User talk:MichaelMaggs

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And Then There Were None

Please reconsider this revert. If Lombard were the killer, he would know that Vera was not, and thus "each concludes the other must be responsible" would not be true. That is only something we can infer once we know the ending. ~2026-29236-16 (talk) 07:39, 15 May 2026 (UTC)

I've edited it to avoid saying anything about his state of mind. MichaelMaggs (talk) 09:10, 15 May 2026 (UTC)

Happy birthday (to me)

20 years on Wikipedia today! MichaelMaggs (talk) 22:05, 31 May 2026 (UTC)

Removal of the charge of the light brigade reference

Hello, i recently added a reference to the poem "The charge of the light Brigade" which is found in the novel the sell out to the formers list of cultural references. however, i see that you have reversed that addition as it is too trivial.

I do not have a lot of experience with editing wikipedia articles. However, i have seen articles of other poems which feature cultural references that are just as trivial, and anyhow i don't see an issue with including cultural references even if they appear trivial, especially as it would make the article, and the list of cultural references specifically, more comprehensive. Yet again, im not the most experienced wikipedia editor, so im not the most familiar with what makes a reference pass the bar of being trivial, and would like to know what in your opinion passes that bar Azizalk (talk) 17:46, 5 June 2026 (UTC)

Hi Azizalk, thanks for the query. If you have a look at MOS:CULTURALREFS, you'll see the requirements for a cultural reference to be significant enough to include within the encyclopedia. This is part of Wikipedia's Manual of Style, a formal Guideline which sets out best practices that are supported by editor consensus. Editors must attempt to follow guidelines, though there may be occasional exceptions.

As you'll see, cultural mentions – such as the one you added – should not be included merely because they exist. Secondary sourcing is required, and if nothing is available other than a brief mention, and then the cultural reference should not be included in the article at all. We don't aim for comprehensiveness in the way that a fan site might; rather, we are looking for items that contribute significantly to an encyclopedic understanding of the main topic.

You've no doubt noticed that we have many articles with trivial references that don't comply with these guidelines. That's partly because in the early days of Wikipedia lists of trivia were quite common, and it is only more recently that standards have been tightened up. With millions of articles to be curated, and the continual addition of trivia by new editors who may not yet be aware of the guidelines, there is indeed quite a lot of material that, strictly speaking, should not be here. However, the fact that some articles contain problematic content cannot be used as an argument for supporting the addition of similar content in other articles - see WP:OTHERCONTENT. Gradually, trivia is being weeded out and articles improved.

I hope that helps. Do ask if anything isn't clear. MichaelMaggs (talk) 13:53, 6 June 2026 (UTC)

Thank you very much for this response, this has been immensely helpful, and i strongly appreciate that you wrote such a comprehensive response to my query. I Thank you once agaim Azizalk (talk) 14:03, 6 June 2026 (UTC)

You're welcome. I appreciate your taking the time to ask! MichaelMaggs (talk) 14:05, 6 June 2026 (UTC)

Removal of cafe and restaurant detail, Judge Jeffreys

Hi, I saw that you removed the details about the cafe becoming a restaurant. I did check that the information was verifiable but I haven't yet figured out how to cite on wiki! (I have limited time and only use a phone.) While reading the guidelines I saw that we only have to check things are verifiable and we don't strictly have to verify in every instance. Which is a bit fuzzy, but it was the reason I didn't hurry to get it cited. There is an article about the opening of this restaurant in the Dorset Echo (local press but longstanding). Not able to link to it here either but I will get on top of these things. However, that may be irrelevant because what I wanted to dicuss was the ideal content of a legacy section. Perhaps restaurants that name themselves after historic events or people are a form of legacy because there's choice involved and it's proof of continued relevance in the minds of people, rather than something stumbled upon like a tunnel. And if that is an appropriate way to look at legacy, then I think there is a validity in mention of this restaurant and also of the half-timbered restaurant that was long called Judge Jeffreys, in High West Street, now part of a chain but it was required to keep the portrait of Jeffreys that hangs outside like a pub sign. I would think this article would be improved by adding something about this, and perhaps a photo of the sign, but I appreciate that any mention of restaurants etc can come across as promotional tone. (I am local to Dorchester but unconnected to any of these businesses and just happened to know that the Oak Room was no longer a cafe so I found out what was going on with it.) Perhaps one way to look at it is that the old restaurant with the sign is famous and prominent enough to have become part of town heritage with protected status, and the new one with the relevant name is neither visible, well established nor commonly known about, so we should add details about the former and ignore the latter? Your thoughts would be helpful. Should I have put this on the article talk page? ~2026-42636-56 (talk) 09:43, 18 August 2026 (UTC)

Hi, my main reason for reverting your edit was to avoid discussions of a modern cafe/restaurant being interpolated in the middle of a historical discussion. If the modern business is important to the town, as it may well be given its long history, I would suggest adding the relevant information into the article Dorchester, Dorset, where it could perhaps go into the section on notable buildings. You should always cite a reference for new information, and referencing an article in the local newspaper would be good start.

You suggested adding the information to the Legacy section of George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys. I don't think that would be the right place because of the requirements of MOS:CULTURALREFS. Essentially, the existence of a modern cafe/restaurant is of more importance to the modern town than it is to a proper understanding of the life of Judge Jeffreys.

For more information on editing generally, you might like to look at the tutorial at Help:Introduction. I'd also suggest creating a free account if you're intending to edit regularly, as that will, amongst other things, provide you with a talk page which helps collaboration. Regards and happy editing! MichaelMaggs (talk) 11:25, 19 August 2026 (UTC)

Erik Pevernagie

Hello Michael, You kindly added a photo Erik Pevernagie (centre) with the artists Gilbert and George on 17 November 2015 but it was deleted by 6 July 2026 AllTheUsernamesAreInUse. Could you make sure it finds its place on the page? We updated the chapter WORK and updated the style of BIBLIOGRAPHY It would be nice to hear your your suggestions. Best regards Akenkaai (talk) 12:43, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

For clarification, I did not delete the image, I simply cropped it to show Pevernagie alone per WP:IMAGEQUALITY, which states that a biographical article should lead with an image of the subject alone, not with other people. AllTheUsernamesAreInUse (talk) 19:01, 29 August 2026 (UTC)

The image hasn't been deleted and can still be found at File:Erik Pevernagie with Gilbert & George, Sept 2012.jpg. But as mentioned above, the image on the page has been correctly replaced with a cropped version which just shows Pevernagie on his own. MichaelMaggs (talk) 05:31, 30 August 2026 (UTC)