Brandonwise

Welcome

Hello Brandonwise, and Welcome to Wikipedia!

Welcome to Wikipedia! I hope you enjoy the encyclopedia and want to stay. As a first step, you may wish to read the Introduction.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me at my talk page – I'm happy to help. Or, you can ask your question at the New contributors' help page.

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Brandonwise, good luck, and have fun. – Lukeno94 (tell Luke off here) 16:01, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free image File:Logo for the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.jpg

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Thanks for uploading File:Logo for the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.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. Sfan00 IMG (talk) 08:48, 21 July 2013 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free media (File:Logo for the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.jpg)

Thanks for uploading File:Logo for the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation.jpg. The media description page currently specifies that it is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, it is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the media 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 will be useful. However, please note that media for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'file' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "File" from the dropdown box. Note that all non-free media not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. Werieth (talk) 03:11, 10 September 2013 (UTC)

Conflict of interest editing

Hello, Brandonwise. We welcome your contributions, but if you have an external relationship with the people, places or things you have written about in the article Brandon Burlsworth, you may have a conflict of interest (COI). Editors with a COI may be unduly influenced by their connection to the topic. Editing for the purpose of advertising or promotion is not permitted. See the conflict of interest guideline and FAQ for organizations for more information. We ask that you:

• avoid editing or creating articles about yourself, your family, friends, company, organization or competitors;
• propose changes on the talk pages of affected articles (see the {{request edit}} template);
• disclose your COI when discussing affected articles (see WP:DISCLOSE);
• avoid linking to your organization's website in other articles (see WP:SPAM);
• do your best to comply with Wikipedia's content policies.

In addition, you must disclose your employer, client, and affiliation with respect to any contribution for which you receive, or expect to receive, compensation (see WP:PAID).

Also please note that editing for the purpose of advertising, publicising, or promoting anyone or anything is not permitted. Thank you. Melcous (talk) 22:54, 15 December 2017 (UTC)

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The editing I have done on the Brandon Burlsworth article has been at the request of personnel of the Burlsworth Foundation to maintain factual accuracy of the article. When I first began contributing to articles, I read the COI guidelines. In retrospect, I skimmed it as I didn't interpret uncompensated agency as a conflict. I haven't interpreted a personal connection to the subject as a conflict by default. Rather, it seems that connection to a primary source is beneficial in presenting straightforward facts. I have been diligent to have citations for my edits. Many of those citations are from various sites related to the Burlsworth Foundation. As would be true for any editor -- COI or not -- there is no other primary source for these facts.

I want to better understand how interest, enthusiasm, or even passion for a topic relates to a COI. I want others to benefit from my enthusiasm that manifests itself in the research, synthesizing, writing, and revising that is part of contributing to Wikipedia. However, I don't want that enthusiasm that draws me closer to a subject and those related to it to become a source of doubt or confusion.

I commit to re-reading the COI guidelines so I understand what they require me to do to keep editing articles in which I have an interest and, potentially, a connection. I want to be sure I follow disclosure requirements so that others may evaluate my contributions within the proper context. And, ultimately, I am grateful that editorial standards exists and committed editors work to ensure compliance to those standards. Brandon (talk) 02:38, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Thanks Brandon, I appreciate your response, and your diligence in understanding and responding to this. I'm sure it can feel like an added burden, but given how very many people/organisations try to use wikipedia for self-promotion, it is something the community has decided to be fairly strict about it. The two key principles to keep in mind are disclosure and review, that is, making sure you disclose any conflict of interests both on your user page and when you make any edits to affected articles; and allowing space for others to review your edit - this is most easily done by making suggestions on article talk pages when you have a conflict of interest, rather than editing them directly - this can be done using the Template:edit request. Happy wiki editing and Merry Christmas. Cheers, Melcous (talk) 03:00, 23 December 2017 (UTC)

Disambiguation link notification for January 1

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