User talk:Paulrevere2005

Every once in a while, even conspiracy theorists are right...

So no sooner did I read your latest comments about people being made to disappear without trials, not being sure whether to be scared or perplexed, when this story, "Rule Change Lets C.I.A. Freely Send Suspects Abroad to Jails", showed up, confirming some of your worst suspicions about a Nazi/stasi society growing up around us.

I'm going to add an entry under the Developing Stories section to write an article about this issue. If you have more information beyond what is covered in the New York Times story, I'd appreciate any pointers to help expand the story.

— DV 07:14, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

OK, I added a stub for the article about the CIA making people disappear, called CIA sending suspects overseas for "rendition". I'll start working on a first draft now, but please feel free to jump in if you think this story is important. — DV 07:22, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Well, it's not much, but I just submitted some early drafts of the story about the CIA making people disappear. Hopefully this story will help to open more eyes to the new Nazi/stasi society that is growing up around us.

Please read the latest version of this story and let me know if you think the writing covers the important points which need to be aired.

By the way, if I disappear as a result of writing this article, I'll expect you to write about me in my absence!

Regards,

— DV 09:33, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

General comments and tips

Having worked professionally in news for the better part of two decades, I can tell you have a good nose for news. Your innate gift for rooting our stories of interest is obvious. Where I think you are running into problems is in the actual presentation.

I see two apparent (and easy to fix) issues that keep you from effectively putting your good ideas in print as excellent news stories:

1. You tend to cram too much information in a single story, and
2. You are not putting the lead of your story at the top of the article.

Too much info in one story

This is a common error with new writers. Like I said, almost all of of your story ideas are sound, but you tend to put too much peripheral information in them when writing them. This overcomplicates the story, confuses the reader and muddies your thesis. When you start writing a story pick a thesis statement (basically: X happened that that is important because of Y) and make sure that every sentence you write supports that one statement. If you sense you are going off on a tangent (but an important digression) - leave that out of the story at hand and save the new thought for a second story; OR fully expand that idea into a multi-paragraph section (with its own sub-headline) to fully explain it relevance to the article's central thesis.

Finding the lead

The vast majority of news stories are written in "inverted pyramid style" - with the thesis or most important or most interesting information on top and the less interesting information at the bottom of the article. The key here is to pick out the one thing in your story that people would chat about around the water cooler after reading your story - and present it first. Inverted pyramid may also help you focus your story by keeping it on point (addressing the first issue mentioned above).

-- Davodd | Talk 18:48, 21 Mar 2005 (UTC)

• Thank you,Davodd,

Brotherhood

I sincerely apologize for negative comments made by myself regarding your Driftwood contribution. You are correct with your understanding that I have taken a personal interest in you. My interest lies in your stunning ability to draw me towards points so far outside my usual thinking that reporting ideas of yours become captivating to me. I am normally predisposed to pursue an issue to its logical end, but you have the knack of inducing in me issues that I cannot reconcile with myself presently.

Importantly, I would like you to realize that Hunter S. Thompson holds a place in my heart. The 'muse' script merely vented my frustration that you did some writing about his suicide that I also I would have liked to undertake. For me to have undertaken a story under the climate of an article dispute over your story and with my zero experience on my end was too much for me. Therefore I abandoned writing anything. ((sour grapes, yeah))

But the closing of that little script, to wit "I missed the story," is exactly what Thompson's experience was as a gonzo reporter. Wikipedia is no good for this gonzo subject because it does not understand that in his famous book "Fear and Loathing in LA" the author became more of the story than the story itself. Thompson became the story. In admire that.

This was the brilliance of your early draft in the Driftwood story.

And... well I don;t know what else to say

-edw 06:22, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

The Masons?

I don't know much about the Masons - I thought that was a bit on the Simpson's cartoon show, so I guess I have some research to do in order to catch up.

Anyways, I just arrived back in San Jose, so I'll check out the recent changes to see what's up. If you are blocked, feel free to e-mail me. — DV 00:58, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

OK, so I looked into this a bit more, and it appears that the Nazi and Italian Fascist governments have been very afraid of the Masons in the past, to the point of shutting them down or sending them off to concentration camps.

As a contributor who often sounds the alarm about America drifting towards Fascism, I would have thought you would be a big fan of the Masons and their fight against Fascism.

I'm thinking about joining up with the Masons to help them fight Fascism.

But before I go and visit my local Grand Lodge, I see that you are also praising Pope Benedict XVI for standing up to Pagan organizations who are controlling global governments and businesses.

So which is it? You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Is it more important to fight against the Fascists or the Pagans?

I think it would be more fun to be a Pagan. Those Fascists end up killing everyone.

I'll wait for your advice before I join the Masons, but I think they're the real underdogs in this story.

Regards,

— DV 11:04, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

• Hi, DV, welcome back. Boy, I love to see you dive into a story; and this time you have brought to my attention a point I wasn't aware of.But it does make perfect sense with what I have learned. Just as with all gangs, there is gang warfare.The Masons are indeed the "good guys" when compared to the fascists.The masons actually do some good works and have some good intentions.The fascist regimes of Hitler and Bush(developing fascism) are(have been)controlled by the illuminati(american branch skull and bones)..which is the worst of the worst pagan cult. It is quite possible that the next president of the US (Kerry) will be a catholic denied communion as Benedict will certainly ban skull and bones membership if the issue is ever brought before him.gotta go but will later tell you about the use of the pope's image in skull and bones initiations.Paulrevere2005 14:08, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Ok DV; Here's the main point for today. You have seen for yourself the masonic presence on our money; your immediate recognition of the similarity with the masonic emblem is something right now you need to hold onto tight. The mental tendency for you now will be to just drop the whole thing..forgetaboutit,..not "go there". Because instinctivly you likely can already feel that heading down this path of discovery will bring you awareness and knowledge that will only cause conflict and frustration...seeking truth is not a comfortable passtime...going with the flow is.

To answer your questions, Masonry is not too bad at all(my dad was one) but it is a secret cult; and I believe,idealistically perhaps,in pure and open democracy.I don't want to be choosing the less evil of 2 gangs to hang out with. One side effect is the american illuminatis(Bush,Kerry,Donaldson) are protected from congressional investigation simply because then the masons in congress would have to expose their own secrets/rituals etc.

I am with you that fascism is the big threat and is being systematically fertilized by the members of the Illuminati in Europe and their branch#322, skull and bones here in the US, just as it was in the 30s. DV these people are so,so smart. Do you know how smart a person has to be to be summa cum laude at Yale?

Anyway, the reason I think this is so important is its the first time a world leader of any persuasion has expressed concern about the growing power of cults "new sects...religious mysticism"

I hope the catholic church will turn their attention from the masons and towards the Illuminati/Skull and Bones and expose that cult for the occult,war mongering/profiteering bastards they are and I also hope that if citizens can see that the masonic cult is a pagan cult with too much power in our government, that they will then be able to finally see the illuminati,skull and bones for the bigger monsters they are and throw the bastards out of office.

As I say, this is all probably too much for you. If you want links,lmk Paulrevere2005 18:40, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Welcome Back

Just want to officially welcome you back, like I said the incident is behind us and no hard feelings should remain on either side of the dispute. Hope you see this as a fresh start to happily and productively contribute to wikinews. → CGorman (Talk) 20:49, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Just a second...

It's supposed to be in the disputes list on Article workspace, but it isn't. Let me fix that. - Amgine/^talk 01:52, 26 Apr 2005 (UTC)

tools

[[Image:|100px|right|pd photoSource: Wikipedia]] Wednesday, April 27, 2005  http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Wikinews:Policies_and_guidelines

Collaboration

If you do not accept that your submissions will be edited by the community, and that the community's consensus over-rides your personal opinion, I will have to ask you not to submit to wikinews. - Amgine/^talk 22:20, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I accept that; no problem. What are you talking about? Paulrevere2005 22:23, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

stop the communist type censorship At least 3 separate users have removed that specific section because they feel it is biased, POV, and not relevant to the article. It would seem a rather unanimous opinion, although Dan100 has valiantly reverted to your text twice. - Amgine/^talk 22:26, 27 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Fighting city hall

Hi Paulrevere2005,

Sometimes it's difficult to fight city hall.

Although the policy-makers on Wikinews don't like how your stories are constructed, I have found them to be very enlightening and informative, so this situation is somewhat discouraging to me.

For now, all I can recommend is to archive stories before they are deleted, so they can be republished later on, perhaps on another wiki.

Please keep up your spirits even if the deck seems stacked against you right now.

If you get banned, please feel free to stay in touch by e-mail. — DV 11:50, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Satellite story and my accusation

I am no technology smarty pants, but I do know enough to say all you have to do is use a dial-up connection after a couple user profile tweaks and you are an anon here (then again, maybe I am wrong as I never tried). I got your post to my talk page as I was navagating to your talk to explain myself in the accusation I leveled against you. The timing of vandalism done to the Satellite story came so shortly after I popped off about allowing point-of-view, it pissed me off, it looked like your wit and style, and I had had a few beers.

I am truly sorry if you are innocent, which you most likely are, and frankly I'm not dwelling on it and hope you won't either.

As to DieHard... well, my last post on the policy page said I'm tired of this. I'm only writing this much to try and right myself with you. I simply don't choose to pursue these discussions unless it relates to something I am already familiar with.

Best of luck. FYI --> I do mostly side with Dan100 that events should be current. Relevance counts, but current events even counts. (I know that will make you roll your eyes!) -Edbrown05 20:08, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Very sorry about your loss of a loved one. -Edbrown05 21:04, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Banned for vandalising the Water cooler/Policy page

I am banning you for repeated vandalising of the Policy page on the water cooler. You have been warned about this specific behavior repeatedly, by multiple admins. You are blocked for 72 hours.

I will also suggest that you not repeatedly attempt to log in. Each time you do so your IP will be reset in the block log by the software, and I will have to manually unblock you as I did last time.

- Amgine

I've unblocked you

Because I don't think someone directly involved should do that. However, you are becoming more and more abusive, and annoying more and more people. Either take a deep breath and calm down, or leave. Dan100 (Talk) 20:13, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Subcommittee addition

Hey, thanks for keeping an eye on it. Glad you stood your ground. -Edbrown05 05:14, 13 May 2005 (UTC)

Good work so far

Hi Paul. The existing WWII/Bush article will almost probably be deleted, but if you can get in touch with someone invovled in it, and perhaps do an e-mail interview to find out what's going on, then that would be a great piece of original reporting. I for one wouldn't object to what's in the existing article being included as background to a new article based on information you can get. I have to say, I'd be very interested to hear how they did in their legal battles! Dan100 (Talk) 15:04, 13 May 2005 (UTC)

I doubt it, but...

You switched paragraphs around, but did not address the other issues I raised on the talk page. In its current form it still does not cover the 5Ws and H, does not follow inverted pyramid style, etc. If the story you wish to cover is the kid journalist, in the lead sentence say who he is, what he did, where he did it, when, how he did it, and why. The rest of the article would then expand and provide support for this sentence.

And please ask for someone to review before posting the article to the archives, probably someone other than me. - Amgine/^talk 22:13, 13 May 2005 (UTC)

U.S. Military recruitment procedures taped by 17 year old

As requested I reviewed It and I do not think it is ready. The title is better though a bit dull. I do not think the logo fits and should be removed. I also do not like the lead in. I am going to make some changes to it to see if I can get it ready --Cspurrier 00:37, 14 May 2005 (UTC)

I rewrote the first paragraph, if you or someone else could take a look at it, I think it is almost ready to be published. --Cspurrier 00:49, 14 May 2005 (UTC)

No objections from me Paul - good story! Dan100 (Talk) 17:00, 14 May 2005 (UTC)

Uzbek Stories

I consolidated them into one. NGerda 00:55, May 16, 2005 (UTC)

Thanks!

I saw you were vandal fighting this morning... Congratulations, and thanks! A few more of those and you're going to earn the Medal of Persistence. (Something I wish we didn't have a need for...) - Amgine/^talk 16:58, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

For deleted story...

see Wikinews:Undeletion guidelines, which are based on the wikipedia guidelines but very tentative. - Amgine/^talk 21:13, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

MST Brazil article

According to two editors on that article the protest at the Embassy was a small part of the event, the 12,000 people were primarily protesting their own government. Please do not move this article a third time.

HST

Saw your post yesterday and haven't had a chance till now to reply. You are probably aware that I am not a fan of bringing stories that are not currently breaking events to the news here. However, I too am bothered (haunted is too strong a word) by his son shooting a shotgun to mark his father's death... that's borderline crazy.

I am out of town lately and will continue be so on and off for quite a while yet. I have no time here to really concentrate, rather I can only flit in and out. If you and others are able to develope the HST story, of course I would be quite interested. If there is anything specific I can do to help, then please ask me specifically what I can do.

Meanwhile, after following the links you gave me in your post, I find I am unable to look further into the HST developments on the SAS page.

Best regards to you and yours! -Edbrown05 12:10, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

Hunter article

I'm not accusing you of anything. You created multiple copies of this article, and this particular version was not deleted when the mass of them went through Dr previously. - Amgine/^talk 22:03, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

I replied on Amgine's talk page. Paulrevere2005 22:20, 24 May 2005 (UTC)

Proposed new workspace

WikiNews:Proposed Workspace

What do you think?

Discuss at Wikinews:Water_cooler/proposals#RSS_feeds_for_development_process or WikiNews Talk:Proposed Workspace.

Kevin Baas^talk 03:28, 2005 May 31 (UTC)

Thanks

Thanks, Paul Revere. (If that is your real name!) Kevin Baas^talk 15:58, 2005 Jun 1 (UTC)

recent re-routed flight by USA

I wasn't paying much attention then, but wasn't a very recent flight re-routed? Can you maybe find that source to tie to this article? -Edbrown05 15:49, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Lead Story

Im afraid that story is not lead story material:

1. You havew not responded to the issue on the talk page.
2. Google News does'nt back it up.
3. It certainly does not appear more important than the G8 debt story.
4. It appears to be sensationalist writing.
5. The sources are not adaquate; the un written rule of thumb is at least 3 decent sources for all published articles - you have two, one of which is a discussion.
6. You have'nt linked to any wikipedia articles; a published story generally requires a few w:.
7. The related story bit is ill formated.

Sorry Paul, but its not lead material. → CGorman (Talk) 19:35, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I responded on CGorman's user page Paulrevere2005 22:15, 13 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Thanks Paul, I know you put a lot of effort into your story so I appreciate your understanding that the G8 is bigger. → CGorman (Talk) 12:25, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Heya

Hey Paulio, been a while, hasn't it? How are things going? I've already become an admin, so let me know if you have any trouble ;). j/k. NGerda 17:05, Jun 15, 2005 (UTC)

Thank you very much, and keep up the good work! I look forward to seeing your next original content! Think of me as your support team. NGerda 17:11, Jun 15, 2005 (UTC)

Aw...

-) So sweet. I prepared an article on the congressinoal hearing today. I don't have time to work on it, but I would appreciate anyone else taking up the task. Kevin Baas^talk 02:30, 2005 Jun 17 (UTC)

Credit card scandal

Hey, I agree, but what would you like me to do? NGerda 07:30, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)

Sounds great, I would just call him up and he would go live (it would be recorded, of course). I would need one of you guys to prepare a set of questions to ask him, and have you been in contact with him? We need to make sure he wants to do this, first. NGerda 16:23, Jun 19, 2005 (UTC)

I think the second story is just more accurate. With a little more fact-checking they found that the FBI meant, by "information", "details", that could interfere with their investigation. also the "40M" could be affected to "68,000" at high risk: I'm sure both of those numbers are correct. the company probably has 40M cusomers, therefore 40M could be affected. However, it's quite likely that 39,932,000 of those customers are at "no", "low", or "medium" risk, leaving only 68,000 at "high" risk. Since information about who is at "high" risk is much more significant than information about who "could be affected" insofar as they are a customer of that company - which they would all be aware of anyways since the name of the company was released (they need only look at their card) - it belongs in the article more than the latter.

In sum, I don't see it as a cover-up, just a refined story. I think if that same story was on wikinews, we would be poor editors not to refine it to the state it was in in the 2nd release. Kevin Baas^talk 17:49, 2005 Jun 19 (UTC)

The CardSystems Solutions Inc. security breach was announced by one of its clients, MasterCard International. Other clients whose card transactions were processed by CardSystems also report customers of theirs were effected.

David Sobel, general counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center is quoted saying,"The steady stream of these disclosures shows the pressing need for regulation of the industry both in terms of limitation in the amount of personal information that companies collect and also liability when these kinds of disclosures occur." Security lapses have also been reported at Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp., DSW Shoe Warehouse and LexisNexis Inc.

ChoicePoint alludes to outlaws that may attempt to use stolen data to set up dummy transactions that taken individually aren't much, but taken collectively, are something else.

premise: A business whose service involves the handling private financial data has a responsibility to keep that data secure.

When a business fails in that responsibility, in this case CardSystems Inc. called in the FBI, who asked them to keep it quiet about it while they performed an investigation. Ultimately, MasterCard International breaks the news about the breach out of concern for its customers, rather than concern for the investigation, because it doesn't want its customers to inadvertantly pay for fraudulantly generated charges.

The FBI goal and the MasterCard goal were in competition of each other but were not mutually exclusive. CardSystems said they learned of the breach May 22nd. For nearly a credit card billing cycle the news was kept quiet. All is right with the world when the business with whom a person is most directly involved sounds the alarm about the possibility of fraud.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center has its work cut out for it. Edbrown05 16:51, 20 Jun 2005 (UTC)

CIA arrest warrants

The problem is with the phrase "CIA operatives". If you have a link to proof the individuals are employees of the US CIA, I'd be interested in seeing it. - Amgine/^talk 23:59, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

responded on Amgine's talk Paulrevere2005 00:01, 25 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Same-sex marriage story

I didn't do most of that story. Most of it came from an anonymous user on Submit a Story. Andrew pmk 30 June 2005 01:08 (UTC)

Changing articles

Paul, don't try to change an article into a different one - it's something we don't do (see no. 5). Just start a new article instead - it's a much better idea, it highlights the new information much more prominently. The Afghan president condemming the attack deserves it's own story. Dan100 (Talk) 5 July 2005 11:49 (UTC)

Politically correct

Just amazing how being politically correct can rob a story of interest. Glad of your revert on the headline for Afghan villiage attack. I tried being politically correct once... I lie, I tried many times and it don't work for me! -Edbrown05 6 July 2005 21:03 (UTC)

Response to email

I'll always be here for you and everyone else, buddy! And check out my proposal for editorials at Wikinews, 'cuz I know you'd love that! Peace, NGerda July 8, 2005 02:43 (UTC)

Drugs, Marijuana, William Randolph Hearst - Right up your alley

Taken from w:William_Randolph_Hearst

William Randolph Hearst also, according to hemp-industry proponents, was instrumental in publicizing and orchestrating a 1937 oil-and-timber-industry-led media campaign [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] to discredit [[w:hemp}]] (an inexpensive petroleum and paper substitute) and [[w:marijuana}]], which led within months to the drug and the plant being outlawed in the United States. Hearst himself reputedly profited due to his interests in the pulp-and-paper business. -- RossKoepke

Yup, and every time someone who was killed in a car crash was smoking marijuana, he made it front-page news, even though there were 1,000 times more deaths related to drinking and driving at the time. -- NGerda 20:23, July 11, 2005 (UTC)

Opiate Based Drugs

Many painkillers, (specifically the ones we're talking about) are inded "opiate based" and derived from the opium plant. HOWEVER, that does not mean that it's necessarily manufactured using opium poppies. I would be willing to bet $10 that the manufacturing process synthesizes the compounds without using actual plants. --RossKoepke 20:39, 11 July 2005 (UTC)

hey Paul

I haven't yet read your poem is it? Just wanted to say hi! and wave! -Edbrown05 04:58, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

And it was the best damn stoy of yours I ever read. -Edbrown05 04:59, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

Maybe I'll like the poem even better. -Edbrown05 05:01, 14 July 2005 (UTC)

what to do...

"2. Only UN soldiers would be allowed to engage in "humanitarian" intervention. Every country could only use their own forces to defend their borders"

In the aftermath of the Tsunami, while the UN elite were falling over each other making up numbers to show how altruistic they are, who do you think was actually doing anything? Who's boots were on the ground? Who's Hercules were flying into Aceh? America, Australia, NZ... you see humanitarianism isn't about votes on the UN floor. It's about action -- something the UN is incapable of. Shit, they are still debating whether its genocide in the Sudan! Name a 'hard problem' that the modern UN has succesfully dealt with? The UN is a murky, mysterious mess. They don't even have open accounting... we have no idea where all those wasted funds go. Not that the funds are relevant; like I said, it's about action, not money.

"6. Slap a time restriction on all political service. Maybe 8 years like we now have for President. The "career politician" is usually a whore full of moral syphilis.""

Why not just hold them accountable at the polls?!? I don't know what moral syphilis is, but i wouldn't vote for a bloke that has it. _____________________

Hi,69.23.220.138, The UN has been underperforming; but that doesn't mean it couldn't do more/better in the future. The alternative is more wars of invasion and occupation which I fear will only become more dangerous in concert with our ability to make ever more powerful and compact weaponry. To me, it's simple. There are only a few countries that send their troops outside their borders for non-humanitarian purposes.All other nations should hit those countries with a trade embargo til they get their forces home where they belong. The UN has potential; but the veto power of the big 5 should be stripped away.That's the first thing.

Remember, the USSR used to have elections too. The power to vote used to work. Not when there are only 2 parties and both have been bought off by special interests. There was a poll on LOU Dobbs CNN 2 nights ago. The question was ; Do you feel your representatives in congress are working in your best interests? Now remember,69.23.220.138, about 40% of the members of congress are democrat and the rest Republican (there may be 1 independent). The results were; == 97% said NO!!!!! ==Paulrevere2005 23:39, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

Approval voting/alternate voting systems

Thought I'd suggest that you throw your support behind an alternate voting system if you disapproved of the two candidates in 2004. Duverger's Law states that a two-party system will naturally result from a plurality election method. If we had approval voting, or "choose one or more", we might be able to vote our hopes and not our fears. Just my two cents. And of course ranked choice methods complying with the Condorcet criterion are even better, but I believe are too complicated for now. - McCart42 (talk) 05:00:20, 2005-08-04 (UTC)

Here's a website with some rhetoric as well. - McCart42 (talk) 05:02:38, 2005-08-04 (UTC)

• Thanks; I will check it out. Paulrevere2005 13:13, 4 August 2005 (UTC)

Wiki vacation

I'm taking one starting now. Paulrevere2005 12:54, 12 August 2005 (UTC)

UNBELIEVABLE!! I just got back and came looking for YA 67.80.3.2067.80.3.20 21:26, 12 August 2005 (UTC)

If you happen to poke back in, check out the "discussion" of the wikipedia entry for the Watts Riots. (The result of my investivacation) 67.80.3.20 21:28, 12 August 2005 (UTC)

Re: I want to vote of the deadmin.of MrMiscellaneous issue

Obviously, I can't stop you, but I don't think that vote should have any legitimacy. Please see the talk page. It would be a very bad precedent to start voting for deadminship based on someone's values, etc. As much as I disagree with some of MrM believes, I don't think he pushed his POV in articles, but what he certainly never did, and was never accused of, was abusing his admin powers. --Dčabrilo 05:35, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

New Main Page design proposal

I invite you and others to see Main Page Talk, where I have proposed a new Main Page for Wikinews. Best wishes, NGerda 16:14, August 30, 2005 (UTC)

Explanation of why I decided to become sysop.

Paul, forgive my tardiness on this subject. It's been close to a month and I still haven't given you a reason as to why my actions led me to become an administrator.

In short, I can sum the reason up into just a few sentences. Primarily, the reason I became a sysop was to help Wikinews fight its spam and vandalism problems. Lately, the latter has become even more of an issue with various vandals placing grotesque and other inappropriate images on our front page. But why I stepped off the "do not admin" list was simply because I felt as if I didn't have enough time that was expected of administrators to devote to the project. I did not place myself on the list because I felt as if my views would get in the way, and I hope I haven't shown a place where I have favored one side over the other in an article. We're all naturally biased, and I'm out to try and change that. I know I have strong values on issues, but I try my hardest to omit them from the rest of Wikinews (other than responding to talk pages, or items on my userpage), and to encourage users to do the same.

But please, if you feel that I have in any way violated my administrator privileges, leave me a note on my talk page or list me for de-sysop'ing. I would feel much better about that than for you to hold a grudge against me for my sudden interest in the position, I admit my absence from the list did seem a little suspicious without any reasoning behind it.

Cheers. --Mrmiscellanious 19:42, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

Thanks so much for your considerate response. What you say makes lots of sense and my history is that I make too many groundless assumptions about things and have much too wild an imagination. The only thing I would add is that I felt so much energy from the "rave bust" story that I think it will be a big asset for us if we are able to attract and keep that crowd as constructive contributors; so I hope you might consider contacting that person who listed you for de-admin and try to work things out...I know it would be difficult to do, so I understand if you don't want to give it a try...but, regardless, as far as I'm concerned; you and I are just fine; and I appreciate how hard you work on the articles. Paulrevere2005 20:03, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

emotionally drained and burnt out

i'm taking an indefinite leave; all the best to everyone. Paulrevere2005 16:46, 3 September 2005 (UTC)

I think you should come back. I miss your solutions to problems. Anyway, if you don't: take care :) ClareWhite 16:22, 8 September 2005 (UTC)