I've enjoyed editing Wikipedia for many years. I've learnt a lot – both factually and about human nature – and it's greatly improved my translation skills! I've enjoyed creating, expanding and improving thousands of articles.

Sadly I've witnessed the steady degradation over time of high quality articles as editors make 'improvements' without understanding the subject or context. The last of many straws has been the enforcement of lower case 'style' (actually spelling) on articles such as card games and wildlife. This may seem minor, but it is clearly not trivial in the eyes of the style 'champions', since it is enforced regardless of the fact that the relevant literature overwhelmingly uses title case. House style is a choice, not a law. It can be improved on. If we allow style to triumph over substance Wikipedia will never become great. On the other hand, if Wikipedia can accept diversity as it does with WP:ENGVAR, the problem could be easily resolved.

In the meantime, I feel that if we can't follow the best practice in the relevant, reliable sources, then I am wasting my time creating articles or bringing them up to a high standard.

So it's time for me to retire from Wikipedia and concentrate on researching and writing for journals and professional online sites. I could be persuaded to return if Wikipedia could apply the same inclusive approach to individual topics as it does to versions of English, not based on an editor's whim but on reliable sources.

I am still happy to answer questions for now: just post them on my talk page.

Germany project templates • Aide Memoire • Borussia • Portals • Card games • terms • V useful geog and architectural dictionary

This editor had made over 152,000 live edits and created over 5,900 articles as at 04 January 2024. Hopefully most of them were worthwhile.☺

This editor is a Grandmaster Editor First-Class and is entitled to display this Mithril Editor Star with the Neutronium Superstar hologram.	This user has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian and was awarded his own day.	This editor is a Grand High Togneme Laureate and is entitled to write the Book of All Knowledge: 3rd Edition and attach the library barcode.
This user has created close to 6,000 articles on Wikipedia.		This user has made 86 contributions to the Did you know? project.
This user is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.	This user is a Magdalenite.	This user studied at or with the University of Westminster
This user studies or studied at Durham University.	This user studies or studied at Sarum College, Salisbury.	This user is a graduate of St Mellitus College, London.
wiki-3 This user is an advanced Wikipedia editor.	- This user is a translator from German to English on Wikipedia:Translation.	This user is ranked in the top 100 on the list of Wikipedians by articles created.
15Y This Wikipedian joined Wikipedia on June 15, 2008 (15 years, 7 months and 1 week ago).	This user is one of the 432 most active English Wikipedians of all time.	This user has written or expanded 86 articles featured in the Did You Know section on the Main Page.
This user lives in Dorset.	This user has visited 16 of the 16 Bundesländer of Germany 16	This user is a Borussia Mönchengladbach supporter
This user is an Essex County Cricket Club supporter.	This user enjoys playing German-suited card games.	This user enjoys playing Tarock card games.
This user enjoys playing Schafkopf.	This user enjoys playing Tapp Tarock.	This user enjoys playing Grasobern.

Wikipedia-related interests

• I am a games researcher with an emphasis on historical European card games, especially traditional Austrian and German ones.
• My other interests include the county of Dorset and Germany, especially their geography, history and railways
• My main railway interest is the Bavarian state railways and Deutsche Reichsbahn up to 1948.
• I am a member of WikiProjects for Austria, Dorset, Germany, Geography, Mountains, Rivers and Trains, and also of the Holy Roman Empire and rail transport in Germany task forces.
• My DYK articles are listed at User:Bermicourt/DYK (DYK Tool.)
• Other projects of interest: British and Irish hills - Mountains of the Alps

Languages

((R from another language|de|en))

Barnstars

Coverage of German topics
Thank you for raising the awareness of German geography from coastal regions to the glacier of the highest mountain, - you are an awesome Wikipedian!

--Gerda Arendt (talk) 03:26, 10 March 2012 (UTC)

The German Project Barnstar. Awarded as a little thank you. Keep on with your good work. Given by Sebastian scha. 22 March 2009 (UTC)

The German Project Barnstar. For your incessant and constructive work on the project, its conventions, and its pages. We appreciate your effort! Ekki01, Traveler100 and Eddyspeeder, 12 March 2011

	The Special Barnstar
	For your excellent translation of Erkelenz from German wikipedia. You do a magnificent job with translation. Keep it up! ♦ Dr. Blofeld 11:25, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

	The Special Barnstar
	I present this Special Barnstar to you for your effort in the Panzerlehrbrigade 9 article Infobox and to show my appreciation for your effort. Adamdaley (talk) 21:44, 17 November 2011 (UTC)

		The Original Barnstar
		This barnstar is awarded to everyone who - whatever their opinion - contributed to the discussion about Wikipedia and SOPA. Thank you. Presented by the Wikimedia Foundation.

	German Barnstar of National Merit
	For your superb efforts in translating articles from German into English on wikipedia. ♦ Dr. Blofeld 12:01, 22 July 2012 (UTC)

	The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
	For clocking up 50,000 edits and 3000 articles! ♦ Dr. Blofeld 20:21, 21 August 2012 (UTC)

Rescue From Deletion Award Awarded to editors who rescue a stub or an article from deletion with excellent writing; in this case, for fine guidance in a redirection debate and subsequent rescue of the article on Eresburg. With many thanks, RomanSpa (talk) 06:01, 24 May 2014 (UTC)

		The Geography Barnstar
		For your continued efforts in creating many quality articles on European mountains. RacerX11 Talk to meStalk me 04:11, 17 February 2015 (UTC)

	The Original Barnstar
	For your monumental effort in creating articles about the Austrian Alps Huddsblue (talk) 23:01, 1 March 2015 (UTC)

	The Writer's Barnstar
	Dear Bermicourt, thank you for your contributions to Wikipedia, especially your recent creation of Limes Britannicus. Keep up the good work! You are making a difference here! With regards, AnupamTalk 21:19, 18 June 2016 (UTC)

Travel

This user is being watched by 87 other editors.

- isn't that sad!