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Images of users are sometimes used to remind everyone that behind every username is a real personThis editor is a Senior Editor III and is entitled to display this Rhodium Editor Star.
Hi. My name is David King. I'm probably Misplaced Pages's most prolific author of ranked content about organizations, after having written about 40 "Good Article" ranked pages. Most of those projects were sponsored through my work as Ethical Wiki, while others were done on a regular volunteer basis. I also wrote Misplaced Pages:What Misplaced Pages is not (organizations), which is a must-read for anyone heavily involved in company articles.
In August 2015, there was consensus at ANI that Misplaced Pages's Terms of Use require a sponsored editor to not only disclose a conflict of interest, but the names of all organizations involved. Since my small business is a one-person operation and I am required to disclose it, this effectively ended my ability to edit anonymously. As a result I have retired from volunteer editing on BLPs, business pages, or contentious articles, where I am no longer protected by anonymity from legal threats, harassment or bullying from article-subjects and opinionated editors.
The way my sponsored editing works is that in 70% of cases I recommend article-subjects abstain. Typically the article-subject feels their article is unfair or incorrect, but it isn't actually. In other cases they may not be notable or may not have good intentions. In the 30% of cases that I qualify, I offer to write an article that complies with Misplaced Pages's content policies. They are given a commenting period to review my work for factual errors, but I insist on editorial independence. While I am not immune to the influence a conflict of interest may have on my contributions, I have a long history of making good, neutral articles in this role.
Your diligent work to enable 42 articles to reach GA status is a testament to the skill of your work with COI editors: you have helped reduce bias before it starts by diplomatically working with the subjects of Misplaced Pages articles to ultimately make these better articles. You have not only improved Misplaced Pages but improved overall knowledge of its policies regarding neutrality and COI editors through your work, thereby reducing the extent to which Misplaced Pages is edited in a person or subject's own interest while countering other serious problems to the encyclopedia, such as potential libel on BLP pages. You are also deserving of this through your work investigating bad-faith sockmaster editors, also reducing bias. Rubbishcomputer 17:28, 15 August 2015 (UTC)
The Million Award
For your contributions to bring Qualcomm Snapdragon (estimated annual readership: 595,224) to Good Article status, I hereby present you the Half Million Award. Congratulations on this rare accomplishment, and thanks for all you do for Misplaced Pages's readers! sovereign°sentinel(contribs) 05:03, 14 August 2015 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
For greatly expanding and improving the History section at Acupuncture. It's a whole lot closer to GA status now thanks to your work. Middle 8 (t • c | privacy • COI) 07:17, 22 July 2015 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
You know what? You deserve this. Not many people can do what you do without causing massive drama. What you do is precisely in line with what I advise every article subject or representative who I encounter on Misplaced Pages, or in my past life as an email response volunteer. You play a straight bat, and I applaud you for it. Guy (Help!) 16:42, 22 February 2015 (UTC)
The Business and Economics Barnstar
For your daily improvement of the pedia, and your business-like dedication to doing paid editing in the most transparent, by-the-book manner possible, I award you this business-like barnstar. As I read about PR firms pledging they will follow your example (and their own ethics rules), I can't help but be proud of our association, and especially be thankful that you are the stand-up guy I believe I recognized through your early contributions. BusterD (talk) 21:46, 25 July 2014 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
For showing the community that paid editing can be done without harming the encyclopedia :) — ΛΧΣ 20:12, 27 January 2014 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
For immense contributions to Misplaced Pages. From a long-time close observer, for your careful, thorough by-the-book approach to editing in potential-COI situations, providing one of the finest examples of successfully handling those in a way that provides an unequivocal benefit to Misplaced Pages. My apologies that if this is so late and thus sort of "out of the blue", but my resolution is to catch up long overdue much-deserved barnstars. Sincerely, North8000 (talk) 23:50, 22 December 2013 (UTC)
The Special Barnstar
This Barnstar is for being a good example of how to do things the right way, even when it isn't the easy way. Guy Macon (talk) 15:01, 31 October 2013 (UTC)
For your intelligent thoughts during the Paid Advocacy Policy debate. Your grasp of the situation is perfect and I wish you every success. Carrite (talk) 16:28, 20 October 2013 (UTC)
for your fine work at Credit Suisse and other biz related articles! — Keithbob • Talk • 14:34, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
The Editor's Barnstar
Good work. You are improving everyday and that's a great achievement. Happy editing :) — ΛΧΣ 23:03, 8 January 2013 (UTC)
The Copyeditor's Barnstar
Thanks for trimming down the Association of Flight Attendants article. The article had been so plagued with COI/promotional editing and coatracking that I gave up on it months ago. —KuyaBriBri 05:21, 13 February 2013 (UTC)
A whisky for you
Thanks for your edits to Silk Road - you deserve a good whisky (or something stronger) for having become a true Wikipedian over the last year! SmartSE (talk) 01:08, 20 April 2013 (UTC)
The Brilliant Idea Barnstar
Awarded for your COI submissions board. I have long thought that there should be an equivalent to WP:BLPN for companies. I hope the board will flourish, and become a Misplaced Pages noticeboard in due course. AndreasJN466 23:33, 1 July 2013 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diplomacy
For long track record of improving business articles and working with new editors to explain the COI policy. Brainy J ~✿~ (talk) 19:52, 6 September 2013 (UTC)
