Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2010 June 3

= June 3 =

Defamation question
I am a student at a graduate school that is fairly prominent. I wanted to describe my personal experience within the department and how it functions generally but I have to name people in the department (such as the administration). I am worried about defamation laws. I know it's against the law if it is untrue but if it is true but also opinion because it is based on my personal interpretation of my experiences is this still defamation (because it is objective and true in virtue of my actual experience but close to gossip because it is also my view of the events). I don't want to get sued. Please help. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.58.70.142 (talk) 02:07, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Sorry but as stated in the header wikipedians can't offer legal advice, I suggest you speak to a lawyer or other person competent to offer such advice if you are worried about defamation. For general info, the article may be of interest Nil Einne (talk) 02:12, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Does your prominent school have a law department? ;) Defamation is a very tricky one, even if you are super careful and do everything correctly and legally, you can STILL be sued for defamation. Doesn't mean you'll be found guilty but even just defending yourself can be an ordeal. Just ask Simon Singh, the case against him was eventually dropped but it still cost him a few years of effort and a half million Euros to defend himself.. But i don't mean that to discourage you if you think it is the right thing to do. Vespine (talk) 06:29, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Apparently Simon Singh is British, and was sued in Britain for something he published in a British paper. British libel and defamation laws are notoriously plaintiff-friendly and very very bad from a free-speech perspective.  US laws (the OP's address traces to Pennsylvania) are very different.  That's not to say I can offer the OP any assurances of any kind; I can't.  But if I were researching the possibilities, I wouldn't start with a British case as precedent. --Trovatore (talk) 10:15, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Why don't you write an autobiographical novel, and change the names to protect the guilty? Joking aside, if you have problems and are in the UK, there are whistleblowing laws to protect people who speak out against malpractice, but the procedures have to be strictly followed. When you do seek legal advice, make sure you get advice on whistleblowing. --TammyMoet (talk) 07:58, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * It sounds like you want to express criticism of administrators at your school. First look carefully at your motive. Personal dissatisfaction does not help one to be objective. If you have something important to say, make an effort to express it in a constructive way. "A little honey helps the medicine go down". Cuddlyable3 (talk) 09:31, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * The IP address geolocates as from Pennsylvania, US. --Tango (talk) 16:14, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * If the questioner had been in the UK he would have been able to go through the National Union of Students. Is there an equivalent body in the US? An organisation of students or one that advises students? Should s/he perhaps contact the accrediting organisation? Itsmejudith (talk) 19:55, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * There is a United States Student Association, however, this sounds like a general legal question rather than the kind of student-oriented question the organization would have expertise on. Some general comments about defamation law in the U.S. that should not be construed as advice: You can be sued for expressing an opinion. If you say, "It is my opinion that Joe Blow is a thief," and Joe Blow can demonstrate he is not a thief, you might still be at risk legally. However, "an opinion with no 'provably false factual connotation' is still protected." If a statement is factually true, as in 2+2=4 true, it is almost always safe from a libel claim. If someone is a public figure, he/she must demonstrate not only that a statement is libelous, but that the defendant had actual malice against him/her. Finally, remember that anyone can sue anybody for anything, and just because you're in the right legally doesn't mean someone can't sue you and cause you an expensive headache. For advice on your specific situation, you need to contact a lawyer versed in this kind of law. -- Mwalcoff (talk) 00:46, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
 * I think that when Itsmejudith suggested that the OP contact the national student association, he/she meant that the OP should take their substantive issue(s) there, not just seek clarification on the legal position. That strikes me as good advice.  What is unclear to me is what the OP means by "wanting to describe my personal experience".  OP, do you mean that you want to raise a formal complaint to the university, or do you just want to write your issue in a book, blog, article or somesuch?  If it's the former then obviously you're going to want to be sure of your ground. If it's the latter then I would agree with TammyMoet that a good course of action would be to anonymize the whole thing. --Richardrj talkemail 09:07, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

I am wondering if ants suffer from flatulence
I am wondering if ants suffer from flatulance? I do it seems like a silly question but is in great debate between a group of people. 123.3.173.86 (talk) 11:10, 3 June 2010 (UTC) I have given the question its own header (and spell-check) Matt Deres (talk) 13:31, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * They eat plant material and have gut flora to help them digest it. It seems to me that there must be methane production as a side-effect of that process, that has to go somewhere - so yes, I'm pretty sure that ants fart! SteveBaker (talk) 15:14, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Sounds like a research project that would probably get nominated for an Ig Nobel Prize if it was ever undertaken. Exxolon (talk) 16:37, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Especially the suffer bit, though that shouldn't be too hard with people trying to prove that plants feel pain. Would the experiment have to be stopped if it was shown they suffered after eating baked beans? Dmcq (talk) 20:06, 3 June 2010 (UTC)

This is the best question I have ever read, thanks.hotclaws 11:37, 5 June 2010 (UTC)

Yes 87.114.111.41 (talk) 20:20, 6 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Very briefly covered here: Straight Dope Staff Report : Do Insects Pass Gas?  APL (talk) 20:40, 9 June 2010 (UTC)

military uniform marking
what are those multicolor rectangular on the uniform called like the ones in this image? --IngerAlHaosului (talk) 12:22, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Ribbon bar  meltBanana  12:35, 3 June 2010 (UTC)


 * Not brought out in that article: the bars above the left pocket are individual awards while those above the right pocket are unit awards. The US Army uses a gold frame on unit awards. Bruce P. Crandall lists all of his awards, but mixes the individual and unit awards. ---— Gadget850 (Ed)  talk 12:46, 3 June 2010 (UTC)

Flight question - T/Banking in mid-air
Dear Wikipedians, I have a question that concerns military aircraft refuelling from tanker aircraft.

I know that in many situations, when performing such an operation, the tanker aircraft will bank to one side (but not by much), so that, seen from above, their flightpath becomes a very large circle. There are of course situations where tankers fly straight as well, but from my understanding, the above is more often the best solution. What I mean to ask is this: To maintain a steady, uninterrupted bank of this kind, does the pilot make use of any autopilot instrument that is not normally found aboard a 707/similar aircraft, or do they in fact only maintain this bank by keeping a vigilant eye on the HSI, while their Altitude is set by the autopilot? I've flightsimmed for a decade, and I know of no instrument in civillian aircraft that will reliably bank the aircraft in this fashion.

Thank you in advance! :) 88.90.16.232 (talk) 13:59, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Don't let the simulator fool you; flying a real plane tends to be a lot less squirrelly, and (with practice - a simulator alone does not prepare you to be able to fly an airplane safely), easier. Any pilot should be able to keep the aircraft in a turn indefinitely without losing or gaining a significant amount of altitude without any autopilot at all.  In fact, on the plane I fly (admittedly, much, much smaller), there is no computer/autopilot at all.  That being said, I know nothing of how specifically the KC-135 pilots operate their aircraft during refuelling.  I know though that to be certified to fly a KC-135 they will have had to have made many 360 degree turns in their earlier training under different circumstances.  Falconus p  t   c 20:05, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Modern civilian airliners (Airbus and Boeing) certainly support the pilot with settings for "standard turns" (3 degrees/second and 6 degrees/second, if I'm not mistaken). --Stephan Schulz (talk) 12:51, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

automotive transmission
what do you mean by 4wd? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gurannavaranil (talk • contribs) 13:27, 3 June 2010 (UTC)


 * 4wd stands for four-wheel drive. This means that the engine/transmission is turning 4 wheels instead of the more common 1 pair of wheels.  This is useful for when driving on poor surfaces, such as mud or snow, since you are less likely to get both pairs of wheels stuck then just one pair.  Googlemeister (talk) 13:39, 3 June 2010 (UTC)


 * There's also a subtle distinction between 4WD and AWD (all-wheel drive). See All_wheel_drive. StuRat (talk) 13:55, 3 June 2010 (UTC)

Gods
I have carved wooden statue, approx 100 years old of an old man with one foot on a tiger, holding a child/small man who in turn is holding a fish. From his headgear an antiques expert tells me that he is one of three guardians of the gates of hell. Who is he?

R A Stubbs —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.146.92.99 (talk) 16:17, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Please don't use ALL CAPS, it's hard to read and the internet equivalent of shouting. I've also removed your email address so you don't get spammed to death - all answers will appear here, they will not be emailed to you. Exxolon (talk) 16:34, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * What is the headgear? Hades, for example, wore the Helm of Darkness, although he had a three-headed dog, not a tiger. Have you got a photo?  Gwinva (talk) 22:13, 3 June 2010 (UTC)


 * It would help to have more information, or a description, or even a snapshot, because this is too vague. That iconography could apply for a large number of religions from Japan to eastern Europe to India or the middle east.  I don't know of any faith that has exactly three guardians of hell.  most have one (sometimes with attendants) some forms of buddhism use 12 (corresponding to important compass directions).  I think ancient Hindu belief might have has three (that turned up in a google search) but your icon doesn't sound like it has the common hindu stylizations (animal heads, skull-cups, multiple limbs, strange colorations).  -- Ludwigs 2  22:19, 3 June 2010 (UTC)

Confused about currency comparisons
on this currency chart of dollars verses pound, I am completely confused as to how to read it. The numbers on the right hand side are the number of dollars it would take to purchase 1 pound? Is that right? Maybe someone can answer a question which will make it more clear to me. According to the chart the 52 week range was (rounding down) 1.4 to 1.7. Say I took a dollar and converted it to a pound when it was at 1.4 and then converted the pound back when it was at 1.7, do I lose or gain money? By my figuring I would gain money. Am I right?--98.116.23.226 (talk) 18:57, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes, that is dollar per pound. Yes, you would gain money. You start with $1.40, buy £1, wait and then sell the pound for $1.70, so you've made 30 cents. --Tango (talk) 19:26, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Of course, in reality, you will get charged money changing fees (they can be ludicrously high) at both ends, so you would be rather unlikely to make that much of a profit unless you are a bank or similar. Googlemeister (talk) 19:54, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * True. Currency speculators typically trade in multiples (often large multiples) of 100,000 of a currency, I believe, in order for the tiny percentage gains to be a significant amount of money (they trade "on margin", so a they only need to have a fraction of that money, the rest is borrowed from their broker). --Tango (talk) 19:58, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * It is a little misleading to say that you made money. If we ignore transaction charges for the moment:  You made money if you earn and spend dollars - but if you look at it from the perspective of someone who lives in the UK who earns and spends pounds, you started off with $1.40 (which was worth a pound to you) - and you ended up with $1.70 which is still only worth a pound - so you neither earned nor lost a thing!  What should theoretically happen is that because the dollar is now worth less, prices of goods in the USA should rise such that your $1.70 is actually capable of buying less 'stuff' than it used to.  So whether you 'earned money' or merely broke even depends on things like how prices of things where you live have changed in the currency you're using. SteveBaker (talk) 19:35, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
 * In the short term, prices don't follow exchange rates very closely (there are exceptions, mainly commodities like gold that are denominated in dollars). It takes quite a while for prices to adjust for exchange rate changes, by which time there will have been more changes anyway. Purchasing power parity rates are never exactly equal to nominal rates (except by luck, I suppose). --Tango (talk) 19:40, 4 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Well, you would gain "Dollars". If you're counting your wealth by the number of dollars you have then yes, you have gained money.  If you're counting your wealth by the number of pounds you have, then no, you've got exactly the same.  Or if you're counting your wealth by some more complex means (Gold standard, consumer price index, cost of living, etc) you're going to have to do that math based on the current value of the dollar. APL (talk) 20:33, 9 June 2010 (UTC)

American iPhone --> Turkish iPhone
Hello! I am an American who has an iPhone, and I therefore use AT&T. I am moving to Istanbul this September, and was wondering how I could go about switching my iPhone carrier to a Turkish one (since AT&T is nonexistent in Turkey). Thank You! - Vikramkr (talk) 19:50, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * It depends. If you are still on your original AT&T contract, your phone is SIM locked and you can't. You may be able to buy you out of this contract - check the small print. You may also have to pay a fee to get it unlocked. If your phone is not locked, you should be able to simply get a SIM card from a local Turkish cell phone provider with a good data plan and switch it in. Apple is selling the iPhone in Turkey, so there should even be a carrier that supports all the extra protocols (however, I've seen people in Europe who are more than happy with alternative carriers). Your iPhone will work in Turkey with the original AT&T SIM card, but you will pay through the nose for international roaming. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 20:04, 3 June 2010 (UTC)
 * The international roaming thing can bankrupt you! There have been cases of people taking their iPhones overseas for just two weeks - hardly every using it - and returning to find a $3000 to $5000 phone bill waiting for them.  The problem being that the iPhone sends out periodic 'ping' messages that are free on local carriers - but which incur some kind of minimum connection fee overseas.  So, for 100% sure, you'll need to get it switched.  SteveBaker (talk) 19:22, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the help! Indeed, I absolutely do not want to be roaming in Turkey for a year; I want to switch to the iPhone's Turkish carrier. Does anyone happen to know the name of the Turkish carrier? - Vikramkr (talk) 19:45, 4 June 2010 (UTC)


 * A quick search of "Turkish cell phone companies" turned up this link which seems relevant. There are only a few, so checking them for iPhone compatibility should be easy. Dismas |(talk) 20:33, 4 June 2010 (UTC)