`Greetings,  :I don't see a link where the 'here' button is, and I don't understand whether it is OK for me to edit this page without again being accused of sockpuppetry. However, disclosure: if you check out the 2008 Guinness Book (or 2007, for that matter, also page 2), I am listed in the 2008 book twice, on page 2 and on page 287. There are 17 'senior consultants' listed, for the major areas of the booknot an 'infinite number'. (Junior consultants are not listedfor example check out the 2005 edition, page 23there is a listing of the world's oldest people recognized by Guinness since 1955). Senior consultants are used to ensure the accuracy of the information presented by hiring experts to verify the claims made. Note that some of the other Senior Consultants have their own articles on Wikipedia. I also agree that, while it might be best for me to stay away from new editing until this current controversy dies down, there have been several cases of false accusations made against me. So far there are four false accusations of sockpuppetry (Stan Primmer, Cjeales, Kletetschka, Chip69). In the cases where I did edit using IP addresses beginning with 131, they were easily linked to GSU and thus I admitted who I was, in effect. Yet despite having been proven right each time I denied a sockpuppet was not me, there are those who continue to doubt what I say even as some have made comments such as ``I haven't even looked in the Guinness Book`` and ``I don't know if GWR still does the world's oldest people`` (see Gerontology Research Group AFD discussion here):  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Gerontology_Research_Group  Query re: ``The 14-year-old GRG, which the ``Guinness World Records Book`` now relies on to confirm longevity records``, the claim was made on the Robert Young AfD that 1) Young was listed in the same way as any other person who mailed in a submission to the GBR and 2) that the GBR no longer reported the ``oldest living person``. I don't have a copy of the GBR, could someone verify that 1) the Guiness Book still reports this category, 2) that the GRG is cited as their official fact checker on this, and 3) that they have some status higher than the average person who licks an envelope and mails it to GBR. Given the misrepresentations and exaggeration seen in the GRG related AfDs I'd feel much better if these claims were verified by an independent source, one not taking the GRG at their word. Best regards, Pete.Hurd    Should one really be accusing me of making things up when all they have to do is go down to the local Borders bookstore, browse for a bright red Guinness book, and open it?   Some misconceptions:   A. I am a 'stamp licker' and 'mail in submissions. INCORRECT. Others mail the submissions to me, I decide if they meet the standards for VERIFIABITY as per Guinness World Records. While the editor-in-chief has veto power, they have so far found no reason to do so. Note that I have even offered evidence online, when the data is publicly available, to show that the case is true.  B. Guinness 'no longer reports the world's oldest person.' The 2006 edition accidentally omitted the world's oldest person, which perhaps explains why that person was replaced with someone else (me). The 2007 and 2008 editions, and all but one edition since 1955, have listed the world's oldest person.  C. the GRG is listed in both the 2007 and 2008 editions (page 67).  D. There are 'legions' of Guinness Senior Consultants. No, there are 17 listed in the 2008 edition. Some are covered in Wikipedia articles such as:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Shuker  In such categories as   ``Earth, Science, and Technology`` ``Life on Earth``  ``Engineering`` ``Sports & Games`` ``Music``   etc.  The statements about me are not just 'verifiable,' they are 'true'.   Now, I do realize that some of the articles, as first written, were not of the best quality. Some points to consider:  A. My philosophy is that an article begins as a stub, and then it needs to be seen if it will remain, and gradually improved by others. If I do all the work, doesn't that smack MORE of COI? Letting others edit the article seems like a good idea.  B. This summer, with articles on Wikipedia dropping to as low as Keeley Dorsey (minor college football player from a newly emerging program with one career touchdown, notable for dying on the practice field), it seemed to me that, exercising the 'Wikipedia is not paper' understanding, that if notability could be established, an article was deserved. Given that Dr. Coles had been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and on CNN, that seemed 'reliable' to me. Further, your average college professor may publish a lot of respected works, but I view 'founding' an organization (not an informal discussion group!) as notable in itself if the group itself has had a major IMPACT. Given that Guinness World Records decided to go with the GRG as their major source for world's oldest people cases, it seemed that others (secondary sources) decided 'notability', not myself and not the GRG. As for 'self-promotion', if you check the www.grg.org website, you find NO ads or products available for sale. Contrast this with this website here:  http://www.worldhealth.net/  Lots of ads, spam, etc. Even commentary from the NY Times and the state of Illinois:  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/business/yourmoney/15aging.html?pagewanted=print http://www.quackwatch.com/11Ind/klatz.html  Thus, to accuse the GRG of 'self-promotion' without reliable sources is simply violating WP:OR, WP:POINT, and/or WP:NPOV. Contrast that to the citations above for another group.  Regarding this line of questioning:  Stephen Coles is not a professor at UCLA. At least not according to the UCLA directory lists a him as a visiting scholar in the computer science department. That's a very far cry from being a professor. If the UCLA directory is correct, then stating that he is a professor is a falsehood, and knowingly stating a falsehood is a lie. Robert Young doesn't really work for Guinness, right. Is he an employee? Does he doesn't get paid? Or does he just mail them stuff? Those are the open questions. Pete.Hurd    Dr. Coles is 66 years old. I was under the impression that he was still a professor at UCLA. I have since been informed that he WAS a professor but has retired. In any case, simply editing the term 'professor' to 'visiting scholar' seems reasonable.  Finally, there have been many statements made that I have not had an opportunity to respond to, given the current block. For example, it was claimed that there is no evidence, even on the GRG website, of GRG locations. Yet we find on the very front page:  Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., Atlanta GERONTOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP  Thus, another incorrect assertion. Need I continue?  Finally, for those who still question my assertion regarding Guinness World Records, please e-mail me at robertdouglasyoung@yahoo.com and I will be happy to provide evidence. Note that checking Wikipedia for what a 'consultant' is:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultant  A consultant (from the Latin consultare means ``to discuss`` from which we also derive words such as consul and counsel) is a professional who provides advice in a particular area of expertise such as accountancy, the environment, technology, law, human resources, marketing, medicine, finance, public affairs, communication, engineering, graphic design, or waste management.  A consultant is self-employed or works for a consultancy firm, usually with multiple and changing clients. Thus, clients have access to deeper levels of expertise than would be feasible for them to retain in-house, and to purchase only as much service from the outside consultant desired. It is generally accepted good corporate governance to hire consultants as a check to the Principal-Agent problem.  Do consultants get paid? A consultancy is designed by corporations to save money via tax and benefit structures, but generally the tradeoff is a consultant makes their own schedule and is paid more than a salaried employee. However, I don't see a COI because you can't get higher than the number one position, which I have attained. Please note that if users such as    would like, I can provide proof to back up my statements regarding GWR, degrees, etc. I do find it ironic that, seeing as I am in the business of being a skeptic and investigator of stories that don't quite add up, that others would 'turn the tables' by countering with their own degree of skepticism. What they do no yet seem to grasp is that I welcome such scrutiny, because scrutiny brings ups closer to the TRUTH, not just VERIFIABILITY.  In a court of law, a defendant is allowed to make a case, why is that not allowed on Wikipedia? And I note that while I made multiple arguments via my own AFD, that was concerning THAT article (Robert Young), not the GRG article, not the Dr Coles article, not the 100+ supercentenarian-related articles that were nominated after (see on my talk page above) I had asked for mediation re: the debates. The request for mediation was met with the most egregious violation of WP:POINT I have ever seen. Yet no one dared say they were bad-faith nominations.  Finally, I believe in following the rules at Wikipedia...when the rules are equally and fairly applied. We have multiple, multiple demonstrations of a