User talk:Zyxoas

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[edit] Sotho

Hi Tebello,

I've noticed that there is a disagreement about which name to use in the Sesotho/Sotho article. Maybe you could weigh in at Talk:Sesotho_language. — mark ✎ 10:25, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

You seem to be determined to keep it at Sesotho language, but to my mind, the reasons you are giving in that discussion and the earlier one aren't convincing. Thing is, WP:MOS simply prescribes that we should use the most common term in English on this English edition of Wikipedia. Let's turn it around: I don't suppose you are saying that the Sesotho articles st:Senyesemane and st:Se-jeremane should be in fact called Se-English and Se-Deutsch... or are you?
Also, I don't buy the culture-pessimistic argument that 'English speaking people generally have absolutely no interest in eg isiZulu'. Apart from being a straw man (one wonders who bothered to create the article in the first place), it's simply not true. I've written quite some articles here on African languages, and people have repeatedly contacted me to let me know they appreciate Wikipedia's growing coverage of this field. — mark ✎ 14:03, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ngoni people

Hi,

I sorta watch some of the African articles (tho I know nothing about Africa). I'll remember your name for future reference if I need someone to look at something that's fishy. :-)

Later --Ling.Nut 00:02, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Ngoni people

Lather, rinse, repeat. :-) More stuff that is... well maybe POV and certainly not WP:V. I know you said that you don't like WP:V (or at least, that's how I understood your comments — please forgive if I am mistaken), but IMO it is protection against propaganda. [Not saying the edits to Ngoni people are propaganda; I have no idea about their veracity.]

thanks! --Ling.Nut 18:13, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nguni

You might wanna check this series of edits too... — mark ✎ 08:47, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

Thanks.

Firstly, here's my personal opinion. I never thought that Nguni societies were very big on stone buildings, though I guess that, like Basotho and the people of Zimbabwe and Mapungupwe etc they might build common housing with daga (in Southern African English) and plant fibres (the stereotypical "Zulu hut") and build royal houses and forts with stones. However, this region is in Limpopo, and this is problematic for two reasons:

  1. It's right next door to the sites of Mapungupwe and Great Zimbabwe. The people there could've either learnt how to build using stone or, if they were Vashona, Vatsonga, or Vhavenda, this knowledge could simply have been passed down from their ancestors who first built these sites (no it wasn't Arabs or Jews ;)).
  2. I believe that the Limpopo region was largely ignored by Nguni groups and they didn't really settle there (just passed through).

Less personally, however, the source doesn't seem to say anything about the Nguni people (apparently, however, the Bantu were "a tribe" from Nigeria).

It doesn't seem to be downright wrong, but providing that reference was misleading and it might indeed by OR. What's your opinion? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 11:46, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

This is my opinion. In short, the stuff was unsourced except for one sentence, which I left intact. Do you agree? — mark ✎ 12:20, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I skimmed through the source (thrice, in both directions) and couldn't see anything about stone architecture. Perhaps I missed it?

Besides, the rise of the Nguni people is quite recent (200 years) and stone walls are, well, made of stone; why would archeologist need to dig to find evidence of this architecture? Did I perhaps misunderstand something? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 13:12, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

You're probably right, in which case nothing useful is left of the edit. Feel free to pull it out entirely. — mark ✎ 13:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

It seems plausible, but the misleading citation makes me extremely suspicious. I think I'll revert. Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 13:36, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Sotho people

Move it back to Basotho if it eases your mind. I won't bother to revert. We're making a Tafelberg out of a molehill. — mark ✎ 20:55, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

I was under the impression that you needed to erase the redirect first? Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 21:25, 22 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Masixoxe

Hehe, isiXhosa is coming along slooooowly. I'm trying to focus on final year though (but it's hopeless. I've officially lost interest in politics and I'm biding my time until I graduate). I'll be moving back in June so I can work on my languages among the people :) Sorry the jobs not working out - got anything else on the cards? Joziboy 10:44, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

I hope you don't mind me replying hither.

Disillusioned about politics, hey?

A tad OT, but I'm rather happy about Helen Zillion possibly becoming the DA's leader -- I might even vote for them (ghasp!)! And those crazy communists still think Zoomer should be our president (ARE YOU KIDDING!!?). And the ANC might even split up (Oh Lord! Help us all!).

So yeah, there's nothing at all interesting about politics...

Haha, Oh I'm still interested in SA politics! Just not so much the political theory side - I've come to the rather sad conclusion that no ideology is going to save mankind, and we have to save ourselves individually. Which, for an idealist like me, was a pretty rough moment to have to arrive at. Alas I still have to finish my dissertation so if you'd like to give me your opinion on why socialism has failed to take hold post-1994, let me know!

Still want to do art instead?

Yup. Or architecture! Not sure yet. I finish up here in June so I'll head home then and do some thinking. Kenton is great for that (there's nothing else to do there!). So just how long are these dreads of yours? They seem to play a major part in your life! :) I wanted to say, I don't come on here much anymore so here's my email if you're bored online too: algoesglobal@gmail.com Any luck with the job-hunt yet? Hope 2007's shaping up well for you. Joziboy 15:55, 20 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, I had gone to an interview after I answered a Quest advert, and "passed" their evaluations. This woman calls me and says "Congratulations! You have a job! Come Friday for an interview! LOL!!1".

To "cut" a long story short, I'm not going to cut my hair for some measly bank teller job. I'll keep looking.

Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 11:38, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bantu and Nawat compared

Hi Zyxoas. Since you have read my Nawat grammar sketch, have you noticed any (typological) analogies between the grammatical structures of Bantu languages and "Nahua" languages such as Nawat? I think there are a few, but I haven't had a chance to compare opinions with others about this because there are not many people around who are familiar with both language families! I could tell you what similarities I have seen, but it would be nicer to see what you think first! Regards, Alan --A R King 08:28, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re: Sesotho vowel chart.gif

I have moved the image to Commons (here) and the image still works in Sotho language. Thanks for spending time creating the image! --Commander Keane 01:20, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Thank you so very much! Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 05:46, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re: Hacking Wikimedia

You can use something like <span id="anchor"></span> to add an anchor anywhere, but in a Wikipedia article you should just create more sections (since people won't see/understand the span anchor, and sections are easier to manage).

For the audio recording, Wikipedia:Media#Audio has some info. You can upload audio in the .ogg format just like an image (through the Upload file page). To allow other language Wikipedias to use the recording, you could upload to Commons. Once you have uploaded the file (here or at Commons) you can use {{listen}} to display a link in the article. For example {{listen|filename=Pelecanus onocratalus1.ogg|title=Test|description=A test|format=[[Ogg]]}}.--Commander Keane 00:04, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Thank you so very much! The works, but perhaps I should just create new sections; I'll see... Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 15:03, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Your question re anchors

Hi. I saw your question re creating link anchors, without creating a new section, at Commander Keane's page. just wondering, did you ever get a reply? Sounds like a good question. Thanks. --Sm8900 02:11, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

Yes, the answer is in the section just above this one! You can create a new anchor named "kewl" by using <span id = "kewl" />. Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 07:25, 20 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re:Hover text

Wow I never even knew Template:H:title existed! So I am really unsure about different versions, or when it is appropriate to use them. Maybe try the Help desk and see what some other people know. Oh and you didn't accidentally blank my talk page, I just archived a day ago ;-)--Commander Keane 04:11, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

Okay great. Thanks a lot for your time, as always. Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 09:49, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Noun

see my response to your discussion entry for nouns. I think you're mistaken. :) Neither 04:07, 16 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Creating new categories

Hello. Just a quick message regarding your Help Desk query. Further to what what said there, I have found that simply creating a category link in an article does not create the category, but takes you to the familiar "create this page" screen with the edit box. Even adding the same link to other relevant articles appears to make no difference, and neither does waiting for the database to update itself, as far as I can tell. You cannot save this new category page without adding something to the edit box, in which case, you just add an HTML comment and then save it with an edit summary. Then the category is activated straight away. This situation was confusing when I first encountered it! Regards, Adrian M. H. 13:18, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

I see... Yes, that might end up being a bit confusing. Thanks for the tip! Zyxoas (talk to me - I'll listen) 18:48, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

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