May 18th, 2013
(Irony: It was this date that Mount St. Helens blew her top. I was 10 miles outside the "Red Zone" (Evac) and the earthquake knocked all the pictures off the shelves, and the glasses in the cabinet all broke, and there was 4 inches of ash, we were rushing to get the cars covered, because of the damage ash does to the paint... and then shoveling the driveway... in MAY! And it wasn't SNOW! I will never forget that. And then the next large eruption happened in June, about a month later, and I was at the top of one of the tallest buildings in Tacoma, at the Tacoma Club eating dinner with my dad, when it blew, we saw the entire thing from the start, until it was just a big blur of ash. I can tell you, watching the pyroclastic flow forming, and then spreading out into a giant cloud of grey... well, it isn't like I'd recommend anyone actually GO looking for one that close, but we were at the right place at the right time. The pictures from it were nowhere near as astonishing and amazing as what it actually looked at the site. So, perhaps it is ironical [yes grammar kings and queens, one of which I am... {Oops, I almost ended a sentence with a preposition! Gasp!} I use that word as irony in itself] that today, Ariel has erupted back onto Wikipedia.)
I think... Maybe... Perhaps... Possibly... there may be a chance... that:
I'm Baaaaack!!! (Ahhnold! I'll be baaack!) Of course, I do not remember a single thing, I don't even remember how to revert a page, I had to copy and paste and I don't know if this will work, and I need an admin to unlock a page for me, and I can't figure out how to archive my talk page, OY! Which, backwards, is YO!!!! Which of COURSE means: HEY, R! DREAD! OLIVE!! KEI!!! I neeeed youuuuu... <3 I don't know how to do ANYTHING. Boy have I got a bunch of reading to do I guess... eep. I have a graphic design project that is going on for the entire summer that I need to work on, but as usual, once this WONDERFUL computer (poke poke R and Dread and Olive) got put together, here I am! Well, sorta. I bet this will end up looking stupid.
Ariel♥Gold 01:41, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
(Take the below with a grain of three year old salt. It is true, but it is majorly outdated. However, I cannot figure out, with the changes in the past three years that I have had no internet, how to change my layout, I remember I did this custom, and USED to know how to code in Wiki... now I cannot even remember how to revert a page or make a word bold. Quite pitiful, I am. (HA There, I ended a sentence with a preposition.)
Ariel♥Gold 01:41, 19 May 2013 (UTC)
I first began visiting Wikipedia in late 2002. Then, it was nearly two years old, but still quite a bit different than it appears today, as indeed, the entire internet is. I continued visiting, reading, but did no edits until 2005, and did not create an account until late summer of that year. Since then, while making small edits for obvious mistakes here initially, I watched. I read, and learned policies, and noticed they grew by the month. I occasionally took time away from reading about the workings of Wikipedia, for real life obligations, but continued to use it as a source of information.
As I tend to "lurk" until I feel I know enough to post something meaningful, or assist in some useful way, my first genuine foray into editing wasn't until nearly two years after creating the account, once I felt I had a good grasp of most of the basic policies, and I had much more time on my hands. Since July of 2007, I've been active in Recent Change patrol, Articles for Creation, Editor's Assistance Requests, Wikipedia Help Desk, Articles for Deletion, WikiProject Space, and its sub-projects, and a wide variety of other areas.
I frequently spend time doing random page edits, doing general cleanup, fixing footnotes, etc. I really feel that properly cited references are the backbone of a really great article, and to that end, I use the citation templates to fix the "simple URL" references in many articles, as they provide information not available by simply looking at a URL with no explanation. I have created several articles, including some that went on to become good articles and were featured in Did you know...?, but I also enjoy doing behind-the-scenes work.
I would classify myself as a WikiFairy, but I am also proud of the articles that I've done significant work on. I enjoy helping others, even if it is just a simple thing, and there is really nothing that can bring a smile faster than a simple "Thank you" from another editor. I do not have a specific "Wiki Philosophy", I think that some articles are definitely needed, but others are simply unnecessary and really don't belong. However, I realize that my opinions won't always line up with popular opinion, and that is fine with me, because really, the community drives this project, and I feel we must listen to the community when dealing with additions and deletions. No one person is more important than another; if a certain article isn't something I think belongs, and others do, that's fine with me.
In a fun bit of trivia, The name of the machine that is the master database server for the English Wikipedia is Ariel
I was a System Operator/Admin (+sysop) for the Microsoft Gaming Zone for many years, so I'm pretty familiar with how to handle vandals :) I do prefer to handle vandalism on Wikipedia with panache, rather than always using informal templates or curt notes, and I believe in gentle warnings for nearly all first offenses. I also believe in the "four strikes" rule, and normally won't report a user unless they've had at least four warnings. I enjoy using pictures in my comments, because I feel that the format of text does not allow for the true intent of the person writing. A well-placed smiley face goes a long way towards conveying intent, and diffusing a situation.
I have a lot of time on my hands, so I hope that in the future, while I may not be memorable, I'll at least be remembered as having helped in small ways, to what I envision as a repository of knowledge for the future.
My username is fully globalized now. Thank goodness! And thank Wikimedia for SUL!
If you get bored, you can always let fate guide your reading. ♥
- Wikipedian since July 24, 2005.
