User:Loqi T.

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I've decided it's time to reveal my full name.

Loqi Jo Tamaroon

("Loq")

If you feel the need to Google my name, may I suggest these terms: loqi OR tamaroon, or just loqi. I leave the researcher to sort it all out. — Okay, these two are me: Sometimes I undulge in anti-ranting ranting [1] (do a text search on 'loqi'). I'm also a sort of an amateur idea man [2] [3] (followup comments on that site are reverse chronological).

I live in Berkeley, California. These days I spend most of my days dabbling in building renovation, child care [4], and object-oriented programming. Actually, these very recent days I've been closely participating in some goings-on at Wikipedia, while deftly juggling my papa duties—with the much-appreciated help of a certain pair of grandparents I could name. I don't think either activity has suffered by my divided attention. In fact, I think each has gotten a boost from the other. Knowledge can intersect in unexpected ways. Who would've thought?

I'm having a blast!

Loqi T. 18:36, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

My Wikipedia page is evolving. I dream It'll be fancy someday.

My personal photo album will have to do, for now.

If you'd like to email me privately, you can get my address from there.

~Loq

Contents

[edit] What I've learned these past months

One of my many non-careers has been child care. I've been a part-time stay-at-home papa for the luckiest baby in the whole world [5]. These days he's about 1½ years old, and for the past few months we've been part of a neighborhood childcare co-op. It started off as a bit of a challenge for me. Four kids with two adults is harder than some might think. I can only imagine what it must be like on a bigger scale!

At first I wasn't so good at caring for the kids. But over the weeks, all the lessons from my own childhood came to the surface, and now I can talk their language. It's really been interesting to see the same episodes replayed decades later, through the eyes of a grown-up who has gained some wisdom and perspective. Now I'm a bona fide authority figure among those little people. When they fall on their face or get into a squabble, it's up to me to step in. It's really become fun to take on this role, while trying to avoid the mistakes I remember some grown-ups making way back when.

So here's what I gathered in these past months:

[edit] My advice to grown-ups

DO NOT POUR. When feeding someone else a refreshing beverage from a drinking glass, tip the glass until the liquid touches the rim, but no further. They can take it from there. (Less gagging and spillage that way.)

Yelling almost never helps. When a child of limited means gets poop in the wrong place, calmly pitch in to help clean up the mess, while gently explaining where poop belongs. If they're a little older, ask them to help with the clean-up.

Don't leave trouble lying around. Leaving dangerous or fragile items, or open doors, where they can be discovered by little hands and feet is a bad idea. It's our job as grown-ups to keep things safe.

Let them make their own mistakes. Leave a few of the less dangerous hazards out for them. Getting hurt small now might help them avoid getting hurt big later.

Don't wake a sleeping baby.

Let them try to help. Allowing a child to "help" perform a grown-up task can be rewarding. It may take longer to complete the task, but the benefits are worth it. Besides being fun, the child gets a taste of actually doing something. And they take more responsibility for not ruining the work. They'll eat more of the yucky part, if they helped cook.

They can work things out themselves. When you see a dispute arise over a coveted toy, take the toy into your own hands, and ask them what they think would be the best course of action. They might surprise you. And reframing the conflict from "gimmie" to "what should we do" firmly nudges them toward being a responsible member of a community, and away from being a selfish little punk.

[edit] My advice to children

Don't eat that then. If you hate peas, and they're in your macaroni, just go ahead and eat the plain macaroni part, leaving the peas behind.

Yelling almost never helps. I don't understand what you're trying to say. Use your indoor voice.

Wait your turn. If the toy you want is in use, you can ask to play too. If they won't share, just wait till they're done. The bigger kids will eventually lose interest and go away.

Mean people suck. If someone did something mean to you, I'll give you a hug.

Loqi T. 18:17, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] My final words about the Lostpedia AfD

Here is my closing statement about whether to delete the article about the website about the television show about the fictional people.

On the topic of the Lostpedia conflagration, I am now perfectly satisfied with what has already taken place. I no longer have an interest in a particular AfD ruling, or anything similarly small. I've been arguing for months about whether we can mention a website in an article. No-one should care that much about a particular editorial detail in a particular article. That goes for any detail, and any position on that detail, pro, con, or otherwise.

I do care a great deal about community, and my role in it. For me, the crux of this three-month episode has been what I perceive as a kind of conflict dysfunction. My response was unorthodox, I know. That's just how it happened to play out. I hope no-one got hurt too badly.

Wikipedia has amazed me in its ability to become what it is. And that's a beautiful thing. This is an experiment, but it's also a real place, with real people, and real relationships. It's the relationships that make collaboration possible. That's what counts here. Just think what's possible.

Our modern world culture doesn't seem to do well with conflict. Things can get really ugly really fast. But we're building something new here. Let's try to learn from the errors and successes we've seen played out over the centuries and the continents. We have the knowledge.

Exploring our garden is at least as important as weeding and planting.

I do hope to see each of you in our beautiful, living garden.

Loqi T. 00:49, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] How to bicker in public. A primer for beginners.

Written by me, Loqi Tamaroon, on a Friday afternoon as pique therapy over the Lostpedia AfD turning ugly. It's written in my sarcastic voice, but with a little polishing it could be a keeper. I need to cool down from that epic, and then I'll give this some more attention. In any case, it's actually good advice for anyone who's having trouble with a talk page meanie. And if people try to follow it, the effect would be less bickering, and it would be a higher level. Anyway, if you like to laugh, enjoy:

[edit] Silence is golden

In effective bickering, the First Strategy is conscious non-reply. When in doubt, defer to the First Strategy.

[edit] Take it outside

If you are concerned that your use of the First Strategy of silence might be misinterpreted, consider replying in a more private setting. A well-placed e-mail or personal talk page posting can be very effective in moving a fight out of the public eye, and away from the china shop where it was spawned. If you want to be more publicly explicit about your intentions, a single, non-rambling sentence about your non-participation, or about taking it outside, will usually suffice.

[edit] Haste is not your friend

If you find yourself fondling the send button in an angry state of mind, it's probably unwise to push the button. Craft a reply off-line with a cup of soothing tea and a refreshing foot soak. If you're still angry, that should give you plenty of time to double check your grammar, do adequate research, trim the length of your prose, and go out for a moderately athletic jog in the Real World. Find your sweet spot between haste and staleness. That's the center of your bickering power.

[edit] Acknowledge the conflict

If you genuinely feel the most appropriate venue for a spat is where it began, be considerate to readers by flagging the thread as a side spat. Usually that means just using the word 'bicker' or 'spat' or 'curfuffle' in your text. As soon as it is apparent that a thread has devolved into a spat, someone should say so. You get points for being the first one to say so. You lose points for erroneously characterizing non-bickering as bickering.

Hint. Not bickering: "I prefer the Foobix because it features a Bliggermaker." Bickering: "You keep saying the Fretunculous Feeber is better than the Foobix."

Second hint. Bad form: "You are bickering." Better form: "I am bickering." Even better form: "I am done bickering."

[edit] Quiet is silver

This is a derivation of the First Strategy. If silence is golden, then quiet is silver. Your goal is to end a bickering thread as efficiently as possible with a reasonably favorable outcome. That usually means, you should respond less frequently, and with fewer words than your opponent. (See Precision beats comprehensiveness.)

[edit] Precision beats comprehensiveness

You don't need to reply to every single assertion your opponent puts forward. Choose one or two prominent but vulnerable aspects of your opponent's attack. Don't choose points that most readers would immediately think of without your help. Be sure that if your reply is longer, the extra weight can be supported by a lot of extra strength. Don't ramble, it makes you look hapless.

[edit] Don't be the lunatic

If your opponent sinks to ever lower depths of incivility, don't follow. If you must follow, don't go as far down. Your goal is to allow your opponent to be seen as more obnoxious than you. The conventional maneuver for accomplishing this is to avoid being obnoxious.

[edit] Silence is not logic

When someone makes a point and you choose to leave it hanging, you have not defeated that point in spectacular fashion. Opting for silence is only a form of refutation when an answer is apparent to all. Not every opponent who belabors the fact of your non-response is being the lunatic.

[edit] Fix your mistakse

When technically possible (as with a wiki), sometimes it's better to fix an old reply than to post a new one. Repairing spelling and grammar is a good way to reduce your exposure profile, while signaling that you haven't abandoned the discussion. If an existing posting has been replied to by anyone, do not change your posting in such a way as to substantially change its meaning. Once there's a reply, your ideas are forever set down, and cleaning up the tiny warts and smudges will have to suffice. (See Haste is not your friend.)

Hint: Several hours of sustained silence counts as a reply.

[edit] Appreciate support silently

When a bystander chimes in with, "Good point, Goofus231", a simple "thank-you" is excessive. They know you're probably watching your own thread. If you must acknowledge the support, do it somewhere else.

[edit] Know thy enemy

If you suspect your opponent may be more knowledgeable than you about the topic under discussion, it's probably a Bad Idea to attempt public provocation. Similarly, if you're looking at a third dan black-belt in the bickering arts, you should probably tread carefully. If you are a black belt, you shouldn't go around looking for a fight—it's unbecoming of your station.

[edit] Know thy terrain

If you find yourself mixing it up in an unfamiliar setting, tread cautiously. Don't over-reach when you don't know all the rules. Don't get your ass handed to you in front of the Council of Elders. Not even once.

[edit] Offer solutions

Sometimes you can totally throw your opponent off balance by hitting them with a brilliantly constructive resolution to the underlying problem when they were expecting a petty, abusive come-back. Try to cultivate your ability to respond to abuse with something positive. They'll never see it coming. (see Don't be the lunatic.)

[edit] Don't always have the last word

Try not to consistently leave a trail of threads ending with your comments. Such a pattern indicates a likely flaw in your style. You should sometimes try to maneuver your opponent into taking the last word. It's fun!

[edit] Accept defeat gracefully

Sometimes it's clear, even to ourselves, that we were wrong. This is not defeat. This is progress. It's only genuine defeat when we hold onto our wrongfulness, as children point and laugh. Whenever possible, strive to publicly say when you have changed your mind from a formerly intractable position. It lubricates your place in the community, and does wonders for your credibility rating among People Who Think.

[edit] Accept victory gracefully

If your opponent has clearly been beaten back, offer a non-humiliating resolution. You don't need a bloodthirsty mob to kick 'em when they're down. That mob is quietly watching.

Hint. Bad form: "Did everybody see how I totally bested Goofus231?" Good form: "We seem to disagree. Let's just move on." In these examples, the second, classier message translates roughly equivalent to the first, crass one. Sometimes silence is an even more concise version of that sentence. (see Don't always have the last word.) On the other hand, sometimes silence translates as, "You totally bested me. Let's move on." Learn to spot the difference.

[edit] There are no losers here

Sometimes bad things happen to good people. You might be convinced that your position is right. You might actually be right—whatever that means. but sometimes the prize is not worth the price. Ask yourself, whether this struggle is worth this portion of your life. Answer honestly, adjust your answer periodically, and behave accordingly. Some people enjoy a good scrap, while others have better things to do. If you live to fight, please take precautions against hurting bystanders. (See Take it outside.) If bickering is not in your nature, you might do well to remind yourself that life sometimes hands out injustices, and move on. What goes around comes around, and eventually an abusive 'netizen will encounter a much more formidable opponent. You don't need to stick around to see it happen.

Just remember, losing interest is not a form of losing.

[edit] Aphorism

Don't strike, block; don't block, duck; don't duck, softly laugh.

[edit] My major contributions

I like to be a proof-reading gnome as much as the next one, but sometimes I like to go deep. Some of these revisions predate my Wikipedia account. Here's an addendum to my contributions history, from my anonymous days. Here's another addendum I found a couple of days later. Occasionally, I still forget to log in. Old habits die hard, I guess.

[edit] Plaster veneer

One of my eclectic non-careers is residential house restoration and systems upgrades. These days I've been working way too much on a fancy historic 1907 Julia Morgan house in Oakland. In some of the rooms, the walls were serviceable, so I had to be a "snake charmer" and deftly coax fancy new signal networks and nice big electrical wires into the existing walls. Others needed more intensive care, which was fortunate for me (as the electrician), but not so fortunate for me (as the waller). So I had to go out shopping for a wizened, old-timey plaster waller from back in the day. I finally found a guy from Ireland. He's young, but occasionally wizened. We worked together, both to get the job done, and to teach me as much as could be taught on that project. (He says it takes a couple of years to totally master the techniques.) Anyway, I noticed there was no Wikipedia article on the topic, so I started one. I've got a few photos of the progress, I just need to find them, and look for a few gems among them. If you feel like helping out with the article, I'd be much'bliged. --Loqi T. 15:02, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Lost (TV series) & Lostpedia

This was the original motivation for me to come in from the cold and create a real Wikipedia account. I should've done it earlier; I could've gotten a better account name.* Besides, it's kinda fun. (Too much fun some late, late, late nights.) But I created an account so I could use the talk page and ask what's going on over there at the Lost article. I'm glad I now have an account though. Sometimes good things come of bad things.

(*My account name is pretty good. Loqi is both my legal and social name, but I could do without the T part as a user handle.)

It seems that Lostpedia will finally get its link on the Lost article. In fact, now Lostpedia's got it's own article. Time for me to move on.

[edit] Ruben Cantu

This teenage offender was executed by Texas, although he almost certainly had no involvement in the crime. I developed this article from a fat stub to what it is today. (With the help of a good fairy named Robert) This one was extra fun because there wasn't much there to begin with, but now it's very developed. Here are the results of the first two days of work on Ruben. before and after And the current article, after some POV issues were addressed. The article still needs more news citations for facts, as well as a few more detail that I couldn't seem to find.

[edit] Ternary logic

Ternary logic is like Boolean logic. But with three thingies instead of, you know, just two. This is my first article makeover with my shiny new account. This one's fun because I'm learning about the topic as I upgrade the article. It's also fun because I can make a lot of progress without having to fight about every little change. I rewrote and lightly refactored this article. It's still a bit of a mess, but at least now you can mostly read it. Here it is before and after. I left some parts of this article untouched, and I know they need to be touched. It also needs more citations.

[edit] Heat pumps

This contribution doesn't appear on my anonymous history addendum because it was made under a dynamic IP address; I found it by memory. The old heat pump article was very confusing and inaccurate. It said that heat pumps can exceed 100% efficiency! I added explanation to account for how this might be possible. Here's the before and after on that contribution. That one was really fun, because it was so wrong when I started, and so much more right when I finished. The article has come a long way since then. It's even more precise and accurate now, but it's still plagued by the old problem of not enough sources for its facts.

[edit] Bedbugs

These nasty parasitic insects are making a comeback in the U.S. They might be coming to a tidy bedroom or a five-star presidential suite near you. I rewrote the prose of this article from a bit of a mess, to a slightly smaller mess. (No offense to whomever came before.) before and after On this one, I played the proof-reader. I hardly introduced any new facts, but the prose was so lonely that I had to pay a visit. This article needs more attention to its prose, and a lot of source citations, and it should probably have its high-level organization refactored, as well. It's on my list of "things to do today, urgent."

[edit] Cute moments

Here's a little exchange that made me smile. Should 'data' be used as a mass noun or as a plural of 'datum'?