User talk:Joziboy
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To view my old take pages, go to:
- /Archive 1 (Jan 2006 - April 2006)
- /Archive 2 (April 2006 - July 2006)
Welcome to my talk page. Please feel free to leave me a message
Contents |
[edit] The meeting
He introduced me to his main programmer and we discussed linguistics, open-source software, my "life" (which is how the paper came up), snow in Roodeport... He's given me tasks to do by next week and if he's satisfied we'll talk about him employing me. I left his house (in Pretoria) way too late and got stranded at the Germiston station in literally near-freezing wheather. So, after much hastle and waiting for 3 hours he picked me up and some SADF veteran who used to fight Swapo in Namibia whose daughter lives outside Meyerton and drove us here. Now, I'm exhausted, I have a mild fever, and I'm struggling to get the software to work on Windows so I can work on the bugs. Anyway, I should be quite busy over the next few days, but I'm still here should you need me. What "festival"? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 19:41, 3 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Languages
Hi There! Can you translate my name in what language you know please, and then post it Here. I would be very grateful if you do (if you know another language apart from English and the ones on my userpage please feel free to post it on) P.S. all th translations are in alpahbetical order so when you add one please put it in alpahbetical order according to the language. Thanks!!! Abdullah Geelah 17:12, 5 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] The Job
Why would the car journey have been "awkward"? I worked on some bugs, fixed them (I think), and sent him the files I changed. However, due to a mix up the files I sent him did not do as I had claimed! So I've sent him emails explaining the changes he needs to do to fix my mistake and I'm still waiting for his response (he takes an awfully long time to respond to emails, for some reason). So that's quite embarrassing, but I'm sure he'll understand. Move to Pretoria? I have to get the job first! Anyway, we've been fighting an epic battle against anonymous users, a bunch of sock puppets, and some delusional user named "JackAss" (or was it "Jackes"?) at Talk:South Africa and Talk:Crime Expo SA. Anyways, I'm not really bothering myself with that, but you can vote at the VFD of the latter article (follow the links on my talk page or something). Enjoy! Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 17:21, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
Well, he fought Swapo so he was not one of the "good guys". Yes, a bug is a "glitch". It comes from the days when computers worked with relays (before vacuum tubes and today's transistors). You would enter a program, and the relays would start tapping away as they opened and closed performing the calculations. One day the particular computer did not produce the expected results. After much head-scratching the engineers discovered a dead bug in one of the relays. So technically the first bug was not a bug in the modern sense but a hardware failure. I'm now communicating with him through Jabber using a mobile client. It's almost like irc so no more communication problems! So I was hacking the whole day and I'm rather tired now, but everything seems to be going well so far. So how long could it be before you get connected again? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 20:43, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
No, I haven't been working on the isiZulu Wikipedia! You should request to become an admin on Meta:Request for Permissions. It shouldn't be too difficult for such a small Wikipedia and it makes more sense since you would be more competent. If you were here watching isiDingo you'd have tonnes of info to add to the Lobola article - but you weren't (they don't get the SABC in Cape Town, so...). How does internet access work there? Does broadband also cost your not-yet-born daughter's entire university tuition? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 12:45, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
10 Pounds!? As cheap as chips! Translating the interface is easier than frying chips: (on this page now) click "Special Pages" then click "System Messages". Easy, hey? I'm not so sure about the Lobolo paragraph either. People have always managed to get married no matter how poor they were (just as European couples have always managed to get married no matter how cheap the engagement ring was). Also, it's not the couple who pay it - it's the husband's father's family. I wonder where this person got their "info". Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 19:18, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
10 Pounds!? As cheap as chips! Translating the interface is easier than frying chips: (on this page now) click "Special Pages" then click "System Messages". Easy, hey? I'm not so sure about the Lobolo paragraph either. People have always managed to get married no matter how poor they were (just as European couples have always managed to get married no matter how cheap the engagement ring was). Also, it's not the couple who pay it - it's the husband's father's family. I wonder where this person got their "info". Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 19:18, 14 August 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Maraba Coffee
Hello! As you're a Wikipedian interested in African topics, I'm writing to notify you that the Maraba Coffee article is now a 'Featured Article Candidate'. Please feel free to evaluate the article and write your support or opposition at Wikipedia:Featured article candidates. Thanks — SteveRwanda 15:07, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] I only love you for your dictionary...
Hi, hope things are well with you. I'm not avoiding you and Zyx... Well, I am, but only because you remind me of Things I Should Finish, and feel very guilty about. *sigh*
So as part of my Task Avoidance, I've found myself at Rhodesian Bush War, where I'd like to discuss the fact that it has been moved from "Second Chimurenga". I'm not sure what my opinion on the name is - other than that articles shouldn't be moved without discussion (unless trivial). I wondered whether your OEDSA has either chimurenga or Rhodesian bush war?
Of course, you may well know several terms for the war used in South Africa. Zyx, if you're reading this you may know stuff as well. I don't think Talk:Rhodesian Bush War, is gonna be a very nice place to hang out, but I'm also disinclined to let it become a homepage for homesick Rhodies glorying in the Good Ole Days. (Even in 1996 a colleague said to me, completely straight-faced, "Everything was better before Mugabe: the roads; the economy; the weather..." !!!!!)
Oh dear, why do I get involved in pages like this? Anyway, all info appreciated. Cheers, JackyR | Talk 22:21, 18 October 2006 (UTC)
- Yup, timing absolutely spot on! That's very interesting that it's being called Second Chimurenga in Scotland. I think you're right about the name being dependent on group, but it may not be per location. My perception from a quick cast round is that Chimurenga is the name used by black Zimbabweans and worldwide academics, while Rhodesian Bush War is the name used by white Rhodesians and some military or military-fan circles (given the number of mercenaries, many ex-Vietnam Americans, involved in the war, the latter is hardly surprising). White Zimbabweans, I can't remember, tho I don't think I've ever heard Chimurenga pass their lips: except white politicians. Of course, day to day most Zimbabweans just call it the war or that time.
- I'm actually glad your dictionary doesn't do proper nouns: it hacks me off that my ODE (a cut down version of the OED) is so heavy on them - and also heavily Americanized. But the ODE hasn't supplanted the Concise OED here, so perhaps it is intended largely for sale in the US. Hey, who am I to complain - this is the one I won in a crossword competition!
- Hope work is going well - getting a bit serious this year, I imagine. At least you're not like the post-grads with their "Don't ask me about the T-word" shirts. Or do you have a D-word of your very own to hand in? :-) All the best, and hope you've got the central heating working in your new flat! JackyR | Talk 13:23, 20 October 2006 (UTC)
What have I been up to? Mostly nothing at all, interspersed with frantic activity.
I've just written you a long screed, but don't think I should post it as it involves a friend's legal case that I was helping out with. That's why I took a Wikibreak in the summer. (Don't mind talking to you about it, but it's probably bad form to discuss such things in such a public place.) But amusingly we kept having power cuts in the days before the case, leaving me poring over a massive legal bundle in the dead of night by the light of two candles and the glow of my laptop. It was like something from Dickens (except thank you god for battery-powered computers). Oh yeh, and we won. Which was nice.
So by my standards it's been a slightly exciting summer. Hope your travels were good. JackyR | Talk 01:52, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Sesotho
Hello Alistair. See Talk:Sesotho language for a discussion where your name was mentioned (by me). Kind regards, — mark ✎ 21:22, 9 December 2006 (UTC)
