Jump to content

User:Wronkiew

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My contributions

[edit]

Did you know? (7 March 2009) Featured article

243 Ida is a member of the Koronis family of main-belt asteroids. It was discovered on 29 September 1884 by Johann Palisa and named after a nymph from Greek mythology. Telescopic observations categorized Ida as an S-type asteroid, the most populous type in the inner asteroid belt. On 28 August 1993, Ida was visited by the spacecraft Galileo, bound for Jupiter. It was the second asteroid to be visited by a spacecraft, and the first found to possess a satellite. (more...)

Featured picture

Captive test flight of Armadillo Aerospace's Pixel rocket on 8 October 2006, before the 2006 X-Prize Cup.
Credit: Armadillo Aerospace/Matthew C. Ross

Featured article Today's featured article (19 April 2009)

Gerard K. O'Neill (6 February 1927 – 27 April 1992) was an American physicist and space activist. As a faculty member of Princeton University, he invented a device called the particle storage ring for high energy physics experiments. Later he invented a magnetic launcher called the mass driver. In the 1970s he developed a plan to build human settlements in outer space, including a space habitat design known as the O'Neill cylinder. He founded the Space Studies Institute, an organization devoted to funding research into space manufacturing and colonization. (more...)

Thoughts on Language and Presentation

[edit]

These tips are aimed at improving the consistency of article text, reducing the number of words used to express an idea, and clarifying the meaning of sentences. One of your goals in writing effective articles should be to make the text readable by as many readers as possible. Unnecessary words should be removed, and complicated words should be replaced by simpler words if doing so does not change the intended meaning.

An easy, though incomplete, way to assess your prose for readability is to send it through a fog index calculator. This one highlights complex words for you, while this one lists the longest sentences. If you are writing about a non-arcane subject and your fog index is over 16, you may be suffering from logorrhea. Test the lead section as well. Article leads should be readable by a very large audience, so shoot for an index under 12.

Readable prose

[edit]
  • The word actually in general usage usually means absolutely nothing. In many cases it can be eliminated without changing the meaning of the sentence.
  • Readers find it difficult to read a sentence with more than two or three commas. Sentences with too many commas can generally be split with ease.
  • Subjects of sentences should ideally have been introduced earlier in the article. In many cases an unintroduced subject indicates the need for an additional sentence. For example, this is what not to write:
instead, write something like this:
  • The verbs use, are/is, and have add less to a sentence than more active verbs. Replacing use with utilize does not improve a sentence. This example replaces had and used with more active verbs:
  • Don't start a sentence with "there was" or "there has" or "there is" if "there" doesn't refer to a specific place. Sentences that start like this can be rewritten more simply.

Consistent appearance

[edit]
  • In many articles the strings " - " and "--" stand in for the em dash "—", a typographical feature that Wikipedia allows. You can enter it by typing "—". Read more about this at Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Dashes.

Feel free to knock any of these points on my talk page.

Further reading

[edit]


My PGP public key ID is 0x68452D6E, expand for key:
-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Version: GnuPG v2.0.9 (GNU/Linux)

mQGiBDlIBVoRBADQHAjTk6OE3FzsFX fjMNmyFCcJMVm6Ej8TNkDhYvid 5QW7aT
Zjv/iQZCUbyUSi0FO 2gr8giAo HNDDyQgh6/xfcKCqCpeH10qfI7T9pYEE3VeOM
F2mQyXRQcMO hv00RmaxSnRg71koGInRLRl4dn5cqJ0XfTY0n9keMM00QwCg80pi
NDGbgOt6acQYW4gmNz9bnN0D/2cTQiInmO72ZlBycUl7ffoo/Aaw3ZsrhwwOLtIF
0p4aA0bu6be8xrzbgE/5ycDlaCeQmMcxH5JoKekVybp8ED/BzjjeEpJW2Bz9noa5
T9V8zz3pk7L2JlJ0Re9RHmu i8dWLHPqrTRzjE0 punIMphve GUUUrzAHBmCSD3
gBwiA/9E0s/LxWeI1RkRJfSUdiWb4UFMDa9K111svY6I1nA5ZRhXuK6JIMDXCuCz
z6e/kEDBoHjjLC9t6iNeieiIWddh70VIhpB4IuA38GuEyyfDQzX4LL8b0JPyJpyv
7TC/EFsCKrRlJ791Ob4w9Q7rtzJ 9RNFFjHi/D33d7CLMYa2bbQnTWF0dCBXcm9u
a2lld2ljeiA8bWF0dEB3cm9ua2lld2ljei5uZXQ iGYEExECACYCGwMFCwcDAgED
FQIDAxYCAQIeAQIXgAIZAQUCSNP1iAUJE05XHwAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbti/AKC DLSd
R2wajQlav/EIWepjp8C1GgCePr5B4LJfHuPbxUFPnBnvBnz2UcmIbQQREQIALQUC
P0Jr6AWDAeEzgCAaaHR0cDovL3d3dy50b2Vob2xkLmNvbS9yb2JvdGNhLwAKCRAQ
WBaFxSEJfqgyAJ9TWtKUNnyHMZE4LkE6VbRNbhJa ACglu jRYf/3w FwZrIIk7O
poUSrz2IogQTAQIADAUCP3C8dwWDCB3OJgAKCRAelDPC1 6IOaCPBACRYA56xGxt
gaEWFJDv93lKEg hi6 eXtf20cEAY3sEC/EoSNPRet/xVMuI0cTyCui8Sv9lyBgw
D25AwIzMHRCvh0qGYiLjrviJowpjKai9LMGIUehSKTtgIbNrlyOQugD9IaI2s7Ct
9Uh1aoqSHy07CWo4owOyTMcwlsh2mwzNVIhjBBMRAgAjBQI KImfAhsDBQkORoVD
BQsHAwIBAxUCAwMWAgECHgECF4AACgkQuhibXWhFLW61HQCfTvB8y5UCJB0o6n5j
pl laMx ljYAnjkWmVcja7rvESAoEzrLcV9MJaCwiEYEEBECAAYFAkO91YgACgkQ
2//kzUdPCfs6OQCdFc2OjwuhszInKKskRnxe0Zq41ZUAn3MgJdrfP9CojJNN9SI8
6IMzwg92tCdNYXR0IFdyb25raWV3aWN6IDx3cm9ua2lld0Bmb296b25lLm9yZz6I
SQQwEQIACQUCQS4OvgIdIAAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbgALAJ9ODZs/UNtm5xSaJFyOHprv
i0diiACdHCRH c6Xx/J/8hHq50BDUPK6n8GIYwQTEQIAIwIbAwUJDkaFQwULBwMC
AQMVAgMDFgIBAh4BAheABQI/cLurAAoJELoYm11oRS1u798An0Y61soaF9W1ItEP
poF 74g u3/DAJ9rsEHN2e3ZyMY lNjwIFt8LJ/1cIhtBBERAgAtBQI FzHcBYMB
4TOAIBpodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRvZWhvbGQuY29tL3JvYm90Y2EvAAoJEBBYFoXFIQl 
xCMAoIUgYFLIHPsP5Pt7K7i8fnninjvOAKCW0JFsfSlIxoMx2Y//82bYS4zN6Yii
BBMBAgAMBQI/cLx3BYMIHc4mAAoJEB6UM8LX7og5owMD/24Zx2J7NvNT6NcVl4dF
9qiZPtVn1NNxcT1hBzc7r71Hw7Wo6aDjMIw2mLESqjS15ozEvyMcgOcA7sM8Bucg
1ZMp56GWPvMTZKCZcEgVEIyzn9O5kScpe0AxtcMxfbDiUkWEEiuavhprVQWDcwlm
OvBw/UrmapPrU2p3fs84x/76iFcEExECABcFAjtN8tkFCwcKAwQDFQMCAxYCAQIX
gAAKCRC6GJtdaEUtblZ AKDC4RxacqsxSjI6 179up3RbSjgJQCfTecnwY7fqGCF
5Nf34 N3wmFDiV IZgQTEQIAJgIbAwUJDkaFQwULBwMCAQMVAgMDFgIBAh4BAheA
AhkBBQI KIkjAAoJELoYm11oRS1uucgAn3i106UMGty1aTGTP jbvW4IsLgVAJ9t
BI3ljjtbky4QY0//01R6/4SE/7QnTWF0dCBXcm9ua2lld2ljeiA8d3JvbmtpZXdA
YmlnZm9vdC5jb20 iEkEMBECAAkFAj9vjmICHSAACgkQuhibXWhFLW4LEwCgx7Br
2E4c/haDQVYZ1gtmKCSCRG8Anir5PCfmJK WShdrfM7b0GugwQb3iGMEExECACMF
Aj4oiR0CGwMFCQ5GhUMFCwcDAgEDFQIDAxYCAQIeAQIXgAAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbk74
AKDjAYyoCzUk8cHQI9Bzu0ayrzrcXACfahRklia9V3CRaoC/l/mf6PKOlr6JAJUD
BRA5SrmQHpQzwtfuiDkBAd/0BACxBuQs/98uF6f0NekI49ovpE9xlwMYrDlyEtv7
2rXP0XpdOukQWF86LSFKZHqWF2v xdU3n5SJ/ln19ykQ5ru6DUctqRWy7fw8DWkF
6yhoIZy5ukoXtiaIstnVxntpaSoIDer0Ylp1dSgJqkSGtKu0ZLGBP1AXF9dah4mr
XvwdsYhGBBARAgAGBQI7TfJJAAoJEEO47R8RiaDfK3kAn2CFpDmoE33R69j Ul6i
3ltxXZQLAJ0bn9JzNgZQXDqkoHDWx4Rum4KiGohtBBERAgAtBQI FzHlBYMB4TOA
IBpodHRwOi8vd3d3LnRvZWhvbGQuY29tL3JvYm90Y2EvAAoJEBBYFoXFIQl 2A0A
nigbueZkc83VtPHZcFfkfQCtShOZAJ4tdH1muh8P0/vTjclUu73NmYoW9YhWBBMR
AgAWBQI5SAVaBAsKBAMDFQMCAxYCAQIXgAAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbr96AJwOklLl/y4d
tpq1WRVO4eMqnhnnLgCfcj6vo3TYEvalQkQK0XSuTbJ2NzmIVgQTEQIAFgUCOUgF
WgQLCgQDAxUDAgMWAgECF4AACgkQuhibXWhFLW6/egCeJvkJn0eWgZf8EmeoctIq
RRRiq0IAoMSWl7bJnea/91QC/l6nPsSNIMCpuQENBDlIBbEQBADA5l3O 5d1jFOS
ArJYgSW5jYPXQkF/vDo6SLPVRgNkGcGGBO1h//Pm76hHe1C4u i1MK31IStHWxUZ
e2fM0ZpaJ0Xy5OCiqp0KLw5yTUkuzPpDBFOcU305nx5To nWRWs32McEOm23Ywn8
Jp/185wqc24FGOsnBByE3tNByooOJwAFEQP NoNcGhoxPopT8ciO1u3BpeCSO1Kl
dPRCj9f tpvfo9xhhIlzwwE9AvNgtstY2/u2OkwB3Ry/Unouru2SKO43U 7uBci/
0eHdH5ift1m gInqxztDFHSD8RqNTyXMklvxRr33Z /ZkKDP8a3qjpXmgaRO4Njc
vQBrFH434f6oPbqIRgQYEQIABgUCOUgFsQAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbggLAKDIs2i3jAhS
aVZYaOoSw42xb3A8MwCg8N5poNG56lfFBNT49knXwz9q/GeIRgQYEQIABgUCOUgF
sgAKCRC6GJtdaEUtbl2IAKDFbQ93rfXRWqDpgiBk pVdvEnNgwCfSDeIepuswlaa
InPYplEkYl8DKug=
=9OR0
-----END PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----
Committed identity: f516ddbacc69486b175a665fb53ff9cc53183275ec3afe5af4f0134631c63f086a75894863ddb5f861c56a5d6d804e09cf4e2340b730560b27643f3c42dee8d3 is a SHA-512 commitment to this user's real-life identity.