Charts Company and covers the period from 1960 to 1969. The most represented musical act was The Beatles (pictured at right), with 18 singles (including five of the top ten). The highest ranking single by a non-British act was "The Carnival Is Over" by the Australian band The Seekers, which peaked at number 6.
Featured topics
One featured topic was promoted this week:
- 1997 Atlantic hurricane season (nom) by 12george1, Hurricanehink, and Juliancolton. The new featured topic, containing one good article and two featured articles, covers the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season and its two notable storms, Hurricane Danny and Hurricane Erika. The season saw seven named storms (including one major hurricane), a tropical depression, and an unnamed subtropical storm.
Featured pictures
Two featured pictures were promoted this week:
- Liberty Leading the People (nom; related article), created by Eugène Delacroix and nominated by Sven Manguard. Liberty Leading the People (right), also known by its French title La Liberté guidant le peuple, is an 1830 painting commemorating the July Revolution. It has been described as Delacroix's most famous painting, even having featured on the 100 franc banknote in 1993. After a nomination in 2010 failed for a lack of support, this nomination passed 5 to 1.
- Destruction of the USS Arizona during the attack on Pearl Harbor (nom; related article, created by an unknown author and nominated by Dusty777. This new featured picture dates from the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. A total number of 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes sank or damaged eight US battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and a minelayer, killing 2,402 and wounding 1,282. The Japanese themselves suffered losses of 29 aircraft, five midget submarines, and 65 servicemen. Although six battleships were salvaged, the Arizona was unable to be raised; 1,177 servicemen died on the ship (below).
Discuss this story