{{quotebox|<poem>Stephen Wong, a contributor from Hong Kong who has been active on Chinese Wikipedia since 2009, said users across the region have experienced "some form of cultural shock", which triggers arguments. "Users from different areas have received different education, and have been influenced by different political ideologies", Mr. Wong said. "We discovered that the things we learned as a kid were totally different from each other."
{{quotebox|<poem>Stephen Wong, a contributor from Hong Kong who has been active on Chinese Wikipedia since 2009, said users across the region have experienced "some form of cultural shock", which triggers arguments. "Users from different areas have received different education, and have been influenced by different political ideologies", Mr. Wong said. "We discovered that the things we learned as a kid were totally different from each other."
"When I first joined the Chinese Wikipedia, I was an 'angry youth'", said Wilson Ye, a 17-year-old Wikipedia editor from Shanghai who started writing entries four years ago. "I was furious when I came across terms like Taiwan and the Republic of China. But after more interactions, I understand how people in Taiwan think, and I become much more tolerant."</poem>|[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/technology/wikipedia-china-becomes-front-line-for-views-on-language-and-culture.html Wikipedia China Becomes Front Line for Views on Language and Culture, Grace Tsoi, The New York Times (October 2013)]|align=left}}
"When I first joined the Chinese Wikipedia, I was an 'angry youth'", said Wilson Ye, a 17-year-old Wikipedia editor from Shanghai who started writing entries four years ago. "I was furious when I came across terms like Taiwan and the Republic of China. But after more interactions, I understand how people in Taiwan think, and I become much more tolerant."</poem>|[http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/28/technology/wikipedia-china-becomes-front-line-for-views-on-language-and-culture.html Wikipedia China Becomes Front Line for Views on Language and Culture, Grace Tsoi, The New York Times (October 2013)]|align=left}}
{{quotebox|<poem>"Like any internet community, you draw introverts, and you draw introverts like us who know how to talk to people," says Stinson
Writing what to many people will be the definitive text on something is a heady experience.
But more appealing is the grand, utopic vision the founders have for Wikipedia: a vast melting pot of knowledge, contributed to by people from everywhere, accessible to everyone. "We're organization-obsessive, and knowledge-obsessive," says Alex Stinson.</poem>|[http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/06/love-and-drama-at-the-wikipedia-conference.html Love and Drama at the Wikipedia Conference, Jessica Pressler, New York Magazine (June 2014)]|align=left}}
{{Quote|text=Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.|sign=[[Bob Marley]]|source="[[Redemption Song]]" (1980)}}
{{Quote|text=Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.|sign=[[Bob Marley]]|source="[[Redemption Song]]" (1980)}}
Revision as of 13:00, 16 June 2014
FAIR WARNING: Talk page posts are not private and are kept forever. I prefer to discuss articles on the relevant article talk pages and may move discussions started on my user talk page.
Wikipedia editor
This is a Wikipediauser page. This is not an encyclopedia article or the talk page for an encyclopedia article. If you find this page on any site other than Wikipedia, you are viewing a mirror site. Be aware that the page may be outdated and that the user whom this page is about may have no personal affiliation with any site other than Wikipedia. The original page is located at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:HelenOnline.
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My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:
1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren't necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
12. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
13. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. Profanity sucks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Understatement is always best.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
23. Who needs rhetorical questions?
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Stephen Wong, a contributor from Hong Kong who has been active on Chinese Wikipedia since 2009, said users across the region have experienced "some form of cultural shock", which triggers arguments. "Users from different areas have received different education, and have been influenced by different political ideologies", Mr. Wong said. "We discovered that the things we learned as a kid were totally different from each other."
"When I first joined the Chinese Wikipedia, I was an 'angry youth'", said Wilson Ye, a 17-year-old Wikipedia editor from Shanghai who started writing entries four years ago. "I was furious when I came across terms like Taiwan and the Republic of China. But after more interactions, I understand how people in Taiwan think, and I become much more tolerant."
"Like any internet community, you draw introverts, and you draw introverts like us who know how to talk to people," says Stinson
Writing what to many people will be the definitive text on something is a heady experience.
But more appealing is the grand, utopic vision the founders have for Wikipedia: a vast melting pot of knowledge, contributed to by people from everywhere, accessible to everyone. "We're organization-obsessive, and knowledge-obsessive," says Alex Stinson.
— Donny Miller, Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings (2006)
... burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
Suppose within every book there is another book, and within every letter on every page another volume constantly unfolding; but these volumes take no space on the desk. Suppose knowledge could be reduced to a quintessence, held within a picture, a sign, held within a place which is no place.
My first barnstar was actually a bribe so I don't think it counts. My first genuine barnstar was the South African Barnstar of National Merit from htonl seconded by Roger, for which I am honoured.
Badges of honour
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The South Africa Barnstar of National Merit
For a great deal of work in writing, editing and generally improving articles (and templates) related to South Africa. htonl (talk) 16:37, 13 April 2013 (UTC) Seconded Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 19:17, 13 April 2013 (UTC)
This editor is a Grand Tutnum and is entitled to display this Book of Knowledge with Coffee Cup Stain.
The Writer's Barnstar
Good job on the Satanic Panic page! Robvanvee 17:26, 13 May 2013 (UTC)
For helping combat the Wikipedia:Systemic bias on Wikipedia through creating articles like Thokozile Masipa a topic highlighting underrepresented African communities and prominent women and publicly profiling it via WP:DYK! Great job! Sadads (talk) 16:45, 1 March 2014 (UTC)
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In recognition of your work on the article about the child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I would like you to imagine enjoying the taste of my grandmother's masterpiece dessert. An imaginary glass of pomegranate juice would go perfectly with it! Surtsicna (talk) 13:21, 6 July 2013 (UTC)
Glass of wine
May you find many more ancestors! Andrew Lancaster (talk) 10:56, 9 July 2013 (UTC)
I hope you know there was nothing personal in the debate at T:EoW. I'm often not very concise in text communication and can come off ranty as a result. I've actually, quietly noticed many of your contributions around Wikipedia. —Sowlos 09:32, 3 August 2013 (UTC) has extended an olive branch of peace.
DYK credits
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On 2 February 2014, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Shweshwe, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that traditional shweshwe fabric made in South Africa was previously imported from Europe and popularised by 19th century German settlers and a Sotho king? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Shweshwe. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page.
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I live in a country with shocking economic inequality (that’s both third world and first, sometimes within half a kilometre of each other) stricken by AIDS and corruption and crime. At the same time, there’s tremendous hope and optimism and a resilience. South Africa is an incredible place that has spent the last 20 years going through interesting times (as per the Chinese curse). It’s a fascinating place to be.
... I think of myself as South African full stop. Those European ties are so old, so frayed, they’re not even a sepia photograph, they’re a faded oil painting dating back 350 years when my family first came to this country.
— Lauren Beukes, Interview: Lauren Beukes by Charles A. Tan (2009)
I was classified as white during apartheid. These days this label mainly matters when you apply for employment or are counted in a national census, where it is described as a population group. It has a limited life span as the "born free" generation has started entering the workforce.
Most South Africans living in urban areas speak at least two languages, one being English or Afrikaans. My first language is English but the main language spoken where I live is Afrikaans. Afrikaans is related to Dutch, but it is not the same language and is not necessarily pronounced the same way.
en soms vir 'n oomblik kan ons mekaar se taal verstaan
English: and sometimes for a moment we can understand each other