Be prepared to be nominated - if you deserve it, that is.
Starting this week, WikiAnswers Supervisors can nominate worthy contributors to become promoted to either Premier Answerers or Supervisors. The nominations are reviewed by the site’s Community Coordinators.
Supervisors need only click a link from the contributor’s Bio Page and make their pitch.
Good luck!
There’s a little bit of quirkiness in all of us - you know; some little oddity that makes each of us, who we are - our little quirks. But how many people have the unique distinction of proclaiming that they’re not only quirky, but Quirkyquantummechanic? We know of only one! And lucky for us, he happens to be an out-of-this-world WikiAnswers.com contributor and Supervisor. You might know him as Quirky, The Mechanic or even QQM. All other names aside, he will forever be the Quirkyquantummechanic -an enigma in his own right.
Here’s more from the legend himself:
How do you participate on WikiAnswers.com?
In case you’ve wondered, my user name is derived from frustration attempting to find one that wasn’t in use already. I’m a Floating Supervisor here on WikiAnswers.com, and have been one for a bit over a year. I’ve opted to avoid a specific Category because I then have the freedom to rove the length and breadth of the Community to answer and edit questions. (One other Supervisor suggested I might be a bit of a Ranger at heart, and his insight is probably dead on target.) I’m not involved in any other activities (save Mentoring) directly, like the WikiGuides, Vandal Patrol, WIT, Bug Catchers or the like. But when I encounter a vandal or bug, I usually act to help get things back on track. I’m certainly always ready to help a Contributor by answering questions or advising on issues as regards WikiAnswers. And I can’t imagine any Supervisor who is not.
Please share some random facts about yourself, special thoughts, etc.
Though I am “petless” at present, I am a critter person deep down. I’ve had dogs, cats and many other pets all my life. The neighbor’s cat, the beast that leaves white hair on almost everything I wear, can attest to the fact that I’m critter friendly. She probably spends as much time here as there. I’m familiar with the outdoors, having been raised in Colorado. It could be said that I grew up in the hills and mountains as my family camped or hunted often. This makes me comfortable in wilderness settings and the out of doors in general. I am a vet from the Viet Nam era, and served on nuclear submarines.
What is your key area of knowledge or expertise?
My work here, which is largely in the Science area, speaks to my technocratic nature. I’ve always worked in a technical capacity, often in electronics engineering. I’m deeply interested in what makes the universe work, and I often read through articles and posts to “keep up” with the advancements in science. I’m a lifelong learner, and believe everyone should be. In contrast to my scientific bent, I’m a believer in a higher power I call God. (Read anything you like into that-or not.) There is no conflict in my belief system and my understanding of the way the world works, and my posts in Science and in Creation suggest this.
What do you like to do for recreation?
As a resident of the left coast, I’ve come to like the scenery as well as the weather. Soccer is big here, and I’ve played, coached, and officiated soccer matches aplenty. I’ve been “off” for a while, and I need to get back out and referee a bit before I forget how. (With games numbering in four digits under my belt, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch, should it?) The game, the officiating, affords me the opportunity to give back to the sport that my two children (who are grown) and I enjoyed so much. And giving back is why I’m here on WikiAnswers.com. I had superb teachers, coaches and mentors growing up, and even on the job as a “working adult” in the real world. What I know and share here is as much a tribute to and a way of honoring their efforts as anything else.
What brought you to WikiAnswers.com?
I originally came to WikiAnswers.com when searching for something technical. It was electronic in nature, and, though I cannot recall specifically what it was, I found an answer here that pointed me in the right direction. That answer was not quite what it “might be” as it was posted, and I created an account and edited it. My memory had been refreshed, and I shared my understanding (and appreciation) with the Community in the form of the edit. I was hooked. Since then I’ve applied my knowledge and my modest writing skills to making the site a better one. A few awards and badges on my Bio Page speak to the small successes I’ve had and accomplishments I’ve made here. I appreciate the recognition, but perhaps not as much as I treasure the compliments of peers. But anyone who knows me from notes and posts knows I’m not here for awards or Recommends. I’m here to help by sharing what little I know while expanding my own knowledge.
In post after post I attempt to turn on the lights and roll back ignorance-including my own. In sharing knowledge, I find that there is a lot of incorrect information floating around. When we post to enlighten and correct less-than-current knowledge, it is important for us to present what is “correct” and “true” as best we understand it. That includes admitting what we don’t know, too. Does that sound like teaching? We sometimes hear that you never really know a subject until you teach it. I’ve taught it, and there is more than a kernel of truth in that axiom. I’ve written lots of labs and outlines and such, and it is probably through those activities that I was able to hone my English skills. More than a couple of individuals have complimented me on my ability to write. I’ve done a bit of creative writing (though I don’t want publication), and that and the teaching have allowed me to make the best of the language skills I gathered in school (again, with the help of good teachers and professors).
What is your favorite WikiAnswers.com activity?
What I like here most is answering and editing questions, particularly in the Science category. I also do a lot of Recategorization, which is important. Certainly I’m willing to help others improve their abilities to make the Boards better, and as a Mentor, I can share what I’ve learned with new Supervisors. I report bugs and get involved in efforts to curb vandalism, and I’m more than ready to do that and any other tasks that need doing. But I have limited my involvement in “other things” here to do what I seem best at, which is answering and editing questions in Science. Certainly I’m not “too good” to take on other chores; I clean around the house because I’m best at it. But here I tend to cruise Science and hammer the Q&A there because I like it, and because of all the things I can do to help, my skills are probably a “best fit” there.
What keeps you coming back to WikiAnswers.com?
WikiAnswers isn’t about me. It never has been. It’s about you. At this point I’d like to share my gratitude. I’d like nothing more than to thank the other Supervisors here for their support. You are uniformly bright, powerful and empowering individuals, and I care about you more than my simple ability to express it. And a big thanks to the Community Advisers and those working behind the scenes to improve and expand WikiAnswers, too. We almost never hear about all the ground you cover in your assignments. My hat is off to you all. Lastly, I’d like to thank the Contributors here. And not because the Contributors are least important. Quite the contrary. It is the Contributor that makes the Community what it is. And we are all, in the end, Contributors, are we not? That’s why I’m here.
May you all find your true path, and the courage and strength to walk it. See you on the Boards.
the Mechanic
Here’s a fun fact: In the little over two years since WikiAnswers.com was acquired, the number of questions on the site has increased 35-fold. On March 6th - last Friday - the site was asked its 10 millionth question.
Here’s another fun fact: The 10 millionth question was - drum roll please -
How long is the flight from Newark to Sydney?
That ought to awaken the travel bug in you!
Some other fun facts:
As quoted by Bruce D. Smith, who leads the Community Development team: “We aim to make WikiAnswers.com the best place for users to find answers to all their questions.”
So that’s the challenge put forth to you: What are your questions? Have they been asked at WikiAnswers.com yet? And how long before 15 million, 100 million, a billion questions?
For the past two weeks, we’ve read about Jadeacres and ThatwouldBme, self-declared WikiNeighbors who reside on their cozy, friendly farms in Ontario, Canada. This week we’ll bring it all together with a deeper look into how the relationship between the two Wikiholic Supervisors runs deeper than just the actual WikiAnswers website… It’s a WikiWorld full of neighborliness, t-shirts… and eggs.
In their own words, Jadeacres and ThatwouldBme share some highlights of their WikiWorld:
On being WikiNeighbors.
ThatwouldBme: It seems that Jade Acres and Snugglefoot Hollow are a fascination within the Wiki-community. With the e-verse the way it is, people make friends worldwide, and yet, sometimes, fate passes you wonderful people and puts them right next door.
Jadeacres: Jade Acres is not only a refuge for us. The coffee is always on and the doors remain unlocked 24 hours per day. Family and friends drop in from hundreds of miles distant on a whim and there is room for all.
ThatwouldBme: When my husband and I returned to Canada we settled into this place like we were born here. That’s very nearly a miracle considering Galad is from the city (New York, New York) and we are now living (as he says) half way to the back of beyond. We got a great place, with lots of property and a nearly new house, but there had been very little done to “tame” the place.
Jadeacres: The day Deborah and I drove up to the house with the moving truck, we had barely started unloading our possessions when a shout from the long laneway caught our attention. Up the drive trudged a couple of “hippies” in the most traditional sense of the word. Both had long gray hair, tied in ponytails and bandannas, Ty-dyed retro clothing, work gloves and the worlds friendliest smiles. Within minutes, we were the best of friends and today they are “family.” Both Galad and Shell share their hearts and home as readily as we do and better neighbours could not be found in a lifetime of searching.
Shell is often found sitting at our dinning table making use of our high speed internet connection and soon became as much the Wiki fanatic as myself. It was not long before I had convinced her to become a Supervisor. As a “Veteran” of WikiAnswers (all of a few months) I asked and was allowed to become possibly the first face-to-face Mentor in WikiAnswers history and help guide her through the rules and Terms of Use policies.
As of this writing, the ‘couple of hours per week only on Wednesdays’ promise by Shell has fallen by the wayside. It is not uncommon for her to be here, happily Wiki’ing on Monday, Tuesday, always by 10AM on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
The story behind the T-shirt.
Jadeacres: A small bit of background info on Shell. She is an artist, somewhat well-known in the area and beyond our borders. She is often commissioned for her work and can command high prices for her skills.
Within a few days of becoming her Mentor, I found a green T-shirt folded on our table. It was to become the WikiT I would wear each Wednesday at our regular weekly Wikithon. Front and back it is decorated by hand, announcing to all who see, that the wearer is empowered and assisted by SuperPowers and aided by two dogs and a rooster.
ThatwouldBme: It has been my personal pride to say I will paint very nearly anything on very nearly anything, and T-shirts are an old favourite, I‘ve done dozens.
James is so pleased with his connections with WikiAnswers, and proud of being asked to become a Supervisor. So when his birthday arrived I needed to do something special. It doesn’t take long for ideas to percolate from my imagination into a full blown finished project, so the day before his birthday I hooked a ride with him and his Deb into town.
Anyway, we did our usual round of buying, laying mash for the chickens, groceries for both households, as a retired chef, grocery shopping with James is a true experience, (but that is another story), then on to a department store to pick up a couple of things, including a green T-shirt as the “ground” for his present.
Back home, the shirt was washed and hung to dry while I sketched out the rough draft. Then I ironed the shirt, opened the bottles of paint and painted the pocket. When the folks of Jade Acres arrived the next evening for cake, ice cream and celebrations, the T-shirt was sitting on the table next to a birthday card. I wish you could have seen James’ face… he couldn’t believe I had managed to do the work in such a short time - after all, he’d seen me buy the shirt the day before and here it was, done.
Come WikiWednesday I set it on the table for him, and it has become a formal part of our days at WikiAnswers.
Friendship through… eggs.
ThatwouldBme: When James started raising chickens I found the perfect canvas for a new project. From Jade Acres came an array of the most fascinatingly-coloured eggs, which I took and painted on. At first it was wildlife, then after painting a butterfly on one for a client, I had the wild idea of painting my “Butterfly Divas”. They are tiny little fairies, with wings that look like real butterflies, and they are dressed in “high fashion” clothing from different eras. I even did a series of eggs with belly dancers on them for a local shop (a chance to combine my art and my weekly diversion of ethnic dance).
Of course, Jade Acres has a good sized collection of painted eggs, not to mention the hand-painted Christmas balls I’ve done over the years. James and his family have become so much more than just neighbours, they are dear friends.
Jadeacres: Breaking News! I breed Araucana hens and occasionally some Cochin chickens, and on a whim this summer I bred a few for egg colour variations, hoping for some interesting variations. Araucana chickens give us the blue/green eggs and Cochin hens lay rose/light brown eggs. Well it seems to have worked. This past Christmas Eve, while gathering eggs, one of my new girls (hatched in July) gave us her first egg. Wait for it… A GOLD egg! Under artificial lights, the egg appears a deep khaki colour not often seen by breeders. When under natural sunlight… these eggs are GOLD.
I will give some to Shell for special artwork.
A big thanks to James and Shell for so enthusiastically sharing their story with the rest of us! Hope to hear more great things from this Wiki-duo soon.
Missed part of the story? Click for Part I and Part II.
Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.
Picking up where we left off last week: After getting to know a bit more about Jadeacres, it’s time to learn more about his partner-in-WikiCrime and that would be… ThatwouldBme (or Shell).
On her bio page, Shell says:
I can tell you that I’m an artist. The pencil/pen/paintbrush/canvas kind of artist. I don’t remember a time I didn’t draw or paint. When I talk to clients & friends, wait in airports & doctors’ offices, make plans & even keep a diary, I do it in images.
…And artist she is. Shell sometimes uses t-shirts as a billboard, or her neighbor’s eggs as a canvas, or WikiAnswers question as an open space to paint the perfect answer. With whatever she does, she displays her dedication to helping people as vividly as she does her artwork.
But more about Shell’s artwork (and James’ eggs!) next week… For now, a word (or more) with ThatwouldBme:
How did you originally hear about WikiAnswers?
My next-door neighbour came over for coffee one morning and said he’d encountered a Paganism question on the new site he was visiting. He admitted it was something a bit more than he felt qualified to answer and asked my input. After a lengthy conversation he suggested I log on and check out the site…
I did, with the intention of answering one or two questions and then just fading away. But the question was complex, and while working on it I found another question that although it had a simple enough Pagan answer, had been “bashed” by someone whose opinions differed widely from my own. I got involved with that one, then another, and another, and finally did my first dispute resolution before I even got my Super Powers.
After that, as they say, “the rest was history…”
Explain your username.
My parents are snowbirds, have been for 20+ years. I don’t get down to Florida to visit them as often as my sisters. They have the added incentive of Canadian winters to make the trip down. I lived 10 years in Arizona so my winters were wonderful, which translates out to… I visited them in Canada during Arizona‘s crazy hot summers.
My folks have long-standing neighbours and friends in their winter home, and they have all heard about me, but very few have ever met me. This past winter Daddy bought himself a little sports car, claims he only wanted it because of the gas mileage, but I have my suspicions otherwise. Bringing a car through the American/Canadian customs is not exactly a stroll in the park, and as I’d done it before, (when I returned to Canada five years ago) they asked me to come along and make sure everything went smoothly.
That put me in Florida for two weeks, and in a position to meet an awful lot of people who knew me, or at least knew of me. Seemed every time I met someone they would say, “So you’re the artist daughter.” or “So you’re the daughter from Arizona” or “Oh, so you’re the oldest girl…” My standard answer became, “That would be me.”
It sort of stuck.
What motivates you to volunteer your time to the WikiAnswers community?
The dissemination of information is a grand ambition and a personal passion for me. I hate to admit it, but what initially drew me to this was finding a “loop hole” in a gees placed on me by my shaman when I was in my teens.
As with most teens, convinced they know it all, I was so sure of my path I spent a lot of time arguing theology with very nearly anyone I encountered. To bring me back to practicing as opposed to preaching, he told me I was not allowed to give anyone answers unless and until they asked.
Now, I give one afternoon a week and an hour every night I can to answering what questions I can.
I grew up looking for my answers in libraries and obscure books and at the knees of wise men and women wherever I could find them. The whole e-universe is still a wonder and a challenge for me. But now I can put my years of gathering facts and notes and bit of information to a use that transcends my little 500 book library in my small corner of the world.
What are your areas of expertise?
Being a Leo, I can honestly say I don’t do anything I don’t do well. Now before you go considering me the most arrogant person you have ever met, you need to understand, that also means there are things I don’t do at all. The best motto for a Leo is: “If at first you don’t succeed, destroy all evidence you ever tried.”
That said, I’m a self taught artist who learned everything the hard way (trial & error). I have worked in construction, in one form or another, since before it had a place for women. I learned my pagan path from a Native American Shaman, and my Scottish-Celtic grandmother at a very tender age. Then put it to use first in my solitary practice and eventually with my eclectic circle in Arizona, and now I total over 50 years of accumulated learning and teaching of a spiritual way.
I love to cook, garden, read, write, tell tall tales, and if I have one thing I do better than anything else, I make a fantastic friend, because I accept everyone exactly as they are, and never try to turn them into someone else.
What is your favorite WikiAnswers feature?
The bio pages. I get a glimpse into what others want me to know about themselves.
Sometimes I get a picture to go with a name, sometimes I get an insight into the mind behind the answers. Even a blank page tells me something. I always come away from a bio page knowing something I didn’t when I got there.
What has been your funniest question/experience on WikiAnswers?
Since I have become a Supervisor, I have been spending WikiWednesdays with my neighbour, mentor and really good friend, James of Jade Acres. He works with his head in a closet (that’s a whole other story) and I work at the dining room table on my lap top. On any given Wednesday we will usually bump into one another on the WikiAnswers page repeatedly, it has come to the point where we advise one another where we are going to be so that we don’t keep stepping on one another’s toes.
However, the funniest experience I can think of was a couple of weeks ago, James and I were so busy working on a collaborative effort at WikiAnswers that we lost track of the time. In the door walked WikiWidow (James’ wife, Deb). She walked over to him, placed a large coffee next to him, said “Hi, Hon,” and kissed him on the top of the head, then turned around, put a large tea next to me, kissed me on the top of the head and said, “Hi, Other Hon,” and went on into the kitchen.
I swear it took James and I a full minute to realise what she’d done, and the odd thing… I was half way through typing a message on his board about it before it dawned on me I could simply speak to him, he was sitting six feet away.
Share a random fact (or two) about yourself.
I debated this one a long time, couldn’t make up my mind if I should tell you that I have been struck by two cars (once walking across the street in Ottawa and once when I was on the back of a friend’s motorcycle). Both were major accidents, both times the car actually struck me (not a vehicle I was in or on) and I survived both, more or less intact.
…Or if I should tell you I have moved diagonally across the continent of North America twice. Once moving from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to Apache Junction Arizona, USA and then, ten years later, back from Apache Junction, Arizona USA to Camden East, Ontario, Canada. Both trips were done in a car, with my husband, Galad (Quicksilver11), my most prized material possessions and our cat (Foley, he was five years old on the way down and 15 on the way back). And I arrived at both destinations more or less sane. (You try five days in a moving vehicle with an unrepentant old hippie and 15 pounds of grumpy cat, and see how your sanity does!)
…But I settled on telling you that Galad and I bought the house and property we now call Snugglefoot Hollow (after Miss Snugglefoot, a pet name Galad used to call me) while we were still living in Arizona.
We did it, sight unseen, (we did get a dozen photos via e-mail) on the advice of my parents and with an electronic handshake.
Papers weren’t drawn up until the old owners had built a new house and we had moved into this one. Which goes to show you there are still some trusting and honourable people in this world.
Stay tuned for next week, when we explore the third part of the series, a tale of two neighbors.
Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.
This is the story of two neighbors brought together by their adjacent farms, their love of wiki and their generous spirit. Jadeacres (James) and ThatwouldBme (Shell) live on neighboring farms in Ontario, Canada and have found that their shared values have brought together their families, their farms and even themselves - by working together on WikiAnswers. This week we’re presenting Part I of their story; stay tuned for the next installment in a week.
To begin the story, we must first begin with Jadeacres: The rainbow (literally!) of badges on his bio page is only part of what can attest to his dedicated activity on WikiAnswers for over a year now. He supervises eleven categories and works on the Community Outreach program, Vandal Patrol and Mentoring program. He’s also a recent winner of the How-To AnswerThon (second place).
But enough introduction; Jadeacres has plenty to say and says it well:
How did you originally hear about WikiAnswers?
I came across WikiAnswers long ago… We were living in an area where dial-up internet was super slow. I was searching for information under the Crohns Disease category. I was soon to undergo a Methotrexate treatment and was looking for answers. I remember thinking, what a great concept, ask everybody, get multiple answers and narrow down the facts from the fiction. However, the internet connection was so infuriatingly slow that I gave up. I actually returned in November 2007 once we got high-speed and signed in looking for an answer to a chicken question.
Explain your username.
When my wife Deborah and I bought the farm we had not thought of naming it. Our neighbours - Galad and Shell - are aging hippies and artists and we were searching through some pinewood slabs to use as woodworking projects when Galad suggested we both make signs for our two properties. They came up with Snugglefoot Hollow for theirs. Deborah and I took a few hours and put our two first names together - James and Deb, blending the concept of the old TV show Green Acres into JADE and it fit. She is the “city girl” living in the country and I am the country guy making a dream of farming come true.
What motivates you to volunteer your time to the WikiAnswers community?
I truly believe that the only way to make life better is through education. The sharing of knowledge and experience is, after all, what education is all about. Even a question well-answered often leads to more questions. Answers from a single source can lead you down a narrow path. We should explore the many paths to reach understanding. As I get older, I want to share my experiences in life - and what a perfect forum WikiAnswers is for that!
What are your areas of expertise?
I grew up as the oldest child of a military officer. He instilled a strong work ethic into all his children. My dad taught us that any job worth doing was a job worth doing well. We traveled throughout the world moving every three years. You learn to adapt to different societies, make and lose friends very quickly.
Change became part of my life and I craved change even after I started making my own way in the world. I tried my hand at many jobs. Cooking was my first real passion, it allowed the artists soul in me a way of expression. I was also very good at interacting with people so I tried food sales. I have built cottages, installed fireplaces. Worked security, done first aid at a steel mill, been a hunting guide, taught outdoor survival skills, search and rescue. I eventually decided I wanted to be a police officer like my dad but medical issues prevented that so I did what I thought was the next best thing, At twenty four years old I learned to scuba dive, within a year I was teaching it to others and focusing my own training on specialized diving skills. Through my various community services, I became known to various law enforcement agencies and was offered a position as a contract instructor. I taught basic diving, underwater search and victim recovery, evidence preservation and several other specialized diving courses.
I did much of this diving in my “spare” time and worked several jobs to provide for my family. I ended my career as a supervisor for a distillery sales team. I retired earlier than expected, as my struggle with Crohns Disease finally became a priority. Jadeacres was purchased soon afterward and I set my skills to renovating, expanding the farm and raising chickens.
What is your favorite WikiAnswers feature?
I love the whole concept. The idea that, any individual can ask “the world” a question and get many perspectives on an answer is exciting. Having knowledgeable Supervisors sorting the trash and managing a collective sober second opinion is wonderful.
What has been your funniest question/experience on WikiAnswers?
I guess the questions that really can have no answers - at least not factual ones. I love letting go and making up a story because you just know it is some child, probably given a “homework” assignment by a teacher wanting them to use their brain at digging up an answer and expand their literary skills. The idea that my humorous answer may end up being marked in a class is just hilarious. For example: Who decided to eat chicken eggs first?
Share a random fact (or two) about yourself.
Random fact #1:
My wife Deborah puts it best: on the outside I can appear unshaken and uncaring. Years of bringing closure to families who lost loved ones to drowning accidents, my personal fight with disease and death and my views on life and mortality all give me a somewhat different perspective on how we live and treat others. I have a low tolerance for those who are cruel to children and animals. Not too far under that hard shell is a human being who wants to make the world a better place.
Random fact #2:
The following was one of my first entries as a Supervisor and it gave me a chance to use one of my own poems. It was funny as both An8thg and Zanbabe messaged me when I posted the poem that I needed the permission of the author to use it. LOL! I have been writing poetry since I was in grade school in the 60’s. This one was written after the passing of my Deborah’s Siamese cat Max… Originally titled, ‘For Max’: Is there a dog heaven? Our vet asked permission to use it years ago and now has it printed on a card sent out to clients who lose a pet.
Stay tuned for next week, when we explore the second half of the Jadeacres-ThatwouldBme duo.
Do you want to be interviewed for the Contributor corner? Just leave a comment below and we’ll get to work.
As you could not possibly have forgotten, there was a WikiAnswers Supervisors Conference back in September, where folks from deep inside the trenches - whether on the product development side or the active wiki side - got together in New York City to discuss, debate, laugh and cheer on the wonderful world of WikiAnswers.
At the time, a few of the ‘Wikiholics’ present volunteered to be interviewed and videoed in a quick documentary of their Wikiholicism for all of internet eternity. Now that we’re all back in our computer chairs/couches/beds with our laptops on hand and our browsers pointed to WikiAnswers, I thought it might be nice to review the footage and be inspired over and over.
Warning: this video contains explicit Wikiholicism. If you yourself are a Wikiholic and don’t think you’ll be able to last watching a video instead of answering and editing, then this video is especially for you.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u70r-Athn4]
Like what you saw? Pass it around to your friends and family. This addiction can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. And who are we to stop it?
