User talk:Lgh/Archive 1

Welcome!

Hello,, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers: I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~&#126;); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you need help, check out Questions, ask me on my talk page, or place  on your talk page and someone will show up shortly to answer your questions. Again, welcome! JackyR 11:30, 5 April 2006 (UTC)
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Hi again
Good to hear from you! Wikipedia discussion pages work exactly the same way as article pages: just click "Edit" and start typing. They have the additional feature of a "+" tab next to the "Edit this page" tab at the top: click on this and it will automatically give you a new section without having to scroll through old material. To sign your post, just type four tildes: ~. This will automatically insert your name (linked) and a timestamp.

Welcoming committees: surely there must be one somewhere! I'm afraid I'm completely unofficial. I "watch" articles (tab at top) that I've contributed to, to follow their progress and repair any vandalism. Your edit came up on my watchlist with your name and talk page in red (meaning link to non-existent page), so I guessed you were new. Lots of people helped me when I first arrived – and still do – so the least I can do is pay it forwards.

I'm afraid I can't remember which article you edited. Was it also African? I'm actually British-born, but my dad's South African and I've lived, worked and travelled in various southern African countries. My interest in Wiki is partly because I feel that it's a place where the least-heard voices get to write the history – see User talk:Zyxoas and his posts on my talk page for impassioned discussion of this!

If Africa is an interest of yours, you might try: and as an Australian:
 * WikiProject Countering systemic bias open tasks
 * Portal:Africa
 * Portal:Australia

Btw, if you would like to create your own user page, the quickest way is to click the red "User page" tab on this page. It will offer to start the page for you. Type anything and hit "save". I'm (probably) not going to be on line much in the next few days, so apologies if I take a while to answer anything. Happy Editing, and I look forward to seeing you around! JackyR 13:30, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

PS Just found your edit to mopane worm: guess that's where I saw you before. That's an excellent desciption of the taste! JackyR 13:54, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

Hi
Hi. Am I to assume that you (can) speak Maori? The isiZulu greeting is "Sawubona", the Nguni languages hate putting vowels next to each other (cf Sesotho Gauteng is "Erhawudeni" in isiXhosa). The Sesotho greeting is "dumela" ("agree") with reply "ahe" (an archaic "yes"). "Umuntu" has no sex at all, although its meaning is more "a Bantu language speaking person" than just "person". It was great hearing from you, what is the native name for "Maori"? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 17:18, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

life in cyberspace
There appears to be life in cyberspace. I am interested in the Nguni languages hatred of dipthongs - I didn't know there was an ancient Nguni orthography! Having heard the term throughout my childhood I cannot recall a clear 'w' sound at all; more like a glottal stop ie as I wrote it: sa'ubona. Without getting silly about it and of course I defer to your up-to-date knowledge, let me give you a little cameo as to how these things may evolve. My Grandpa bought in the 70's a copper bracelet to help his arthritis. On the side was engraved 'Sabona'. In the fervid/fervent/perfervid/febrile days of the mid-70's when I was still what one might call 'young' it became politically correct to use the spelling Sa'ubona for the singular vocative. Now it has evolved even further. Sigh. Like the word 'silly' in fact, which used to mean blessed, from the germanic 'salig' as in "Oh, du froeliche, oh, du salige, gnaden bringende Weinachtzeit.' However, because of the twitty, pious behaviour of the overly-religious (the 'salig') the word came to mean foolish. Dear me. As to the meaning of the word 'Maori' well it means 'normal' ! It can also mean usual or the 'usual way of doing things.' the word in various guises appears throughout Polynesia, eg ma'aoli. It came about because the tribes of NZ did not regard themselevs as one people when the whites arrived, in fact they were always at war with each other. When the whites asked them for a collective name they just said, well we are the normal people around here: the tangata Maori. By the way some experts spell it ma'aori becaue the 'a' is very long. The word for people is 'tangata' and again this is found with variations throughout the Pacific. To take the two extreme ends of the region for example: tangata whenua is Maori for the native or local people of a particular place. The equivalent term in Tagalog is 'tag banua.' this despite a separation of approx. 2000 years! Counting is similarly cognate still between Tagalog, Hawai'ian and Maori, just to add in a third corner of the Pacific. As to your question of my speaking Maori, well I did, and have now largely forgotten it. I can stumble along in about 8 languages and have a smattering of about 3 more. I tend to learn the local language when I sojourn there and then forget it when I move on. My first languag was actaully ki'Swahili. Cheers, Lgh 05:32, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

well shoot
if it isn't the old phenom: cafard, langweil, triste sedentaire, cabin fever, mes bibelots en crasse, the steam pudding, the cold suet. Boredom, me hearties, the, oh what the hell. Having browsed the good wiki and contributed snippets here and there from Austronesian to Farangi to William C. Gorgas and back - and edited a few tortuous peices of prose along the way I believe I can say (with Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer) goodnight. Lgh 12:21, 1 May 2006 (UTC)

Ignoring
Sorry I didn't answer you. I've been quite stressed lately. I'll still reply, later. Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 16:02, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

writers block
definition: that which I suffer from. Look if any of you tells me I can't end a sentence with 'from' you're not helping! I have nowhere else to go to. (See, another conjunction - and by the way Yoda is addicted to them). I have writer's block (surely that should be writers' block). (Simple way to teach kids rule for possessives in English by the way: All plurals get 's except those that already end in s). To date I have three half-finished bloody novels in boxes and have just started a fourth. Can anyone suggest how to get my A into G and actually finish them?? I appeal to Caesar, and I'm not even Roman (well technically I am, being an EC citizen). All contributions gratefully received. I remain, etc, yours, Lgh 04:50, 5 May 2006 (UTC)


 * I would be happy to give you some suggestions. I do not suffer from writer's block and never have and hopefully never will. I've been writing since I was very young and was published first as a teenager (weekly newspaper column). If you would like to email me privately, I also have some articles you may find helpful. I also run a writer's group, promote and market other authors, and organize multi-author events, usually in Edmonton, but sometimes internationally. Of course, if you aren't suffering from writer's block now, then great! Or if you decide you don't want my help because of past issues, that's fine too. But the offer is extended and meant. (Cherylktardif 20:56, 23 August 2006 (UTC))

Wow! A Bulawegian!
How cool! Do you remember much of Bulawayo, or did you move when quite young? (You seem to have been pretty mobile.) I lived there for a couple of years in the 1990s, and go back to visit when I can - which is now not often, since as you rightly divine, I'm a bit of a cronk these days (M.E.). Plus things in Zim have got so bad that not only can one not get round and see people easily (fuel shortage last time I was there), but one feels bad for actually adding oneself to the food budget. Ho hum.

Where abouts did you live? I was in Killarney and Hillside, and have folks in Pumula. JackyR 09:51, 13 May 2006 (UTC)


 * Well well well. Have a pic from 1 Napier Av, opposite CBC. JackyR 14:47, 15 May 2006 (UTC)[[Image:Bougainvillea, Bulawayo.jpg|thumbnail|right]]

M.E.? That's nothing compared to my Ebola!!! Hope you don't feel as bad as I do about me seemingly ignoring you? This month has been insane! What are your novels (supposed to be) about? For the past 3 or so years I've had this annoying mental block which means that although I might know much more than the average person how a tool works and how to apply it I simply don't have the inspiration to use it. Thus I know loads about music software, but I suck at making music. That's frustrating! Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 17:06, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

Real life stalker!
Eh manong, If I'd known you spoke Tagalog as well... Actually I only have a little Ilocano - and even that has faded (apart from "Ha an nga americana"). So how long have we been following each other round the globe? JackyR | Talk 11:47, 26 May 2006 (UTC)

No matata
I should just admit to being back on Wiki, shouldn't I? But I'm in summer mode (garden and building works call...).

To correct a page name you need to move the whole page to the correct name - so be sure you're right before doing it! Click on the "Move" tab at the top of the page, then follow the instructions it offers. This carries the whole history with the article and leaves a Redirect at the old misspelling (useful for anyone else who gets it wrong).

The final job is to go through the "What links here" on the left hand side, and correct all the links to point directly to the new page. Give us a shout when you're done, if you like, and I'll cast a beady one over it. Note that if something goes wrong, we're likely to need an admin to fix it... JackyR | Talk 08:49, 17 July 2006 (UTC)

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
Many thanks for the words of encouragement. I suppose I'm stating the obvious when I say that my participation in the debate surrounding this article has been one of my most interesting experiences at Wikipedia. By the way, I notice you neglected to sign your name on the article's AfD page. I only mention this as I'm not certain whether your vote will count.Victoriagirl 11:44, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * My apologies for the tardy response. As you're probably aware, I ended up voting to keep the article. Have I ever let myself in for it, as the latest exchange on User Talk:Victoriagirl will attest. Honestly, at times I wonder why I bother... (a cliché, I know). Victoriagirl 04:08, 22 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Ms Tardif has requested that I delete or edit one of your communications from User Talk:Victoriagirl. I am no censor. I have suggested she contact you directly.Victoriagirl 16:59, 23 August 2006 (UTC)


 * And here I am. Lgh, I would like to politely request that you ask Victoriagirl to delete your entry on her page. The one that is titled 'tardif dyskinesia'. The title in itself is offensive (for those who know the meaning of the word dyskinesia) and the entire post is derogatory and rude, and goes against Wiki's policies on civility, good faith and probably a few more. That was not the place to air your opinionated viewpoint of me as a writer, or to predict my "destined" failure. Feel free to discuss me privately all you want. We each have opinions...and I certainly have learned some things about you. I will be taking this up with Wikipedia. By the way, I would NEVER bash a fellow author or their work, and even moreso if I had never read their work. And so I wish you all the best in your own writing endeavors.(Cherylktardif 20:49, 23 August 2006 (UTC))

Naughty boy! Say sorry nicely! ;-) Tho if neither you nor Victoriagirl wish to remove your comments, they're hardly of the world-ending sort that makes it a prob... Btw, you (and Victoriagirl and Ms Tardif) might be interested in commenting on a guideline-in-construction: Notability (books). Hamba kahle JackyR | Talk 02:50, 24 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Since her post above, Ms Tardif has twice contacted me asking that I delete your 04:37, 10 August 2006 post. Recognizing that you haven't visited Wikipedia since before the first of her numerous requests was made, I have proposed that Ms Tardif give you 24 hours in which to respond. As I haven't yet heard back from Ms Tardif, I do not know whether she finds this suggestion at all acceptable.
 * Again, I am no censor. I would much prefer this matter be dealt with between you and Ms Tardif. Victoriagirl 03:02, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

THE FOLLOWING IS: Ms Tardif's contribution to my talk page: Please see Wikipedia's no personal attacks policy. Comment on content, not on the contributor; personal attacks damage the community and deter users. Note that continued personal attacks may lead to blocks for disruption. Please stay cool and keep this in mind while editing. Thank you. Regarding your posts about Cheryl Kaye Tardif on User:Victoriagirl's talk page, this is your first warning.

Please do not make personal attacks on other people. Wikipedia has a policy against personal attacks. In some cases, users who engage in personal attacks may be blocked from editing by administrators or banned by the arbitration committee. Comment on content, not on other contributors or people. Please resolve disputes appropriately. Thank you. Please remove article on Victoriagirl's user page titled 'tardif dyskinesia as it violates the preceding policy. Thank you. (Cherylktardif 21:25, 23 August 2006 (UTC))

More WP tutorials
Btw have you worked out how to "watch" pages (tab at top of given page, then "My watchlist"): makes it easier to follow discussions you're involved in off your talk page ;-) JackyR | Talk 04:15, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

Dispute resolution
I've been looking at a dispute you've been involved in, and I would like to see an end to the dispute so that everyone can get on with something more positive and enjoyable. There are always disputes on wiki and the thing to do is to minimise them a.s.a.p. or they escalate and drag on forever. And that's no fun. Everyone involved is a new user, and it does take time to learn things the wiki way. It's a quirky system, but it seems to get there in the end. The first thing to accept it that there is a certain degree of arbitrariness, and inconsistency may be apparent. It is not necessarily considered valid that because X is accepted over there, then X should be accepted here as well (or not accepted for that matter). Things tend to be a bit localised. Nor is that a 100% rule either. Are you feeling as if you've just dropped down the hole into Wonderland with Alice? Welcome to the wonderful world of wiki.

Then we have the rules. Well, actually there are no rules on wiki. There are three non-negotiable policies, WP:NOR, WP:NPOV and WP:VERIFY for writing articles. There are other policies and there are guidelines, but primarily there is collective common sense, known as consensus. Wiki is a living evolving entity, so sometimes the written "laws" are out of date to a greater or lesser degree. There is only one real way to find out what's what, and that is by participating and becoming part of the wiki community. Then you not only learn how it's done, you can immediately participate on deciding how it's done. And as for all those rules, it's a good idea to check out WP:LAWYER before you start beating someone over the head with them in great detail.

New users, who act in good faith, are allowed latitude to compensate for the difficulties and mistakes that are bound to ensue. There are various rights and wrongs in this dispute, but not major wrongs. If you want to know how to be uncivil properly, check this out for a good example. Nevertheless, for anyone who wants satisfaction, I will issue a formal warning. It is a generic warning. If it applies to you in whole or part, then take in what it says. If it doesn't, then ignore it, as it will be for someone else.

Please be WP:CIVIL to other users and remember to WP:AGF (assume good faith), even when you don't feel like it, unless you have evidence to the contrary, which a third party will agree with. Remember also WP:NPA (no personal attacks). Criticise the edit, not the editor. When dealing with living subjects for articles and in article talk pages, it is essential to act with caution in line with BLP, particularly in regard to negative statements about that person. If you are an editor and there is an article about you (or you plan to start one), read WP:AUTO and WP:VANITY first, and don't be surprised if other editors are short with you, or if it ends up being proposed for deletion. However, if you see someone editing an article about themselves, you might like to be tactful, rather than throwing the book at them. Editors in such a circumstance can sometimes make valuable accurate edits (as here), and may remove negative material about themselves which is not verified.

The best thing now is to start afresh and draw a line under all this. In fact I have drawn a line, as you can see. Below it you will see a link to an archive for you. If you click on it, it will open the archive. I suggest you cut and paste the line and everything above it into the archive. It is accessible whenever needed, but will no longer be prominently on display. It would be an affirmation of good faith to get it out of the way. What will be left will be anything below the line.

If you need any assistance, leave a message at the bottom of my talk page.

Tyrenius 04:46, 27 August 2006 (UTC)