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My interests are mainly in math, computer science, chess, bridge, music, the history of computing, physical science, and scientific skepticism. I have BS degrees in math and physics (emphasis in astronomy), a master's degree in applied math, and a MS in computer science. I program in Pascal and Delphi. I've been contributing to chess articles (primarily endgames), early computers, some math topics, scientific skepticism & related topics, articles on nearby places & local history, and a few other things.
This user is a member of WikiProject Skepticism, which seeks to improve the quality of articles dealing with science, pseudosciences and skepticism. Please feel free to join us. The only thing that benefits from doubt is truth.
Wikipedia
I got interested in Wikipedia when it kept turning up in my Google searches. As soon as I realized how comprehensive Wikipedia is, I was hooked.
In the Fall of 2005 I started using Harvard referencing on practically everything. Harvard referencing "is one of three citation styles recommended by Wikipedia" (see Wikipedia:Harvard referencing and Wikipedia:Citing sources). The system has some pros and cons, see Wikipedia:Harvard referencing#Pros & cons. The only real "con" is that it takes up more space, but "Wikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia", so space matters little. In addition to the pros listed there,
it is better for readers since he can see who said this and when, without having to go to the footnotes.
it is better for editors since the bulk of the information is down in the reference section rather than embedded in the text.
I use reliable sources. I try to adhere to "One of the keys to writing good encyclopedia articles is to understand that they should refer only to facts, assertions, theories, ideas, claims, opinions, and arguments that have already been published by a reputable publisher.", from Wikipedia:Verifiability. (I violated that slightly in stalemate, endgame, and rook and pawn versus rook.) In accordance with WP:NPOVUW, I am against giving undue weight to the opinions of crackpots.
I am in favor of the Chicago Manual of Style guideline for spelling out exact numbers (things you count rather than things you measure) up to one hundred and all round numbers that can be expressed in two words. At least spell out any number no larger than one hundred that doesn't require a hyphen. Template:Ref harvard. I like Harvard Referencing.
For the first six months of 2006, I've spent more of my free time improving Wikipedia than anything else. I'm having to cut down.
My spelling is terrible, I make typing errors, and my grammar isn't up to par.
There is only one problem with the "anyone can edit" policy, and that is that anyone can edit.
Favorite car I ever had: 1973 Pontiac LeMans Sport Coupe (the original Bubba '73). It has a 400 in³ V8 with a two-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. The color is ascot silver and maroon; it has the slots on the small rear window, and has extremely rare body stripes.
Volume four of The Art of Computer Programming. Volumes 1 through 3 of the planned seven-volume set came out in 1968, 1969, and 1973 (resp). In 1980 Donald Knuth said that volume 4 would be out in a year or two. It is going to come out, I believe. Previews and fascicles of it are available.
Most of everything above is true, but some things may be half-truths.
Quotations
Appropriate quotes. I like this one:
Don't you believe in flying saucers, they ask me? Don't you believe in telepathy? — in ancient astronauts? — in the Bermuda triangle? — in life after death? No, I reply. No, no, no, no, and again no. One person recently, goaded into desperation by the litany of unrelieved negation, burst out "Don't you believe in anything?" "Yes", I said. "I believe in evidence. I believe in observation, measurement, and reasoning, confirmed by independent observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild and ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be." Template:Ref harvard
Here is another quote I like to remember:
The gazing populace receive greedily, without examination, whatever soothes superstition and promotes wonder.
After I had been editing Wikipedia for several months, I was wearing my Wikipedia t-shirt at the grocery store. The teenage kid bagging groceries noticed my shirt and we started chatting about Wikipedia. He said that he used it, but he hasn't edited yet, but he was going to. After we left, my wife said "He's allowed to edit - just as you are?" I grudgingly had to admit that yes, he is.
The encyclopedia where you can be an authority, even if you don't know what the hell you are talking about.
I've been asked about my user name. Above I mentioned my 1973 car named Bubba. I loved the car so much that I couldn't part with it when I got a new car. Then when my sister had no car, I let her use it. It had some age on it by this time. Her roommate said that it was the type of car that someone named "Bubba" would drive. The name stuck to the car.
Secondly, we live in what used to be the shrimp capital of the world. I think we should take advantage of that and have them for dinner frequently, but my family isn't so positive about it. I'll ask them what they want to have for dinner: boiled shrimp, broiled shrimp, deep fried shrimp, pan fried shrimp, stir fried shrimp, shrimp et tu fe, Cajun shrimp, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, shrimp jambalaya, shrimp scampi, shrimp with lobster sauce, ... And that's about it. There is a resemblance between me and the character of "Bubba" in the movie Forrest Gump.
Number style
Some style issues, where I usually follow Turabian (A Manual for Writers):
2:23 All measurements are expressed in figures. The general rule is to spell out all [exact] numbers through one hundred (e.g. thirty-five) and all round numbers that can be expressed as two words (e. g. five thousand). Exact numbers over one hundred are written as figures.
2:24 When numbers of the same thing which are above and below one hundred appear in a group, write as figures.
2:25 A sentence should never begin with a figure.
2:26 Several round numbers occurring together are usually expressed in figures.
2:27 Very large round numbers are usually expressed in figures and in units of millions or billions.
2:28 Figures should be used to express decimals and percentages. The word percent should be written out, except in scientific writing, where the symbol % may be used.
2:52 continued numbers
First number
Second number
Examples
Less than 100
use all digits
3-10; 71-72
100 or multiple
use all digits
100-104; 600-613
more than 100 but less than 110 (in multiples of 100)
use changed part only, omit leading zero
107-8; 1002-3
more than 109 (in multiples of 100)
use last two digits (or all of more than two change)
References (or combined with Notes into Notes and references)
Further Reading (or Bibliography)
External Links
Barnstars
The Original Barnstar
This Barnstar is awarded for diligence in keeping Wikipedia sane Ansell 00:46, 14 April 2006 (UTC)
The Running Man Barnstar
Hi Bubba73! Although I am usually very skeptical of skeptics :-) I liked your article about King and pawn versus king. Thank you for writing it. Ioannes Pragensis 11:03, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
The Editor's Barnstar
For rewriting Chess from a poor "brilliant prose promotion" to a featured article, helping retain its star on review, I award you The Editor’s Barnstar. Nice job, excellent effort, and thankless work! Sandy (Talk) 02:44, 23 December 2006 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
I'm awarding you this Barnstar for your valiant work on improving Wikipedia! Wikidudeman(talk) 05:05, 1 May 2007 (UTC)
The Defender of the Wiki Barnstar
I'm awarding you this barnstar for helping to defend Wikipedia from being used for fraudulent purposes. Wikidudeman(talk) 07:45, 24 May 2007 (UTC)
You've got my back, barnstar sustitute
You're an eloquent, inteligent person and a credit to wikipedia society.
If there were ever a full-scale wikipedia edit war across all articles, I'd want you on my side because I know I could rely on you to watch my back.Simondrake 22:24, 17 July 2007 (UTC)
To create an access panel to the same watchlist page elsewhere, copy and paste the following code: {{public watchlist|Wikipedia:WikiProject_Pseudoscience/Articles_attracting_pseudoscientific_edits/publicwatchlist}}
To create an access panel to the same watchlist page elsewhere, copy and paste the following code: {{public watchlist|Wikipedia:WikiProject Pseudoscience/The para-hemi-meta-quasi-science publicwatchlist}}
