User talk:BlackCab

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The Surreal Barnstar

This barnstar is given to You as my grateful appreciation for your tireless contributing in former times and by adding special flavor to WP:JW community, particularly with unique style of cooperation and behavior and solely by acting as sort of wildcard and doing acts toward better future and higher quality of articles in English Wikipedia. Sincerely ♥ FaktneviM (talk) 17:26, 7 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

		The Guidance Barnstar
		Just wanted to give this to you for your efforts to improve my knowledge of JW's, especially the books you referenced. Vyselink (talk) 19:49, 8 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

You're very welcome. I found the books very helpful in explaining a religion I'd joined decades earlier. Everyone should be entitled to make an informed decision, so I think it's important to share that information. I just wish I'd had it when I considered joining. BlackCab (talk) 21:11, 9 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]

	The Resilient Barnstar
	I know we don't see eye to eye on a lot but I thought you comported yourself well at ANi and that this was well earned. Hell in a Bucket (talk) 06:18, 27 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you. It all seemed to turn out good in the end. By coincidence, my Twitter feed today provided me with what is supposedly an ancient Chinese proverb: If you must bow, bow low. It seemed rather apt. BlackCab (TALK) 12:40, 27 July 2014 (UTC)[reply]

		Editor of the Week
		Your ongoing efforts to improve the encyclopedia have not gone unnoticed: You have been selected as Editor of the Week, for constant quest for neutrality in Jehovah's Witness articles. Thank you for the great contributions! (courtesy of the Wikipedia Editor Retention Project)

User:John Carter submitted the following nomination for Editor of the Week:

I nominate BlackCab. Along with Jeffro77, BlackCab he has been one of basically two people who have worked very hard to keep our content related to the Jehovah's Witnesses at a high quality level. As someone who has been watching that content for years now I know how hard it must be for both of them. He has 7 years of experience and some 9000 edits. He also contributes significantly in other areas. We haven't always agreed because I make mistakes myself but his endeavors in that area have been and I hope will continue to be among the most reliable informed and fair.

You can copy the following text to your user page to display a user box proclaiming your selection as Editor of the Week:

{{subst:Wikipedia:WikiProject Editor Retention/Editor of the Week/Recipient user box}}

BlackCab

Flag of New Zealand

Editor of the Week for the week beginning December 14, 2014

An informed and fair contributor

Recognized for

Notable work(s)

the Jehovah's Witnesses

Nomination page

Thanks again for your efforts! Go Phightins! 19:16, 14 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

• Well done. Congratulations! ```Buster Seven Talk 14:45, 15 December 2014 (UTC)[reply]

	Genius
	You are a disgrace to writers and Wikipedia. As a former Jehovah's Witness you wrote a completely biased anti-Jehovah's Witness article which deliberately misleads readers. You quoted anti-Jehovah's Witness historians and writers throughout your article. Namuh007 (talk) 05:52, 15 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

You seem to have an altered sense of reality in which you pretend that things you dislike don't exist. I feel a bit sorry for you—but only a bit. And it should be "you're" (you are) not "your". BlackCab (TALK) 06:00, 15 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Wiki:

This article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses is edited by Wiki writer BlackCab who is an ex Jehovah's Witness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User%3ABlackCab It also has many references by James Penton also an ex Jehovah's Witness. Noted Historian Detlef Garbe in his book 'Between Resistance and Martyrdom' said of James Penton "His work has not been taken into consideration... His statements, source selection, and interpretation reflect a deep-seated aversion against this religious association, of which he had once been a member." Thus it's accuracy is called into question." This seems the case with all Wiki articles on Jehovah's Witnesses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_in_Nazi_Germany They reflect a deep seated aversion against this religious association of which Blackcab and Penton had once been a member. Similarly, you cannot make any edits in this article without BlackCab changing or stopping them. This article like all articles on Jehovah's Witnesses in Wiki should have been written by a writer who has had absolutely no affiliation past or present with Jehovah's witnesses and thus no bias. It calls into question the accuracy of all other information found in Wiki. Please keep the honesty and accuracy of Wiki intact by having all the articles on Jehovah's Witnesses rewritten by someone who has absolutely no affiliation past or present with Jehovah's Witnesses and thus no bias.

Bruce — Preceding unsigned comment added by Namuh007 (talk • contribs) 02:53, 19 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Sockpuppet reported at Wikipedia:Sockpuppet_investigations/Namuh007.--Jeffro77 (talk) 05:24, 19 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Looking at it again that was definitely over-linking. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 00:51, 12 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The citations were vastly excessive. I removed them to make the article easier to read, while still retaining sources; you reinstated them. An idiotic move, but I'm sure you think it achieved something. BlackCab (TALK) 02:32, 12 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I simple hid them rather than removing them completely which results in the same outcome for the reader. Havn't finished yet but will. Doc James (talk · contribs · email) 02:47, 12 February 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for uploading File:CD cover of Hands of Glory by Andrew Bird.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. --B-bot (talk) 03:35, 6 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Image is a duplicate and is not required. BlackCab (TALK) 03:41, 6 March 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The Editor of the Week initiative has been recognizing editors since 2013 for their hard work and dedication. Editing Wikipedia can be disheartening and tedious at times; the weekly Editor of the Week award lets its recipients know that their positive behaviour and collaborative spirit is appreciated. The response from the honorees has been enthusiastic and thankful.

The list of nominees is running short, and so new nominations are needed for consideration. Have you come across someone in your editing circle who deserves a pat on the back for improving article prose regularly, making it easier to understand? Or perhaps someone has stepped in to mediate a contentious dispute, and did an excellent job. Do you know someone who hasn't received many accolades and is deserving of greater renown? Is there an editor who does lots of little tasks well, such as cleaning up citations?

Please help us thank editors who display sustained patterns of excellence, working tirelessly in the background out of the spotlight, by submitting your nomination for Editor of the Week today!

Sent on behalf of Buster Seven Talk for the Editor of the Week initiative by MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 06:18, 22 April 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I would prefer not to include reference to my website in Wikipedia discussions. It isn't generally appropriate to refer to editors' other online identities, and whilst you haven't done so explicitly or with any bad intent, it is almost certainly going to be seen by some editors as inappropriate promotion at the Talk page. I have therefore redacted it from your comment. Thanks.--Jeffro77 (talk) 07:58, 30 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

I'd be surprised if anyone took my comment to be promotion, and since both "identities" have the same name I was giving nothing away ... but your call. BlackCab (TALK) 10:27, 30 August 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, Wikipedia:WikiProject Oceania/The 10,000 Challenge and Wikipedia:WikiProject Australia/The 5000 Challenge are up and running based on Wikipedia:The 10,000 Challenge which has currently produced over 2300 article improvements and creations. The Australia challenge would feed into the wider region one and potentially New Zealand could have a smaller challenge too. The main goal is content improvement, tackling stale old stubs and important content and improving sourcing/making more consistent but new articles are also welcome if sourced. I understand that this is a big goal for regular editors, especially being summertime where you are, but if you'd like to see large scale quality improvements happening for Oceania and Australia like The Africa Destubathon, which has produced over 1700 articles in 5 weeks, sign up on the page. The idea will be an ongoing national editathon/challenge for the region but fuelled by a series of contests to really get articles on every province and subject mass improved. The Africa contest scaled worldwide would naturally provide great benefits to Oceania countries, particularly Australia and attract new editors. I would like some support from existing editors here to get the Challenges off to a start with some articles to make doing a Destubathon worthwhile and potentially bring about hundreds of improvements in a few weeks through a contest! Cheers.♦ --MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 02:12, 24 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The Editor of the Week initiative has been recognizing editors since 2013 for their hard work and dedication. Editing Wikipedia can be disheartening and tedious at times; the weekly Editor of the Week award lets its recipients know that their positive behaviour and collaborative spirit is appreciated. The response from the honorees has been enthusiastic and thankful.

The list of nominees is running short, and so new nominations are needed for consideration. Have you come across someone in your editing circle who deserves a pat on the back for improving article prose regularly, making it easier to understand? Or perhaps someone has stepped in to mediate a contentious dispute, and did an excellent job. Do you know someone who hasn't received many accolades and is deserving of greater renown? Is there an editor who does lots of little tasks well, such as cleaning up citations?

Please help us thank editors who display sustained patterns of excellence, working tirelessly in the background out of the spotlight, by submitting your nomination for Editor of the Week today!

In addition, the WikiProject is seeking a new facilitator/coordinator to handle the logistics of the award. Please contact L235 if you are interested in helping with the logistics of running the award in any capacity. Remove your name from here to unsubscribe from further EotW-related messages. Thanks, Kevin (aka L235 · t · c) via MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 05:19, 30 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

At least their edit summary was accurate... [1]. ;) --Jeffro77 (talk) 09:13, 3 February 2017 (UTC)[reply]

As an Australian Wikipedian, your opinion is sought on a proposal to advocate for the introduction of Fair Use into Australian copyright law. The discussion is taking place at the Australian Wikipedians' notice board, please read the proposal and comment there. MediaWiki message delivery MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 11:08, 2 March 2017 (UTC)[reply]

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A file that you uploaded or altered, File:JFRFifthcolumn.jpg, has been listed at Wikipedia:Files for discussion. Please see the discussion to see why it has been listed (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry). Feel free to add your opinion on the matter below the nomination. Thank you. ShakespeareFan00 (talk) 08:58, 2 September 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for uploading File:JFRFifthcolumn.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in section F5 of the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. --B-bot (talk) 17:32, 4 September 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. We're into the last five days of the Women in Red World Contest. There's a new bonus prize of $200 worth of books of your choice to win for creating the most new women biographies between 0:00 on the 26th and 23:59 on 30th November. If you've been contributing to the contest, thank you for your support, we've produced over 2000 articles. If you haven't contributed yet, we would appreciate you taking the time to add entries to our articles achievements list by the end of the month. Thank you, and if participating, good luck with the finale!

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Please be aware that your signature uses deprecated <font> tags, which are causing Obsolete HTML tags lint errors.

You are encouraged to change

[[User:BlackCab|<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS; color:darkslategray; font-variant:small-caps;">'''BlackCab'''</span>]] ([[User talk:BlackCab|<font face="Trebuchet MS" size="1">TALK</font>]]) : BlackCab (TALK)

to

<span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;">[[User:BlackCab|<b style="color:darkslategray; font-variant:small-caps;">BlackCab</b>]] ([[User talk:BlackCab|<span style="font-size: x-small;">TALK</span>]])</span> : BlackCab (TALK)

—Anomalocaris (talk) 20:20, 3 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. Done. BlackCab (TALK) 02:05, 4 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks! —Anomalocaris (talk) 21:30, 5 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]

On a slightly separate note, I noticed that on the first page of the first chapter of the same book, Holden cites Stark and Iannaccone (1997) saying "Even the most conservative estimates indicate that, by the year 2020, there will be 12,475,115 members worldwide" (which it gives in the context of "active evangelists"). However, unless there is significant growth in the next year or so, the decline in growth since that time will mean membership will not reach that "conservative" estimate. Does the 2005 version provide updated figures?.--Jeffro77 (talk) 12:53, 6 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I actually had a look at that — I was looking for anything such as stats he may have updated. But no, it’s unchanged. The ISBN, incidentally, is also unchanged across all editions. BlackCab (TALK) 13:33, 6 March 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Hello! Voting in the 2019 Arbitration Committee elections is now open until 23:59 on Monday, 2 December 2019. All eligible users are allowed to vote. Users with alternate accounts may only vote once. The Arbitration Committee is the panel of editors responsible for conducting the Wikipedia arbitration process. It has the authority to impose binding solutions to disputes between editors, primarily for serious conduct disputes the community has been unable to resolve. This includes the authority to impose site bans, topic bans, editing restrictions, and other measures needed to maintain our editing environment. The arbitration policy describes the Committee's roles and responsibilities in greater detail. If you wish to participate in the 2019 election, please review the candidates and submit your choices on the voting page. If you no longer wish to receive these messages, you may add {{NoACEMM}} to your user talk page. MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 00:09, 19 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Would you mind giving your input on this edit [[2]]. You seem to present these things well. Hell in a Bucket (talk) 16:17, 25 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

A few years ago I engaged in some debate on the Jehovah’s Witness page. I have been an ExJW now for over 10 years, and by chance I decided to revisit my old post history on Wikipedia, which brought me here. Needless to say it makes me cringe the apologist nature of my posts back then, but I was on a journey of awakening, and your contributions made a huge difference to me and waking up. Not that I knew at the time. Thanks! Jamie (talk) 21:01, 6 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Jamie, thanks so much for the message! Out of curiosity I just trawled back and found a message you left on my talk page in 2009 in which there were glimmers of an awakening as you mentioned some misgivings about the organisation ... but then again you did resort to that phrase we all used to turn to about "imperfect humans"!

I'm not sure what was going on just at the moment when you messaged me. My wife and I had ceased attending JW meetings in early 2008, and it wasn't long after that that I threw myself into extensive research into the JWs -- not only about the organisation itself and its history and practices, but also about its teaching and control methods and the JW social environment so I could better understand why, as an adult, I had joined in the first place and then remained so long. As I learned more and tried to share it in public via those Wikipedia articles -- mainly so people could make informed decisions about joining the JWs or staying -- I became involved in an often intense and bitter struggle with a quite unpleasant JW individual. The combined pressure of leaving the JWs, battling with that individual (who often resorted to name-calling and dishonesty as part of his tactics of provocation) and intense work pressures badly affected my health, but fortunately I pulled through.

My own "awakening" took several years. I've been gone from the JWs for more than 12 years now, but after more than two decades in the organisation I still have very strong feelings about it, and there are people I know who are still in it. I also have good friends who are ex-Witnesses and we have a very close bond through that shared experience. We all benefit so much from being able to talk about it.

Thanks again so much for making contact and I'm glad I was able to help, in whatever small way. It's all about informed choice. When I joined, there was so little information. All the best, and feel free to email me if you want to chat further! BlackCab (TALK) 00:49, 7 June 2020 (UTC)[reply]

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Kia ora! The Wikimedia Aotearoa New Zealand User Group invites you to read about the call for applications for a Wikipedian-at-Large for Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024. Group members are happy to explain the process and discuss ideas with interested editors.

Sent by Zippybonzo on behalf of MurielMary using MediaWiki message delivery (talk) at 06:36, 24 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thinking about your summer break? Think about joining other Wikipedians and Wikimedians in Golden Bay / Mohua! Details are on the meetup page. There's heaps of interesting stuff to work on e.g. the oldest extant waka or New Zealand's oldest ongoing legal case. Or you may spend your time taking photos and then upload them.

Golden Bay is hard to get to and the airline flying into Tākaka uses small planes, so we are holding some seats from and to Wellington and we are offering attendees a $200 travel subsidy to help with costs.

Be in touch with Schwede66 if this event interests you and you'd like to discuss logistics. Schwede66 09:14, 13 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]