User talk:David Kernow~enwikibooks

Weight vs. Mass Wikijunior article
While I would agree that Metric1000 is perhaps going over the top and not seeking ways to compromise, you do need to pay attention to the arguments he is making. There is some sound science regarding what he is trying to suggest. He doesn't seem to complain too much about the "effects of Gravity" section I wrote, and certainly can't change the numbers in any way to reflect any differences in what it is saying from the mass vs. weight argument. In fact, it bypasses the argument altogether, which is why I've tried to go that route.

In short, give up trying to revert his changes when you try to say that you "weigh" 5 kg on the Moon if you weigh 30 kg on the Earth. Technically it isn't accurate anyway, which is precisely what he is trying to say. The question I'm trying to raise (and have tried to raise) is what kinds of experiences would be different if you were inside a large enclosed pressurized space (with the volume of an indoor athletic arena... certainly a possibility in the future).

I have suggested that Quiddich would become a very real sport on the Moon, due to the fact that human powered flight would be possible. I have no doubt that some enterprising soul would even come up with a contraption like the "golden snitch" that has some sort of interesting AI built into it as well. It would also be an athletic competition that would be encouraged by residents on the Moon to keep their bodies toned up to avoid muscular atrophy from not fighting the constant 9.8 m/s^2 gravity that is on the Earth. BTW, this isn't a new concept. In fact, Robert Heinlein came up with the concept in his novel "The Menace from Earth" that talks about sport flight on the moon in some large volcanic chambers that were pressure sealed on the Moon.

What other cool things would be possible due to a change in gravity and how would life be different? "Weighing" less is but one aspect that can be covered. I'm sure we can come up with some other cool ideas as well. Can we come up with some other lunar games and sports that would be impossible on the Earth? Burt Rutan (the guy that build Scaled Composites' Space Ship One that won the X-Prize) suggested with a low enough gravity that you could "walk" on water due to surface tension, and at least be swimming much faster due to less of your body being submersed inside the water. Mr. Rutan wants to experience that first hand with a space station containing a reduced g swimming pool and even showed the plans for it to Mike Wallace on the CBS television show 60 Minutes.

Let's be creative here and not get bogged down into a petty edit fight. We can be better than Metric1000 in that aspect because all that contributor has accomplished is to get people like you pissed at him. IMHO, lets just get rid of the weight vs. mass section completely. --Rob Horning 15:18, 24 October 2005 (UTC)


 * ''Thanks for your response, Rob. I tried to acknowledge Metric1000's point about usage, history and law in more than one of my replies on the talk page, but this seems not to've worked - or, at least, I did not do this sufficiently strongly. Given the manner of his posts, however, I decided especially calm and circumspect reponses were needed.


 * ''In the module itself, I hope I only removed his preaching that there's no difference between 'mass' and 'weight' rather than engage in reversion. If it appears to be outright reversion I apologise and take note. As regards my contributions not being technically accurate, I am aware of this but at the same am aware this is meant to be a module in a book for children. I just wanted to point out that science has distinct uses for the terms 'mass' and 'weight' and that their weight according to a bathroom scale would change from planet to planet or the like. I'd say that as most of us aren't practising scientists we don't use the word 'mass' that much in our everyday life on Earth, so all the more reason to confirm that what we think of here on Earth as 'weight' changes if we're on other planets etc or moving in certain ways, such as the example of orbiting. I don't believe being comprehensive or especially accurate matters here; just making the point that something - 'weight' - changes.


 * ''This is why I'd like to propose your approach as a solution. Yes, perhaps I may've been more creative in my attempts to point out to Metric1000 that changes in weight occur from place to place in the universe. I certainly hope, however, that I haven't been engaged in - and, most of all, haven't appeared willing or happy to engage in - an edit fight.


 * ''Thanks again for your involvement,
 * ''David Kernow 16:12, 24 October 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior Solar System/Solar System
Since you removed the "this module is finished" noticed, the module is getting "unfinished". Words are getting added. The reading level is going up. I am almost convinced that it is absolutely impossible to get an entire book ready for publication at the same time.

Do you have any ideas on how to get a module proofread and then held static?

Thanks for your thoughts

--SV Resolution 02:01, 6 December 2005 (UTC)


 * ''I'd suggest something along the lines of the following. Have an administrator announce that a module is to undergo a final period of copyediting and proofreading, leading to a vote to protect that version of the module from further editing. All those wishing to take part in the vote have N days in which to register their interest. After that, once those who have registered to vote reach a consensus that the module is ready, the supervising administrator protects that version of the module and anyone else who has come along since (or who didn't register their interest, etc) will be editing what will/might become the next version of the module. Once this has occurred for all modules, you have a first (second, third, etc) version of the Wikibook for printing.


 * ''As regards my intervention in the Our Solar System module, this arose because I have begun to work my way through the Wikijunior Solar System modules removing the adult-style superscripted reference numbers, URLs, etc from the text and replacing them with quotes from the text linked to the references in each module's separate References section. While beginning to do this for Our Solar System I felt there were some fundamental steps missing from the story outlined at the start of the module. If my attempt to insert them has created too demanding a text, I apologise and believe it should be possible to resimplify the text without losing them.


 * I am'' convinced that is impossible to declare an entire Wikibook – even a Wikijunior book – ready for publication unless something in the spirit of the above is agreed. Otherwise, yes, "Maybe a wiki is a lousy place to write a book".


 * ''David Kernow 03:49, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

proofreading Wikijunior Solar System
Are you familiar with the process of rounding up admins, getting them to do stuff, etc? I'm not. If you want to propose a change in the finished project of the proofreading process, why not go ahead and do that. Follow your own approach. Do "we" agree on taking the references out right now? How about on how to do that? The nice thing about having them where they are is that they show which facts have been checked.

--SV Resolution 01:16, 9 December 2005 (UTC)


 * ''A vote was started sometime ago here on how to treat referencing and as there has been no votes or comments against keeping them away from the text, I have forged onward. I believe young people prefer reading texts without superscripts or the like (see here). I'm aware that the format I'm implementing is less specific, but so far I feel it is still sufficiently specific to indicate the source/s of nearly each and every fact. Since most of the references I've parsed thus far refer to the same four or so sources per modules, I'm tempted to plan a second pass through them to remove such redundancy. I would however propose such an idea first.


 * ''I am more concerned that my efforts to copyedit (not proofread) the modules may result in sentences etc that are too demanding for our target audience. I would very much appreciate your (and anyone else) pointing out when you feel that has happened – or, probably better, simply rephrasing it. Back on the Wikijunior Solar System talk page (and perhaps elsewhere) I've enquired whether anyone has easy contact with a bunch of 7-12 year olds so we can benefit from some feedback. Elsewhere someone has mentioned they received a positive response from a (or maybe a few) young person/people but I'd like to feel reassured about the assumptions modules already make about young people's grasp of numbers, scale, history, etc, etc before I unwittingly add any more.


 * ''Meanwhile, I'm not familiar with the process of rounding up admins etc but if (or probably when) push comes to shove I'd sort out what to do and put what we've been discussing before them.


 * ''Best wishes, David Kernow 03:18, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

Mars
I've Started adding references to this module, but I've done it the old way (Force of habit :)). Could you fix them for me when I'm done? Thanks! --Shanel 05:07, 6 January 2006 (UTC)
 * ''Will do. Incidentally, any thoughts on the thread above and here? Best wishes, David Kernow 16:52, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Freezing modules
I would agree that we need to freeze the modules at some point; IPs especially will keep adding to or changing the contents. I know there's a few admins who have worked on Wikijunior, so it should't be too much trouble getting them to lock the modules. Still, we really need some kids from our target audience to test them for us.--Shanel 23:04, 7 January 2006 (UTC)

Hello
We've never talked, but im "Basejumper123" from "comets" in "the solar system" and im trying to polish off the page and you seemed interested in the proofreading process, but im not sure you finished, if you've got time please try come to this link and help us out!

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Talk:Wikijunior_Solar_System/Comets/Proofreading

Policy review
Policy is not the most exciting subject at Wikibooks but we do have some major unresolved issues.

The most important issue, in my opinion, is Dispute resolution which starts by declaring that:

"Currently there is no official organized process to resolve disputes between users"

The suggested remedy for this is: Ad hoc administration committee which puts into place the absolute minimum in terms of an enforcement apparatus.

The second most important is No personal attacks where a vote has recommended the policy be enforced but it still languishes as "proposed".

The third policy that is needed and which will prevent edit disputes from getting out of hand is Editing disputes policy.

Other policies that need consideration are at: Policies and guidelines.

Please spare a minute or two to peruse these issues and add a comment and/or a vote. RobinH 12:21, 28 April 2006 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called David Kernow. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name David Kernow~enwikibooks that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 23:08, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 04:52, 19 April 2015 (UTC)