User talk:ToddLara

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[edit] Geisha Research Paper

Hello Todd Laracuenta, My name is Tanner Kruse and I attend Oakland University in Michigan. I am currently working on a research paper that contrasts the true geisha lifestyle with what was portrayed in theatres by the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. I have heard that there was some controversy surrounding its release. I have too, always been interested in Japanese culture and I am considering minoring in it. It would be very appreciated if I would be able to do a simple interview with you by e-mail to get your oppinion on this topic. If that is all possible, please contact me. (takruse@oakland.edu) Thank you, Tanner Kruse

[edit] AOL IPs

Todd: Regrettably, our software blocks registered users using a blocked IP address. There have been many calls to change this, but nothing done about it. AOL is an especially tricky one, since AOL keeps constantly changing IP addresses, so you are likely to run into a blocked IP every so often. I saw you were able to continue editing this morning, so I'll leave things as they are for now. If you run into this again, please be sure to include the IP address from the message in your email. Owen× ☎ 14:18, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Re: Geisha

I noticed that you haven't been welcomed before, Todd Lara, so here it is:

Welcome!

Hello ToddLara, and welcome to Wikipedia! Thank you for your contributions. I hope you like the place and decide to stay. Here are a few good links for newcomers:

I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date. If you have any questions, check out Wikipedia:Where to ask a question or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome! 

Anyways, regarding the photo: I stand by my comments that the picture, in my opinion, isn't of caliber enough to qualify for a featured picture. The shadows, especially the ones in the center, distract from the overall quality. However, I'll change my vote to neutral, because it is a good picture as a whole. Thanks! Flcelloguy (A note?) 00:59, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Geisha FPC

I have left an additional note there about my opposition. I am sorry to still oppose, especially since I can see this subject means a lot to you, but I just can't support at this time. I am sorry. I hope none of this places any enmity between us. I'll see you around, my friend. --LV (Dark Mark) 15:28, 17 December 2005 (UTC)
Your Featured picture candidate has been promoted
Your nomination for featured picture status, Image: Geisha_Kyoto_Gion.jpg, gained a consensus of support, and has been promoted. If you would like to nominate another image, please do so at Wikipedia:Featured picture candidates. ~~~~

Congratulations, and thank-you for taking it for us. Raven4x4x 05:56, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Location

Just a minor thing, but I think it should be "Gion, Kyoto, Japan" intead of "Kyoto Gion, Japan". Input?

In Japan, the street signs all say KYOTO GION (in Romaji).. but what you're suggesting may me more appropriate to English speakers.ToddLara (talk) 03:15, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Image:Geisha kyoto.jpg listed for deletion

An image or media file that you uploaded or altered, Image:Geisha kyoto.jpg, has been listed at Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. Please see the discussion to see why this is (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry), if you are interested in it not being deleted. Thank you. John Smith's 10:23, 9 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Image:Kyoto geisha.jpg listed for deletion

An image or media file that you uploaded or altered, Image:Kyoto geisha.jpg, has been listed at Wikipedia:Images and media for deletion. Please see the discussion to see why this is (you may have to search for the title of the image to find its entry), if you are interested in it not being deleted. Thank you. GDonato (talk) 13:34, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Hi. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I believe you are referring to a cropped version of the Featured Picture selected by Wikipedia consensus years ago. I owned this photo, and I released the rights to the public (perhaps I didn't follow the correct procedure?). This photo is valuable to Wikipedia, in my opinion. It depicts a geisha and client in ozashiki in Gion. It has received praise from geisha experts, and I was also approached by a university sociology textbook publisher to grant permission to use this photo in a college textbook. I did, and they accepted it. I must say, it was a shame to see the originally selected Featured Picture version frivolously replaced in the article by a single tenacious Wikipedia member bent on ignoring the Featured Picture consensus -- John Smith, who I see now also attempted to have the picture deleted at some point in the past. Thankfully, someone must have intervened -- I never knew about it. Frankly, I don't have time to maintain constant guard over this issue and defend this photo on Wikipedia, so if certain members of Wikipedia don't value this free contribution, I will let it go and there will be one less illustration in the geisha article. But if I did something incorrectly in my submission and there is something specific I can do to clarify the copyright status and satisfy your concerns, I would appreciate your advice on that and will certainly do my best to comply. Will check back. Thanks in advance.ToddLara (talk) 03:10, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
In the upload summary I see you released it as {{GFDL}}. Correct? However, in this edit a {{cc-by-3.0}} tag has been added, this makes copyright status unclear. Could you help? Furthermore, there is a version of the image here. Any help would be appreciated, otherwise the image may have to go. GDonato (talk) 09:02, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
I have put the FP, uncropped version in the article as that would appear to make sense. GDonato (talk) 09:47, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
Thank you for placing the Featured Picture version back in the article. This is the version that has received praise from the community by consensus, and I think it is the proper version for the article for that reason. This was the only version I intended to submit to Wikipedia, but one user suggested that I submit a cropped version, and I did so in order to placate that user. Frankly, I have no objection to deleting the cropped edit to which you refer as long as the Featured Picture version remains. Can you tell me if you see any apparent copyright issues with the Featured Picture version? I do sincerely appreciate your assistance, and I wanted to voice a small concern, seeing that you are an administrator. You should know that there is a high probability that user John Smith (above) will make it his mission in life to remove the Featured Picture version that you have just placed in the article. He apparently prefers the cropped version because the geisha is slightly more centered, and he has locked onto the matter in the past like a pitbull. There are relatively few contributors who would fixate on an issue as seemingly petty as "cropped vs. uncropped" day after day, so I imagine it was reverted a few times in rapid succession and the community just let Mr. Smith have his way in the end. I wanted no part of it. But it is my view that John Smith, with due respect for his extensive and valuable work on Wikipedia, should exercise some restraint when tempted to engage in overly assertive behavior that disregards a community consensus in favor of imposing his own will. It is frustrating to those who have worked within the community to build a fragile consensus to have someone come along and wipe it out like a tyrant. And so, I wanted to take this opportunity to respectfully ask you to put the Geisha article on watch, if you would. And if you can advise as to any concerns regarding the copyright status of the Featured Picture, I would be happy to help. Thank you. ToddLara (talk) 17:56, 28 February 2008 (UTC)
As I understand it, both versions of the image are now clear of copyright issues and both will remain. Which will end up in the article? Probably nobody knows ;) GDonato (talk) 15:39, 29 February 2008 (UTC)
Understood. And with that, I leave the matter to more capable hands.ToddLara (talk) 17:31, 29 February 2008 (UTC)