Hello, and welcome to the 2012 WikiCup! The competition officially began at the start of 2012 (UTC), and so you are free to claim any content from after that time. Your submission page, where you must note any content for which you wish to claim points, can be found here, and formatting instructions can be found in hidden comments on the page. A bot will then update the main table, which can be seen on the WikiCup page. The full rules for what will and will not be awarded points can be found at Wikipedia:WikiCup/Scoring. There's also a section on that page listing the changes that have been made to the rules this year, so that experienced participants can get up-to-date in a few seconds. One point of which we must remind everyone; you may only claim points for content upon which you have done significant work, and which you have nominated, in 2012. For instance, articles written or good article reviews started in 2011 are not eligible for points.

This round will last until late February, and signups will remain open until the middle of February. If you know of anyone who may like to take part, please let them know about the comeptition; the more the merrier! At the end of this round, the top 64 scorers will progress to the next round, where their scores will reset, and they will be split into pools. Note that, by default, you have been added to our newsletter list; we will be in contact at the end of every month with news. You're welcome to remove yourself from this list if you do not wish to hear from us. Conversely, those interested in following the competition are more than welcome to add themselves to the list. Please direct any questions towards the judges, or on the WikiCup talk page. Good luck! J Milburn (talk) and The ed17 (talk) 13:51, 2 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Sorry, I've created your submissions page now. Should be good to go! J Milburn (talk) 14:27, 3 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks. Yazan (talk) 15:19, 3 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for starting this article Yazan. I had it on my to-do list for while, but was too lazy to put in work. Hope everything is ok with you akhi, keep in touch. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:48, 4 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

No prob yakhi and I'll try to add to them if I have time. I'm delighted that you're back starting articles again, WP Syria has been almost frozen without you ;) Btw, could you add the Arabic to Husayn Pasha? --Al Ameer son (talk) 01:28, 6 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Done. You never fail to impress Yazan ;) I posted two book sources to Talk:Sabri al-Asali that you can use if interested. I'll add some info from them when I have time. --Al Ameer son (talk) 00:53, 14 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Abdullah Atfeh at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. I suspect the issues are minor and can be easily addressed. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Rlendog (talk) 16:35, 6 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello, Zozo2kx. You have new messages at Guerillero's talk page.
Message added 05:10, 8 January 2012 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the ((Talkback)) or ((Tb)) template.Reply[reply]

Guerillero | My Talk 05:10, 8 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ping --Guerillero | My Talk 20:13, 8 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 11 January 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Muhsin al-Barazi, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Muhsin al-Barazi, former prime minister of Syria, conducted secret negotiations with Israel and discussed the possibility of a summit between Ben-Gurion and al-Za'im in 1949? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Muhsin al-Barazi.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 11 January 2012 (UTC)

On 12 January 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Abdullah Atfeh, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Abdullah Atfeh was the first chief of staff of the Syrian Army following the country's independence? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Abdullah Atfeh.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:04, 12 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 14 January 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Afif al-Bizri, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Afif al-Bizri, as chief of staff of the Syrian Army, forced Prime Minister Sabri al-Assali to follow a pro-Nasser policy under threat of arrest? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Afif al-Bizri.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:04, 14 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Sent you a mail. --Supreme Deliciousness (talk) 04:37, 16 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. When you recently edited Amrit, you added links pointing to the disambiguation pages Settlement, Tyre and Phoenician (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 11:45, 22 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Done. Just so you know, normally somebody should have taken off the semi-protection by now, as it's not meant to be permanent; it's not necessarily an individual editor's responsibility to personally keep monitoring each article they've protected, but rather there's a dedicated project that's supposed to look after that stuff on Wikipedia's behalf — but thanks for bringing it to my attention anyway. Bearcat (talk) 16:38, 22 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

You handled it fine. It's perfectly acceptable to contact the person who originally protected the page; the only thing that wouldn't have been okay would be taking an accusatory "why haven't you already unprotected this, you irresponsible cow?!?" sort of tone (which some people do, but you didn't.) It's all good, at any rate. Bearcat (talk) 17:11, 22 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Salam Yazan! I moved the page and did some copyediting for the 1936 strike and Amrit (interesting articles by the way.) The following line and another one like it could use attribution though: The funeral art found in some tombs with pyramidal-or cube-shaped towers, is considered some of "the most notable grave-monuments of the Phoenician world." Who or what considers it as such? On a separate note, I'm going to start an article on Tankiz soon and it could probably use some input from yourself when I move it to mainspace. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:35, 23 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ahlan Yazan! Once again I got sidetracked from Tankiz. Instead, I've been working on Al-Ashraf Musa, the last Ayyubid of Homs and was hoping you could add the Arabic there. Thanks by the way for adding it to Ahmed Majdalani and other articles recently started. Will get to Tankiz soon though. Cheers! --Al Ameer son (talk) 21:51, 31 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

P.S. Thanks for including me as a co-nom for Sabri al-Asali. You didn't have to. --Al Ameer son (talk) 02:14, 1 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 28 January 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Sabri al-Asali, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that former prime minister of Syria Sabri al-Asali (pictured) was part of the delegation that attended the founding of the Arab League in Cairo in 1945? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Sabri al-Asali.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 08:02, 28 January 2012 (UTC)

I made a stub for new prisoner of conscience Shibal Ibrahim today, but it's pretty bare; no references out there yet but Amnesty International, so he may even be a borderline case for notability. Take a look if you're interested--if you could even just add the Arabic spelling of his name, it'd be a big help. Enjoy the day! -- Khazar (talk) 13:45, 28 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks! -- Khazar (talk) 13:50, 28 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

You're welcome. I'll try to add some info from Arabic sources (like this) later. Cheers! Yazan (talk) 13:51, 28 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 30 January 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Amrit, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Phoenician ruins (temple pictured) of the ancient city of Amrit, near Tartus in Syria, are preserved in their entirety without extensive remodeling by later generations? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Amrit.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 30 January 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

WikiCup 2012 is off to a flying start. At the time of writing, we have 112 contestants; comparable to last year, but slightly fewer than 2010. Signups will remain open for another week, after which time they will be closed for this year. Our currrent far-away leader is Grapple X (submissions), due mostly to his work on a slew of good articles about The X-Files; there remain many such articles waiting to be reviewed at good article candidates. Second place is currently held by Ruby2010 (submissions), whose points come mostly from good articles about television episodes, although good article reviews, did you knows and an article about a baroness round out the score. In third place is Jivesh boodhun (submissions), who has scored 200 points for his work on a single featured article, as well as points for work on others, mostly in the area of pop music. In all, nine users have 100 or more points. However, at the other end of the scale, there are still dozens of participants who are yet to score. Please remember to update your submission pages promptly!

The 64 highest scoring participants will advance to round 2 in a month's time. There, they will be split into eight random groups of eight. The score needed to reach the next round is not at all clear; last year, 8 points guaranteed a place. The year before, 20.

A few participants and their work warrant a mention for achieving "firsts" in this competition.

• 12george1 (submissions) was the first to score, with his good article review of Illinois v. McArthur.
• 12george1 (submissions) was also the first to score points for an article, thanks to his work on Hurricane Debby (1982)- now a good article. Tropical storms have featured heavily in the Cup, and good articles currently have a relatively fast turnaround time for reviews.
• Sp33dyphil (submissions) was the first to score points for a did you know, with Russian submarine K-114 Tula. Military history is another subject which has seen a lot of Cup activity.
• Sp33dyphil (submissions) is also the first person to successfully claim bonus points. Terminator 2: Judgment Day is now a good article, and was eligible for bonus points because the subject was covered on more than 20 other Wikipedias at the start of the competition. It is fantastic to see bonus points being claimed so early!
• Speciate (submissions) was the first to score points for an In the News entry, with Paedophryne amauensis. The lead image from the article was also used on the main page for a time, and it's certainly eye-catching!
• Jivesh boodhun (submissions) was the first to score points for a featured article, and is, at the moment, the only competitor to claim for one. The article, "Halo" (Beyoncé Knowles song), was also worth double points because of its wide coverage. While this is an article that Jivesh and others have worked on for some time, it is undeniable that he has put considerable work into it this year, pushing it over the edge.

We are yet to see any featured lists, featured topics or good topics, but this is unsurprising; firstly, the nomination processes with each of these can take some time, and, secondly, it can take a considerable amount of time to work content to this level. In a similar vein, we have seen only one featured article. The requirement that content must have been worked on this year to be eligible means that we did not expect to see these at the start of the competition. No points have been claimed for featured portals or pictures, but these are not content types which are often claimed; the former has never made a big impact on the WikiCup, while the latter has not done so since 2009's competition.

A quick rules clarification before the regular notices: If you are concerned that another user is claiming points inappropriately, please contact a judge to take a look at the article. Competitors policing one another can create a bad atmosphere, and may lead to inconsistencies and mistakes. Rest assured that we, the judges, are making an effort to check submissions, but it is possible that we will miss something. On a loosely related note: If you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. However, please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAC, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs which could otherwise be caused by the Cup. As ever, questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup and the judges are reachable on their talk pages, or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn and The ed17 00:23, 1 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. When you recently edited Al-Assad family, you added a link pointing to the disambiguation page Allawi (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 11:34, 1 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 1 February 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Lutfi al-Haffar, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that former Syrian prime minister, Lutfi al-Haffar (pictured), was an active participant and organizer of the 1936 Syrian general strike? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Lutfi al-Haffar.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Thanks from me and the wiki Victuallers (talk) 16:02, 1 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 1 February 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article 1936 Syrian general strike, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that former Syrian prime minister, Lutfi al-Haffar (pictured), was an active participant and organizer of the 1936 Syrian general strike? You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Thanks from me and the wiki Victuallers (talk) 16:02, 1 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Ibiranu at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! I've made a suggestion for an Alt hook; please review and comment. Thank you. --Rosiestep (talk) 03:36, 2 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 3 February 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Ibiranu, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that cuneiform tablets found at the ancient city-state of Ugarit include several letters of reprimand sent to its king Ibiranu by Hittite overlords? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Ibiranu.You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 16:05, 3 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 8 February 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Communist Labour Party (Syria), which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Tuhama Ma'rouf of the Syrian Communist Labour Party was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International after her arrest in February 2011? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Communist Labour Party (Syria).You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and add it to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 00:03, 8 February 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for uploading File:KulnaSawa.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. Skier Dude (talk) 04:25, 11 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for uploading File:MosaiqueCover.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. Skier Dude (talk) 04:25, 11 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. When you recently edited Sami Moubayed, you added a link pointing to the disambiguation page The Daily Star (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 10:18, 12 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ahlan Yazan! I just started Kafr Batna and was wondering if you knew the population and coordinates? I want to start working (albeit slowly) on the Syrian town/village articles on wiki. As you know already know, they're in inexcusably bad shape. Since we're starting to hear more about these places because of the current revolution it would be good to provide as much information on them as possible. Salam y'akhi, --Al Ameer son (talk) 22:32, 19 February 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Round 1 is already over! The 64 highest scorers have progressed to round 2. Our highest scorer was Grapple X (submissions), again thanks mostly to a swathe of good articles on The X-Files. In second place was Tigerboy1966 (submissions), thanks an impressive list of did you knows about racehorses. Both scored over 400 points. Following behind with over 300 points were Ruby2010 (submissions), Cwmhiraeth (submissions), Miyagawa (submissions) and Casliber (submissions). February also saw the competition's first featured list: List of colleges and universities in North Dakota, from Ruby2010 (submissions). At the other end of the scale, 11 points was enough to secure a place in this round, and some contestants with 10 points made it into the round on a tiebreaker. This is higher than the 8 points that were needed last year, but lower than the 20 points required the year before. The number of points required to progress to round 3 will be significantly higher.

The remaining contestants have been split into 8 pools of 8, named A through H. Round two will finish in two months time on 28 April, when the two highest scorers in each pool, as well as the next 16 highest scorers, will progress to round 3. The pools were entirely random, so while some pools may end up being more competitive than others, this is by chance rather than design.

The judges would like to point out two quick rules reminders. First, any content promoted during the interim period (that is, on or after 27 February) is eligible for points in round 2. Second, any content worked on significantly this year is eligible for points if promoted in this round. On a related note, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. However, please remember to continue to offer reviews at GAC, FAC and all the other pages that require them to prevent any backlogs which would otherwise be caused by the Cup. As ever, questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 00:13, 1 March 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for uploading File:Cham Bank logo.png. 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 orphaned, meaning that it is 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).

PLEASE NOTE:

• I am a bot, and will therefore not be able to answer your questions. If you have questions, please post them here.
• I will automatically remove the request for deletion if the file is used in an article once again.
• If you receive this notice after the image is deleted, and you want to restore the image, click here to file an un-delete request.
• To opt out of these bot messages, add ((bots|deny=DASHBot)) to your talk page.
• If you believe the bot has made an error, please ask an admin to turn it off here.

Thank you. DASHBot (talk) 02:24, 18 March 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

		The 50 DYK Creation and Expansion Medal
		Congratulations! Your work to create and expand articles about the Middle East has resulted in more than 50 such articles mentioned at "Did you know?" on the Main page. Thank you for helping to expand the global coverage of English Wikipedia! Binksternet (talk) 02:46, 29 March 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

We are over half way through the second round of this year's WikiCup and things are going well! Grapple X (submissions), of Pool B, is our highest overall scorer thanks to his prolific writings on television and film. In second place is Pool H's Cwmhiraeth (submissions), thanks primarily to work on biological articles, especially in marine biology and herpetology. Third place goes to Pool E's Casliber (submissions), who also writes primarily on biology (including ornithology and botany) and has already submitted two featured articles this round. Of the 63 contestants remaining, 15 (just under a quarter) have over 100 points this round. However, 25 are yet to score. Please remember to update your submission pages promptly. 32 contestants, the top two from each pool and the 16 next-highest scorers, will advance to round 3.

Congratulations to Matthewedwards (submissions), whose impressive File:Wacht am Rhein map (Opaque).svg became the competition's first featured picture. Also, congratulations to 12george1 (submissions), who claimed good topic points, our first contestant this year to do so, for his work on Wikipedia:Featured topics/1982 Atlantic hurricane season. This leaves featured topics and featured portals as the only sources of points not yet utilised. However, as recent statistics from Miyagawa (submissions) show, no source has yet been utilised this competition to the same extent it has been previously!

It has been observed that the backlogs at good article candidates are building up again. While the points for good article reviews will be remaining constant, any help that can be offered keeping the backlog down would be appreciated. On a related note, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. As ever, questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 23:32, 31 March 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Round 2 of this year's WikiCup is over, and so we are down to our final 32, in what could be called our quarter-finals. The two highest scorers from each pool, as well as the next 16 highest scorers overall, have entered round 3, while 30 participants have been eliminated. Pool B's Grapple X (submissions) remains our top scorer with over 700 points; he continues to gain high numbers of points for his good articles on The X-Files, but also Millennium and other subjects. He has also gained points for a good topic, a featured list, multiple good article reviews and several did you knows. Pool E's Casliber (submissions) was second, thanks primarily to his biology articles, with Pool H's Muboshgu (submissions) coming in third, with an impressive 46 did you knows, mostly on the subject of baseball. Casliber and Cwmhiraeth both scored over 600 points. Pools E and H proved our most successful, with each seeing 5 members qualify for round 3, while Pools C and D were the least, with each seeing only 3 reach round 3. However, it was Pool G which saw the lowest scoring, with a little under 400 points combined; Pool H, the highest scoring group, saw over triple that score.

65 points was the lowest qualifying score for round 3; significantly higher than the 11 required to enter round 2, and also higher than the 41 required to reach round 3 last year. However, in 2010, 100 points were needed to secure a place in round 3. 16 will progress to round 4. In round 3, 150 points was the 16th highest score, though, statistically, people tend to up their game a little in later rounds. Last year, 76 points secured a place, while in 2010, a massive 250 points were needed. Guessing how many points will be required is not easy. We still have not seen any featured portals or topics this year, but, on the subject of less common content types, a small correction needs to be made to the previous newsletter: File:Wacht am Rhein map (Opaque).svg, our first featured picture, was the work of both Matthewedwards (submissions) and Grandiose (submissions), the latter of whom has also gone on to score with File:Map of the Battle of Guam, 1944.svg. Bonus points also continue to roll in; this round, Ealdgyth (submissions) earned triple points for her good articles on William the Conqueror and the Middle Ages, Casliber and Cwmhiraeth both earned triple points for their work on Western Jackdaw, now a good article, Dana Boomer (submissions) earned triple points for her work on lettuce and work by Stone (submissions) to ready antimony for good article status earned him triple points. Jarry1250 (submissions) managed to expand Vitus Bering far enough for a did you know, which was also worth triple points. All of these highly important topics featured on 50 or more Wikipedias at the start of the year.

An article on the WikiCup in the Wikimedia Blog, "Improving Wikipedia with friendly competition", was posted at the end of April. This may be of interest to those who are signed up to this newsletter, as well as serving as another way to draw attention to our project. Also, we would again like to thank Jarry1250 (submissions) and Stone (submissions), for continued help behind the scenes. As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination, be it at good article candidates, a featured process or anywhere else, will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start receiving or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 23:26, 30 April 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

We're halfway through round 3 (or the quarter finals, if you prefer) and things are running smoothly. We're seeing very high scoring; as of the time of writing, the top 16 all have over 90 points. This has already proved to be more competative than this time last year- in 2011, 76 points secured a place, while in 2010, a massive 250 was the lowest qualifying score. People have also upped their game slightly from last round, which is to be expected as we approach the end of the competition. Leading Pool A is Cwmhiraeth (submissions), whose points have mostly come from a large number of did you knows on marine biology. Pool B's leader, Grapple X (submissions), is for the first time not our highest scorer at the time of newsletter publication, but his good articles on The X-Files and Millenium keep him in second place overall. Miyagawa (submissions) leads Pool C, our quietest pool, with content in a variety of areas on a variety of topics. Pool D is led by Casliber (submissions), our current overall leader. Nearly half of Casliber's points come from his triple-scored Western Jackdaw, which is now a featured article.

This round has seen an unusually high number of featured lists, with nearly one in five remaining participants claiming one, and one user, Muboshgu (submissions), claiming two. Miyagawa's featured list, 1936 Summer Olympics medal table, was even awarded double points. By comparison, good article reviews seem to be playing a smaller part, and featured topics portals remain two content-types still unutilised in this competition. Other than that, there isn't much to say! Things are coming along smoothly. As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 23:51, 31 May 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته أخي يزن. أنا محرّر من ويكيبيديا العربية، لستُ نشيطاً كثيراً هنا، لكني أكتب دائماً في ويكيبيديا العربية (وللمناسبة، أنا سوري أيضاً :) ). أخشى من مطالعة مساهماتك أنك لم تعد نشطاً كثيراً هذه الأيام، لكني رأيتُ بعضاً من مساهماتك الرائعة هنا، وودتُ أن أدعوك إلى أن تأتي وتساهم معنا في ويكيبيديتنا الأم (ويكيبيديا العربية)، حيث أننا لا زلنا بحاجة إلى الكثير من المساعدة هناك، ولا زال أمامنا شوط طويل لقطعه مع الأسف، على عكس الحال هنا. أتمنّى، إن كان عندك وقت، أن تساهم معنا في ويكيبيديا العربية، وأحبّ أن أعمل معك يوماً على مقالة لجعلها مختارة أو جيدة، ربما عن مدينة سورية مثلاً :) --aad_Dira (talk) 08:50, 27 June 2012 (UTC).Reply[reply]

Apologies for the lateness of this letter; our usual bot wasn't working. We are now entering round 4, our semi-finals, and have our final 16. A score of 243 was required to reach this round; significantly more than 2011's 76 points, and only a little behind 2010's 250 points. By comparison, last year, 150 points in round 4 secured a place in the final; in 2010, 430 were needed. Commiserations to Pool A's igordebraga (submissions), who scored 242 points, missing out on a place in the round by a whisker. However, congratulations to Pool B's Grapple X (submissions), whose television articles have brought him another round victory. Pool A's Cwmhiraeth (submissions) came second overall, with an impressive list of biological did you knows, good articles and featured articles. Third overall was Pool D's Muboshgu (submissions), with a long list of contibutions, mostly relating to baseball. Of course, with the points resetting every round, the playing field has been levelled. The most successful Pool was Pool D, which saw seven into the final round. Pool B saw four, C saw three and Pool A saw only the two round leaders.

A quick note about other competitions taking place on Wikipedia which may be of interest. There are 13 days remaining in the June-July GAN backlog elimination drive, but it is not too late to take part. August will also see the return of The Core Contest- a one month long competition first run in 2007. While the WikiCup awards points for audited content on any subject, The Core Contest about is raw article improvement, focussing heavily on the most important articles on Wikipedia. As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 11:18, 2 July 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Inshallah inta bi kheir ... Suriya is in our thoughts always. Tiamut^talk 13:53, 21 July 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ditto. Y'akhi, you are very missed. I would love if we could collaborate again soon. And despite the carnage bil watan, I hope you are well and that all your loved ones are safe. Salaamat. --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:28, 21 July 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

And ditto. It is absolutely heartbreaking to think that the beautifull Damascus and Aleppo I visited in 2001, (when everyone were still so optimistic), are now battlefields. The best of wishes for you and all your loved ones, Regards, Huldra (talk) 19:47, 21 July 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

We're approaching the beginning of 2012's final round. Pool A sees Cwmhiraeth (submissions) as the leader, with 300 points being awarded for the featured article Bivalvia, and Pool B sees Grapple X (submissions) in the lead, with 10 good articles, and over 35 articles eligible for good topic points. Pool A sees Muboshgu (submissions) in second place with a number of articles relating to baseball, while Pool B's Ruby2010 (submissions) follows Grapple X, with a variety of contributions including the high-scoring, high-importance featured article on the 2010 film Pride & Prejudice. Ruby2010, like Grapple X, also claimed a number of good topic points; despite this, not a single point has been claimed for featured topics in the contest so far. The same is true for featured portals.

Currently, the eighth-place competitor (and so the lowest scorer who would reach the final round right now) has scored 332, more than double the 150 needed to reach the final round last year. In 2010, however, 430 was the lowest qualifying score. In this competition, we have generally seen scores closer to those in 2010 than those in 2011. Let's see what kind of benchmark we can set for future competitions! As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 22:38, 31 July 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi!

I'm trying to promote the Hafez al-Assad article. But in order to do so, I need the Arabic pronunciation of his name, IPA-ar. Sorry for bothering you, but if you could do this it would be great. --Wustenfuchs 01:07, 6 August 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi, I tried my best with my limited knowledge of IPA to represent the correct pronunciation. Do check with some experts though when you have time. Yazan (talk) 01:43, 6 August 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Zozo, thx. I appriciate it. --Wustenfuchs 01:47, 6 August 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. Thank you for your recent edits. Wikipedia appreciates your help. We noticed though that when you edited Maydan Ikbis, you added links pointing to the disambiguation pages Afrin and Rajo (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 11:38, 29 August 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

IMDB is used in this article. However, bear in mind that it is an unreliable source as a user-submitted website. Maybe you can find another source that is not user-submitted. --George Ho (talk) 03:08, 30 August 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The final is upon us! We are down to our final 8. A massive 573 was our lowest qualifying score; this is higher than the 150 points needed last year and the 430 needed in 2010. Even in 2009, when points were acquired for mainspace edit count in addition to audited content, 417 points secured a place. That leaves this year's WikiCup, by one measure at least, our most competitive ever. Our finalists, ordered by round 4 score, are:

1. Grapple X (submissions) once again finishes the round in first place, leading Pool B. Grapple X writes articles about television, and especially The X-Files and Millenium, with good articles making up the bulk of the score.
2. Miyagawa (submissions) led Pool A this round. Fourth-place finalist last year, Miyagawa writes on a variety of topics, and has reached the final primarily off the back of his massive number of did you knows.
3. Ruby2010 (submissions) was second in Pool B. Ruby2010 writes primarily on television and film, and scores primarily from good articles.
4. Casliber (submissions) finished third in Pool B. Casliber is something of a WikiCup veteran, having finished sixth in 2011 and fourth in 2010. Casliber writes on the natural sciences, including ornithology, botany and astronomy. Over half of Casliber's points this round were bonus points from the high-importance articles he has worked on.
5. Cwmhiraeth (submissions) came second in Pool A. Also writing on biology, especially marine biology, Cwmhiraeth received 390 points for one featured article (Bivalvia) and one good article (pelican), topping up with a large number of did you knows.
6. Muboshgu (submissions) was third in Pool A. Muboshgu writes primarily on baseball, and this round saw Muboshgu's first featured article, Derek Jeter, promoted on its fourth attempt at FAC.
7. Dana Boomer (submissions) was fourth in Pool A. She writes on a variety of topics, including horses, but this round also saw the high-importance lettuce reach featured article status.
8. Sasata (submissions) is another WikiCup veteran, having been a finalist in 2009 and 2010. He writes mostly on mycology.

However, we must also say goodbye to the eight who did not make the final, having fallen at the last hurdle: GreatOrangePumpkin (submissions), Ealdgyth (submissions), Calvin999 (submissions), Piotrus (submissions), Toa Nidhiki05 (submissions), 12george1 (submissions), The Bushranger (submissions) and 1111tomica (submissions). We hope to see you all next year.

On the subject of next year, a discussion has been opened here. Come and have your say about the competition, and how you'd like it to run in the future. This brainstorming will go on for some time before more focused discussions/polls are opened. As ever, if you are concerned that your nomination—whether it is at good article candidates, a featured process, or anywhere else—will not receive the necessary reviews, please list it on Wikipedia:WikiCup/Reviews. Questions are welcome on Wikipedia talk:WikiCup, and the judges are reachable on their talk pages or by email. Good luck! If you wish to start or stop receiving this newsletter, please feel free to add or remove yourself from Wikipedia:WikiCup/Newsletter/Send. J Milburn (talk • email) and The ed17 (talk • email) 00:28, 1 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

((subst:user:shrike/RS))--Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 17:13, 3 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello, Zozo2kx. You have new messages at [[User talk:WP:RX|User talk:WP:RX]].
Message added 17:29, 3 September 2012 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the ((Talkback)) or ((Tb)) template.

Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 17:29, 3 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello, Zozo2kx. You have new messages at WP:RX.
Message added 16:12, 4 September 2012 (UTC). You can remove this notice at any time by removing the ((Talkback)) or ((Tb)) template.

Don't forget to add resolved tag Shrike (talk)/WP:RX 16:12, 4 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 5 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Orwa Nyrabia, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the DOX BOX International Documentary Film Festival, founded by Syrian filmmaker Orwa Nyrabia in 2008, quickly grew into the most important documentary film gathering in the Arab world? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Orwa Nyrabia. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Orlady (talk) 00:02, 5 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. Thank you for your recent edits. Wikipedia appreciates your help. We noticed though that you've added some links pointing to disambiguation pages. Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

Al-Bassah (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

Al-Shir (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

Bulbul, Syria (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Rajo

Fideo, Syria (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

Hanadi (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

Sharran (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Afrin

Sinjwan (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

Sqoubin (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Baksa

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 12:36, 5 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Zozo2kx,

Thank you for the welcoming and I'll pass that on to my students, too. I have a number of students who have volunteered to concentrate on Syrian journalists this semester and work from the List of journalists killed during the Syrian civil war. Many of the foreign journalists receive attention immediately upon their death, but native/local journalists receive very little attention in Wikipedia. Hopefully, we'll shine more light on journalists. If not the individual, due to notability requirements, perhaps the phenomenon. We may have some questions along the way and none of us are Arabic speakers. What would you suggest we do in these situations? Thank you, Crtew (talk) 22:34, 7 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 9 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Tafas, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that according to T. E. Lawrence, the Syrian town of Tafas was the site of an infamous massacre perpetrated by retreating Ottoman troops during World War I? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Tafas. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:03, 9 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Anwar Bannud at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! BrownHairedGirl (talk) • (contribs) 13:12, 10 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I have removed the ((prod)) tag from The Day After: Supporting a Democratic Transition in Syria, which you proposed for deletion. I'm leaving this message here to notify you about it. If you still think the article should be deleted, please don't add the ((prod)) template back to the article. Instead, feel free to list it at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion. Thanks! I've worked on cleaning up the copyvio stuff, but that meant removing a lot of info. Do you think the article should just be moved to "The Day After project?" Altamel (talk) 02:58, 11 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 12 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Jindires, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the town of Jindires in Syria was the site of a decisive Roman victory against the Parthians in 38 BC? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Jindires. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 12 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. Thank you for your recent edits. Wikipedia appreciates your help. We noticed though that you've added some links pointing to disambiguation pages. Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

Abd al-Qadir Qaddura (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Circassian

Manin, Syria (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Al-Tall

Maysalun (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver)

added a link pointing to Khans

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 12:34, 12 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 12 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Muzayrib, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the town of Muzayrib in southern Syria served as the first major resting place along the Hajj caravan route from Damascus to Mecca during the Ottoman era? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Muzayrib. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Panyd^{The muffin is not subtle} 16:02, 12 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Tell Aran at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Antidiskriminator (talk) 20:23, 13 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hey Yazan, could you find the population for Saqba? I couldn't find it in the Kafr Batna nahiya. Also, if you have any info on it please expand. --Al Ameer son (talk) 18:51, 14 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Will do. In the meantime, could you check Assal al-Ward, it could use a bit more expansion. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 19:05, 14 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I added a bit to Assal al-Ward, but I can't find much about the violence the town has seen since the uprising. I remember reading a couple of articles that talked about Assal al-Ward some months ago. Also, I intend to start an article on Taftanaz, but all I have is information about its involvement in the uprising and nothing on its actual history. --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:03, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I added some info on Assal al-Ward about the revolution (I think it's big enough for DYK now, but we should be able to expand further). Taftanaz has been on my todo-list for a while, thanks for starting it. The town seems to have a long history, we should be able to find some stuff, I'll have to look more tomorrow. Btw, you added a section about the Syrian uprising to Saqba and forgot to add anything, just a reminder! Cheers. Yazan (talk) 18:28, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Nice, go ahead and nominate it. I'll get to the uprising info for Saqba and Taftanaz (both quite extensive) tomorrow or the day after. --Al Ameer son (talk) 18:51, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I expanded Khan Danoun slightly, perhaps you can nom for DYK now. (btw, why did you choose to call it Danoun, rather than the more standard transliteration we've been using, "Danun")? Yazan (talk) 06:26, 17 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Also take a look at Darkush and al-Fu'ah, they could use some c/e or expansion. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 08:26, 17 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for finding more specific info on the article. I changed it to "Danoun" because none of the sources used "Danun," but some used the former. I think for English speakers, the end of Danun sounds like "none" instead of "noon." Anyway, what do you think renaming it to "Khan Dannun"? Many of the sources used this spelling and I don't think it would go against the standard suffix we've been applying. I'll take a look at Darkush and Fuah as well, nice job on both ;) --Al Ameer son (talk) 17:51, 17 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

"Khan Dannun" works for me, especially that a quick look up on google reveal it has by far the most results, and several sources mentions it, so there must be a Shadda on the "n". There should be more sources on Fu'ah, as it's an old town, but I couldn't find much, perhaps you'll have a better luck. Also, Fu'ah, being a large Shiite village with mostly loyalists, in the middle of Idlib, has had significant coverage during the uprising. Again, no luck with me! :(. Will look some more tomorrow. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 18:42, 17 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Moved. I found some info on al-Fu'ah's experience during the uprising. Again, the problem with Arabic villages the world over is that they have so many different English spellings. I'll try to find some more on the pre-modern history though. --Al Ameer son (talk) 20:34, 17 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Great, thanks a lot for the Fu'ah additions. On an unrelated note, could you move Solhi Al-Wadi to Solhi al-Wadi per Arabic MoS.

Ameer, don't forget to nom Khan Dannun for DYK. (you can use some of my surplus QPQ from here :)). I want to re-work the Portal:Syria and nominate it for Featured Portal, so we need as much DYK/GA/FA material we can get. Yazan (talk) 15:09, 19 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for the reminder (and the QPQ), I also nominated Hit, Syria a couple hours late. Good luck with the Syria portal. I want to start al-Dana, Ghabaghib and al-Qurayya in the coming days. All appear to be major towns, historically speaking. Could you locate the population of Qurayya for me though? Also if you have any other information just add it to Qurayya draft and Ghabaghib draft.

One more thing, this source has tons of historic information on Syria's towns and villages Josias Porter. You may have come across it already. Most of the info for Syria starts in the upper 400s pages. --Al Ameer son (talk) 03:48, 20 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hey, thanks for the link, downloaded the book; there's a wealth of information there! Great work on Maarrat Misrin, I think it could be nom'ed as a double DYK with al-Fu'ah (perhaps we use the fact that they rebelled against the crusaders). Yazan (talk) 05:04, 21 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

No prob I used it a long time ago for the desert towns of Qaryatayn and Huwwarin and it contains tons of info for the Jabal al-Arab villages. There's a bit more about al-Fu'ah in the Houtsma source which I'll add in a little bit and I just realized I missed the DYK deadline for the initial topic of this thread, Saqba. Can't make the same mistake with Ma'arrat Misrin. Thanks for all the help with that. The Gibbs source, with support from other sources, might actually allow us to create sections on Demographics, Economy and Geography. I recommend you nominate both articles as a double nom since I'll probably procrastinate as always ;) Cheers --Al Ameer son (talk) 05:39, 21 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I nominated the double hook (Do check it here and change as you see fit). Sorry about Saqba, but speaking of forgetting, don't forget to nominate Taftanaz and Tell Sultan. ;) Also take a look at the Portal:Syria (the selected article section/DYK section now rotate the material we have + added a wikinews section. Need to add a selected photo). Yazan (talk) 14:20, 21 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks, its nice to be back. --TIAYN (talk) 06:44, 15 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

[1]

There is a discussion here that involves you. --Wüstenfuchs 19:51, 15 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 16 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Tell Sukas, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Phoenician settlement of Tell Sukas in modern Syria was located at the center of the fertile plain of Jableh on a hill with access to two natural harbors? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Tell Sukas. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Yngvadottir (talk) 00:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 16 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Tell Shihab, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that a stele of Egyptian king Seti I was found built into the wall of a local house in the village of Tell Shihab in southern Syria? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Tell Shihab. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 16 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Jayrud, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that excavations at the town of Jayrud in the Qalamoun Mountains of Syria produced microliths, blades, scrapers and other lithic tools dating back to the Natufian culture? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Jayrud. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:04, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

	Syrian Barnstar of National Merit
	For your excellent and much needed work on Syrian villages and routing out missing articles. ♦ Dr. Blofeld 09:42, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thank you Doc., you're too kind! :) Yazan (talk) 09:52, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Just wondering why you approved the hook at Template:Did you know nominations/Annie Lowrie Alexander when part of the hook (the she could be described by the very obscure nickname of a Tar Heel) was not even present in the article? Kevin McE (talk) 12:44, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Well I googled it and the very first result was a lengthy article about it on Wikipedia; which meant, for me, that the term is in wide-spread use for it to be notable enough for such an article. Yazan (talk) 13:19, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

The term is not in anything that can even vaguely be referred to as widespread use, and the phrase was not linked. Nicknames as informal demonyms are not proper formal encyclopaedic tone, and DYK's rules require the hook to be cited in the article: this phrase was not in the article. Kevin McE (talk) 16:40, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Point taken. Will try to be more attentive next time. Cheers. Yazan (talk) 16:48, 16 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 16 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Tell Aran, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the archaeological mound at Tell Aran in northern Syria is the largest tell in the Aleppo region? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Tell Aran. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 16:06, 16 September 2012 (UTC)

On 17 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Mazraa, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Sultan al-Atrash's decisive victory near the town of al-Mazraa in 1925, inspired Syrian nationalists in Damascus and the countryside to join the rebellion against the French occupation? You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 16:02, 17 September 2012 (UTC)

Hello! Your submission of Al-Mushannaf at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Secretlondon (talk) 09:10, 19 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi! I will help you to get this article next days. So long, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 20:34, 19 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks, I'd be very grateful! Yazan (talk) 07:51, 20 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 21 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Assal al-Ward, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Syrian town of Assal al-Ward was long famous for its flower produce which supplied the attar makers of nearby Damascus? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Assal al-Ward. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 16:03, 21 September 2012 (UTC)

Thanks for checking the Czech presidential election, 2013 article for DYK. I hadn't realized it was lacking size and bolding when I nominated it, but both should now be rectified. If you have a minute, give it another look over for the nomination. Thanks again!-- Patrick, _oѺ^∞ 23:12, 21 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 22 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Mushannaf, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Syrian village of al-Mushannaf has a well-preserved temple, dated to the first century BC, that was dedicated to Zeus and Athena? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Al-Mushannaf. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Yngvadottir (talk) 08:04, 22 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi. Thank you for your recent edits. Wikipedia appreciates your help. We noticed though that when you edited Mari, Syria, you added a link pointing to the disambiguation page Sumerian (check to confirm | fix with Dab solver). Such links are almost always unintended, since a disambiguation page is merely a list of "Did you mean..." article titles. Read the FAQ • Join us at the DPL WikiProject.

It's OK to remove this message. Also, to stop receiving these messages, follow these opt-out instructions. Thanks, DPL bot (talk) 15:57, 22 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 23 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Khan Dannun, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the town and refugee camp of Khan Dannun in Syria was originally a basalt caravanserai built by the Mamluk governor of Damascus in 1376? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Khan Dannun. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 23 September 2012 (UTC)

On 23 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Shaykh Saad, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that al-Shaykh Saad in the Hauran region of Syria was mentioned by several Christian scholars and pilgrims, including Eusebius, Egeria and Jerome, as the town of St. Job? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Al-Shaykh Saad. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Yngvadottir (talk) 21:20, 23 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 24 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Darkush, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that a Roman inscription at the Syrian town of Darkush on the Orontes River attests to the existence of a shipbuilding industry for river-going boats in the town? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Darkush. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 00:02, 24 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 26 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Muhammad al-Khuli, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Muhammad al-Khuli was removed as the Syrian Air Force Intelligence chief by Hafez al-Assad due to international pressure regarding Khuli's alleged involvement in the Hindawi affair? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Muhammad al-Khuli. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 00:04, 26 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 26 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Nasuhi al-Bukhari, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that former Syrian prime minister Nasuhi al-Bukhari resigned after only three months in office when talks to ratify the Franco-Syrian Treaty of Independence broke down? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Nasuhi al-Bukhari. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:02, 26 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

	Syrian topics
	Thank you for sharing your knowledge about Syrian people, culture, places and history in quality articles, - you are an awesome Wikipedian! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 10:28, 26 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thank you so much Gerda! You're too kind! :) Likewise, I've enjoyed your beautiful articles on Bach. In fact, I've made it a habit of listening to each of the cantatas that I read about it! Very beautiful. Yazan (talk) 11:28, 26 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

A year ago, you were the 255th recipient of my PumpkinSky Prize, - see my user page for the greatest Bach music, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 05:40, 27 September 2013 (UTC)Reply[reply]

		The Award of the Arabian Barnstar
		For your excellent work on articles related to the Arab world, past and present. More editors like you are needed! Constantine ✍ 08:34, 27 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thank you :) Yazan (talk) 09:57, 27 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 27 September 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Anwar Bannud, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that former Syrian chief-of-staff, Anwar Bannud, was the only Syrian officer to reach a rank of colonel under the French mandate? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Anwar Bannud. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 16:03, 27 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi Yazan! Thank you so much for your kind message about the articles, I am very glad that you have enjoyed them.

With the information you gave me, I have been able to find this edition of the Encyclopedia (is it the source you had found?). I'll try to contact one of the libraries that have the 1893 edition of Bint fikr to ask them if they can show us the title page. In the meantime perhaps we could add a short footnote linked to her name, explaining what her name implies according to the "rules of the Arabic name", and that Khayr al-Din al-Zirakli says her great-grandfather was named Butrus; I think this would be the least risky way to present "the problem" until we have a confirmation about a primary source such as the 1893 edition of Bint fikr. What do you think? It seems al-Zirakli wrote his Encyclopedia in 1927, some 8 years after her death. And considering he was quite young when she died, and that he seems to be the only biographer to have mentioned Butrus to be her great-grandfather (and perhaps those who have filled the info on Google Books and the following biographies have referred to his biography), I wonder how he would have known Butrus was her great-grandfather, if not, for example, by having read it on the title page, or by having had an older contemporary of Maryana tell him. But it may also have been a mistake, the same way the biographer Brockelmann had said Maryana was the daughter of Francis—although I would trust a native speaker of Arabic like al-Zirakli much more than a European biographer of those days. If al-Zirakli mentions him several times, then maybe he knew much more about him than we would ever be able to know...

But anyway, it is a detail after all. Thank you so much for having helped! The article about Francis is currently under review for FA assessement, if you know anyone who would be interested in reviewing it. Have a nice day! Bryan P. C. C. (talk) 15:56, 28 September 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

If you want to publish this article from your sandbox. I'll get working and fix it up. I can take the text and publish it myself if you like, but you really should get the creator rights. I could fix it up in your sandbox first I suppose, but again thought I would ask permission. Might help pay back all the help you've been giving my articles lately. Thanks. Paul Bedson ❉talk❉ 00:21, 4 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thank you Paul, it's very kind of you to ask first. Feel free to use the draft in anyway you deem helpful; you can work on it in the sandbox, and then move it to main space, or simply start it from scratch. I've been occupied by other stuff lately, and won't be able to work on it further; so it would be great if you start it. It's a fascinating site! Cheers Yazan (talk) 02:36, 4 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Oh boy, this is a big site. It still needs lots more work, but some of the basics are there and it's ready to be published if you like. Paul Bedson ❉talk❉ 00:59, 6 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks for writing up on it, it's been on my todo list for a year. It is a very important site, indeed. I've moved it to main space, and I think you should consider nominating for DYK. Cheers Yazan (talk) 14:53, 6 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 5 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Fu'ah, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that following the capture of Baldwin I of Edessa in 1104, the inhabitants of al-Fu'ah, Sarmin and Maarrat Misrin in northern Syria revolted against their Crusader rulers? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Al-Fu'ah. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk) 00:04, 5 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 5 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Maarrat Misrin, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that following the capture of Baldwin I of Edessa in 1104, the inhabitants of al-Fu'ah, Sarmin and Maarrat Misrin in northern Syria revolted against their Crusader rulers? You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk) 00:05, 5 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 6 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Taftanaz, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the name of the Syrian town Taftanaz is likely of Hittite origin? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Taftanaz. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

 — Crisco 1492 (talk) 08:36, 6 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Investiture of Zimrilim at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and there still are some issues that may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Prioryman (talk) 00:50, 8 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! I was very interested to read about this mural! I have responded on the talk page of the article itself.Thank you for asking me! Amandajm (talk) 11:43, 10 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I have improved the diagram. Amandajm (talk) 09:23, 13 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 9 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Shibtu, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Shibtu, wife of Zimrilim and queen consort of the ancient city-state of Mari, was described as "the most prominent of the Mari ladies"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Shibtu. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 9 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 11 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Yarim-Lim I, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that by the time of his death in 1764 BC, Yarim-Lim I, king of Yamhad (modern-day Aleppo, Syria) was said to be the "mightiest ruler in the Near East outside of Egypt"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Yarim-Lim I. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 16:02, 11 October 2012 (UTC)

On 14 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Abd al-Karim al-Jundi, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Abd al-Karim al-Jundi presided over the state appropriation of Syrian farm land from its traditional owners after becoming the minister of agrarian reform? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Abd al-Karim al-Jundi. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 08:02, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

It's good to see you back as well, with everything that is going on Syria right now. I will see what I can do about Sabi Abyad (I am sure I can get a few more refs in), but right now I am limiting myself to some small stuff (and I put my long term projects of rewriting History of Mesopotamia and getting Euphrates to GA on hold) as I am very busy in RL and that is not likely to change anytime soon. Did you put Sabi Abyad up for DYK? Let me know, because in that case I'll see if I can upload a picture of the site.--Zoeperkoe (talk) 14:44, 15 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Ugarits at the Louvre: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TdFhBWUhUb3JMa0U

Ugarit: 6000 years of history: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TdVdJT2lfam9sUU0

Votive inscriptions: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TZVZZclZrMGNkNmc

Ugarid grid: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TTkktMmpxYmFfZ1U

Canaanite Ugarid: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B86iegI5pG5TbjN1eEgxYVZNXzA

Please let me know when you are done.

Churn and change (talk) 15:31, 15 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 15 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Tell Sabi Abyad, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the 6th-millennium BC settlement of Tell Sabi Abyad in northern Syria featured multi-room rectangular buildings with round structures called tholoi that were probably used for storage? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Tell Sabi Abyad. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Yngvadottir (talk) 16:03, 15 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi! I've got the wanted pages for you. Please send a wikimail, that I know, where to send the file to. Greetings, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 18:52, 15 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

I sent it, -- Doc Taxon (talk) 14:02, 16 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello, Zozo2kx. You have new messages at Al Ameer son's talk page.
You can remove this notice at any time by removing the ((Talkback)) or ((Tb)) template.

You participated earlier in Wikipedia talk:Did you know/GibraltarPediA Options, in which a proposed moratorium on Gibraltar-related DYKs was rejected and a set of options was agreed. There is currently a suggestion from editors who did not participate in that discussion that a moratorium should be imposed, overturning the earlier agreement. If you have any views on this, please feel free to comment at Wikipedia talk:Did you know#Time-sensitive DYK nomination. Prioryman (talk) 21:07, 18 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 20 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Statue of Ebih-Il, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the lapis lazuli inlays used in the 25th-century BC Statue of Ebih-Il (pictured), discovered in ancient Mari in Syria, were imported from as far east as Afghanistan? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Statue of Ebih-Il. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 20 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 22 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Royal Palace of Ugarit, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Royal Palace (gate pictured) of ancient Ugarit in Syria had fortification walls whose base sloped outward 45 degrees? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Royal Palace of Ugarit. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:01, 22 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

النظرية تبدأ من شخص واحد وتنتشر ويتكون حولها نقاش و ينشأ لها معارضين ومؤيدين ثم تحصل على القبول مع استمرار المعارضين لذا يجب ان تبقى ليحصل حولها نقاش ولا توجد نظرية من اللحظة الاولى في مصادر مختلفة فإذا بقيت محصورة في الشخص الذي اوجدها فإنك ستدفنها معه فإذا نقلها غيره وادخلها في كتبه و اشار لها سوف تنتشر وتفيد الناس الا يجب عليك يا صديقي المساعدة في تحريرها ودعم صاحبها والمساعدة في نشرها

ربما يجب شطبها اذا ادعى احد نظرية لها مصادر وليست له اما هذه فهي جديدة

واقبلوا الاحترام — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.249.65.141 (talk) 15:27, 22 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

شكرا لحضرتكم على الرد السريع اتمنى ان تبقى المقالة تحت عنوان ان مصادرها قليلة حتى يتم تعزيزها بمصادر تحقق الملحوظة او ان تدمج مع مقالة السيد عماد في باب جديد

شكرا للطفك واهتمامك انت مثال السوري الأصيل

السلام عليكم — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.249.65.141 (talk) 15:46, 22 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 23 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Barad, Syria, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Church of Julianos in the village of Barad in northern Syria, was one of two three-aisled basilicas in the Dead Cities? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Barad, Syria. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

The DYK project (nominate) 08:03, 23 October 2012 (UTC)

Hello. There is currently a discussion at Wikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Incidents regarding an issue with which you may have been involved. Thank you. (It's the Fjozk discussion). AutomaticStrikeout 16:05, 24 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 25 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Investiture of Zimrilim, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the 18th-century BC fresco the Investiture of Zimrilim (pictured) depicts the king of ancient Mari receiving the symbols of rule from the goddess Ishtar? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Investiture of Zimrilim. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Yngvadottir (talk) 00:01, 25 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hi Yazan! Nice to talk to you again. I'll give you my honest opinion (which may come over as slightly harsh, because I'm putting on my "critic's cap"); you can choose what you want to do from their. It clearly meets most of the criteria, but ultimately I believe that a potential nomination would receive some support but ultimately not gain enough consensus to pass. The image has good encyclopedic value, but for some reason, I prefer an alternative angle ([2]) that shows the pose of the statue much more clearly than the image being considered. In addition, while the image quality is good, I do believe the image is a tad soft (lacking in sharpness in certain areas), and the lighting is a little disappointing after seeing the other image (but not enough for me to personally oppose). If I saw the nomination and had to vote, I'd probably vote a "weak oppose" based on the softness of the image (the other perspective and the lighting don't concern me as much and I'd probably "weak support" if those were the only issues). The image, otherwise, has nice resolution and is definitely an asset to Wikipedia. TL;DR: Quality is good enough for me not to oppose right away (like some of the other images nominated at FPC), but some more subtle issues per se would have me vote "weak oppose" in a potential FPC nomination.

If you're interested in a second opinion but without nominating the image to FPC, you can try Wikipedia talk:Featured picture candidates.

Happy editing, Spencer^T♦C 04:30, 25 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Note also that for the other pictures of the statue, the encyclopedic value would be lower since it doesn't show the whole statue. Focusing on detail is cool, but it does lower the value when you have a decent full-sized image.

And I've been so bad about keeping up with WP:Syria! I'm so sorry! If there's anything you guys have over there that needs copyediting/polishing for a good article candidate or whatnot, just send me a message. Spencer^T♦C 06:28, 25 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 26 October 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Dana, Syria, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the town of al-Dana in northern Syria is identified with "Adennu", the first Aramaean city to be captured by Assyrian emperor Shalmaneser III? You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 08:04, 26 October 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Thanks, wow that's the first compliment received on it! Keep up the terrific work on Syria!♦ Dr. ☠ Blofeld 11:12, 1 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

	The Special Barnstar
	Hello yazan, I hope everybody is fine, anyway starting with allah's name, I think I have a neutral language about the flag, but I think it's really important that people knows it's not flag for syria as Syrian People, it's a flag for the place of Syria under French mandate, and I hope you understand this, and thanks... Latristelagrima (talk) 17:14, 2 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Baal with Thunderbolt at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and some issues with it may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Doug Coldwell ^talk 22:08, 2 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Article is over 2500 characters and the hook is 180 characters (under the required 200) and the hook can be verified in reference. Article moved to Mainspace Nov 2, 2012. Good to go!! Misread that it went to Mainspace Nov 2. You have a tick!--Doug Coldwell ^talk 22:53, 2 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello, can I understand why did you delete the page Aleppine People without ending the talk ?Latristelagrima (talk) 11:43, 3 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 4 November 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Ghabaghib, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Ottoman sultan Selim I ordered construction of a tower in Ghabaghib, a stop on the hajj route from Damascus? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Ghabaghib. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 16:03, 4 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello there. I was browsing through old entries on the Resource Request page and noticed your request, which has gone unanswered. My university library happens to have the book you are looking for; if you are still interested in getting the table you asked for, please send me an email (here is a link for your convenience), and I will be happy to send it to you. If you no longer need it, sorry to have bothered you. Good day, Robert Skyhawk ^{(T C)} 03:27, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 6 November 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Baal with Thunderbolt, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the second-millennium-BC stele of Baal with Thunderbolt shows the king of Ugarit receiving divine protection from the Semitic god of storm Baʿal? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Baal with Thunderbolt. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:02, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

and it lost out the picture slot to my St Luke's Church, Chelsea! Oh, well, keep up the good work anyway! Johnbod (talk) 18:13, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Not my day, I guess. ;) Now, if only I could find those damn photos I have from Apamea... Yazan (talk) 18:44, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 6 November 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Al-Qurayya, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that during the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925, al-Qurayya served as the chief meeting place for the sheikhs of local rebel clans? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Al-Qurayya. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Casliber (talk · contribs) 08:03, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Right. I've changed that. The phenician adjective was inacurrate but coming from fr:Baal. Do you think I have to change that too ? Thanks again. Like tears in rain (talk) 14:07, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Done. Like tears in rain (talk) 14:57, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Roman Theatre at Apamea at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and some issues with it may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Peter I. Vardy (talk) 17:55, 6 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

On 9 November 2012, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Roman Theatre at Apamea, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Roman Theatre at Apamea in Syria is one of the largest surviving theatres of the Roman world? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Roman Theatre at Apamea. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.

Graeme Bartlett (talk) 12:21, 8 November 2012 (UTC) 00:02, 9 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

2: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Brinner.PDF

3: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Sirriya.PDF

4: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Walker.PDF

5: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Retzleff.PDF

6: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/9158964/Small.PDF

Please do sign your posts to make it easier to respond to you.

Let me know when you are done. Churn and change (talk) 02:04, 10 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Hello! Your submission of Roman Theatre at Palmyra at the Did You Know nominations page has been reviewed, and some issues with it may need to be clarified. Please review the comment(s) underneath your nomination's entry and respond there as soon as possible. Thank you for contributing to Did You Know! Antidiskriminator (talk) 23:19, 10 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]

Glad I could help... Nice work on cavea, and the image is indeed more illustrative than the one in the Italian article. GregorB (talk) 13:59, 11 November 2012 (UTC)Reply[reply]