User talk:Wikifalcon

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[edit] Road v highway

You say "Since i'm just talking about highways and not about any other roads, it's probably better to use the word 'highway', no? Because that is the point of the sentence, explaining the highway connections." Before we get into a war over this please define your understanding of "highway", which in British English is generic and can apply to all public roads, including minor ones. In British English, "road" is more likely to be used in this context. As a native English speaker, I find it's more natural to use "road" or "motorway" than "highway" for a main route: "highway" is more widely used in US English or in formal titles that wish to include everything from tracks to motorways. I shan't fight this one, but it reads more like a translation than an English text. Folks at 137 17:48, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

It was not my intention to argue about it, it was more like a question to you. But you're absolutely right. I forgot they use the word 'motorway' in the UK while they use 'highway' in the US. I Actually like the British English better and as I am not a native English speaker, I can't do anything but agree with you. I didn't know either that in the UK 'highway' is used for all public roads. So lets make it 'road' again:) Greetings! Wikifalcon

[edit] Image:Tzandmetconcertgebouw.jpg listed for deletion

Having permission to post a copyrighted image to Wikipedia is insufficient, you must have permission from the copyright holder to release the image under a free license that allows modification and redistribution. I see that you've uploaded this image onto Wikimedia Commons under {{Copyrighted free use}}, so that addresses the concerns brought up earlier. As a kind of courtesy, you might want to notify your friend that you released his copyright of the photograph (this is functionally equivalent to releasing something in the public domain), to see if he has any objections. Anyway, thank you for quickly dealing with the situation, and happy editing! ˉˉ^anetode╦╩ 00:18, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

Correct, the file hosted at Commons should show up as just another image on the English Wikipedia. ˉˉ^anetode╦╩ 10:53, 9 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bruges intro

Hi Wikifalcon. On the Bruges intro, the text "It is one of Europe's most important landmarks as the city centre has hardly changed since the Middle Ages. Bruges also has an important port." sounds very strange to me. The first part reads as an exagerated touristic folder: a city center that hardly changed since the Middle Ages (link) is not very credible and I don't understand the relation with landmark. Secondly, this port thing sound like an appendix that someone glued quickly to the intro. I prefer to talk with you first. --Foroa 21:26, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

Yes, perhaps we should make it a little more general. Maybe the intro on the Dutch page might be a good example...? Wikifalcon 22:11, 6 August 2007 (UTC) edit: What do you think? Wikifalcon 22:43, 6 August 2007 (UTC)

Now it is turning in the opposite side with too many figures that nobody reads nor grasps (does an average person understands what it really means having 20.000 people in 430 ha ? I don't). The coming days I will try to formulate a summary of the spirit of Bruges as I see it as an outsider and without turning it into brochure-talk. I have my doubts on the hectare (en even more on ha) as this is probably meaningless for many (or most) English speakers. Overall, I would prefer the french intro, but I didn't check others. In the first part, I would take the word accepted away: it sounds as if Bruges has been begging and Unesco did a great favor to Bruges: Alternative: "The historical city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO.

Sorry for the trouble (it is always easier to criticize), but in an intro, each word counts ... And no, I am not searching for extra work, just giving a hand if needed. --Foroa 06:06, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps you're right. Give it a try;-) Something like this:

"Bruges (Dutch: Brugge, stemming from Bryggja, which assumedly used to signify 'landing stage' or 'port') is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the north-west of the country.

The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. Bruges also became European Capital of Culture in 2002, together with Salamanca, Spain.

Bruges is called "Venise of the North", as there are numerous canals running across the city, but it has a quite big economic importance as well, thanks to its port. It's also home to the College of Europe."

?

Wikifalcon 10:38, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

That's a serious improvement. I am further thinking in the line of (incomplete):

"Bruges (Dutch: Brugge, stemming from Bryggja, which assumedly used to signify 'landing stage' or 'port') is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Its origins started some 2100 years ago and its location on the coast in the north-west of the country made it a dominating driving factor of Flanders' history.

Bruges is a city of contrasts. On each corner of its quiet surface, it transpires many facets of the last 900 years of its history. Underneath and almost invisibly, the merchant spiritual heritage from its portal and proud capital role continues to thrive a lively and modern economical and cultural evolution that influences the whole region.

Bruges is called "Venice of the North": it has a comparable nostalgia and numerous canals are running across the city. The historical city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO and was a European Capital of Culture in 2002. --Foroa 11:19, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Sounds not bad. But won't some people find some POV in it? I don't, but I have the feeling some will... Only this: "Its origins started some 2100 years ago..." > how accure is that number? And 'portal' is not really a word for port, is it? Wikifalcon 21:18, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Ik heb getracht de moeilijke balans te vinden tussen feiten en het suggestieve, tussen een semi-verhaal en droge opsommingen, tussen korte zinnen en nog kortere zinnen. Pas op, deze tekst is eigenlijk maar een scenario, een script (persoonlijk vind ik dat er nog een grapje, eerder een clin d'oeil ontbreekt, zoals ... comparable but fresher nostalgia floating over a network of canals)

• sommige fragmenten gaan waarschijnlijker beter klinken/vloeien indien bepaalde volgordes en eventueel constructies veranderd worden; nu is het de beurt aan een echte GB-er om dat te tunen, om de arrangementen te maken (dat Venice spul vloeit nog niet genoeg, nog te hoekig, numerous klinkt misplaatst, network of canals beter ?)
• some 2100 year: correct indien de 100 year BFC in het artikel juist is, some 2100 is ook niet echt precies
• met portal bedoel ik havenstad, toegangspoort tussen twee werelden: belangrijk suggestief beeld, maar misschien gedevalueerd door het hedendaags gebruik. Ook de verwoording "proud capital role" (rol van de trotse hoofdstad) vloeit nog niet genoeg. --> GB-er
• POV: ik denk het niet, we zien wel, maar het kan moeilijk slechter dan de nl tekst. Daarvoor kan ik binnen een paar dagen de "arrangementen" leveren.

--Foroa 22:23, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Oei, maar die 'fresher' is in feite wel degelijk een POV. Ik heb persoonlijk niets op tegen, maar daar zou al zeker reactie op komen. Toch oppassen dat het niet té brochure-achtig wordt. Het blijft een encyclopedie, dus een droge opsomming kan wel wat ingekleed worden, maar téveel gaan verhalen lijkt me niet echt goed. Vind je de nl tekst dan zo slecht? Ik vind die persoonlijk eigenlijk vrij goed als intro. Wikifalcon 22:37, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

Inderdaad, het is niet gemakkelijk om niet brochure-achtig te worden, maar de vorig versies met die landmark waren nog meer brochure-achtig. Met die fresher bedoel ik in de eerste plaats het klimaat (ik ging eerst rainier zetten maar dat klinkt, net als colder, al te negatief), maar ergens ook dat Brugge vermoedelijk beter onderhouden, cleaner is dan Venetië (en dat laatste is inderdaad een suggestieve POV).

De tekst die hier voorligt is ongeveer hetgeen ik vertel aan buitenlanders als ik Brugge moet uitleggen in één minuut: voor mij het essentiele en de sfeer.

In de Nederlandse tekst zie ik de volgende hoofdfouten.

• de opsomming van cijfers en oppervlakten in het midden sla ik gewoon over. Het enige dat ik onthoud is dat het centrum eivormig is en dat er mensen in leven; bij andere steden zou ik een dergelijke cijferreeks vermoedelijk overslaan, voor sommige lezers misschien een reden om de intro of het volledige blad over te slaan
• de historische en hoofdstedelijke rol van Brugge komt niet uit de verf
• het is alsof Brugge zonder haven economisch niet zou bestaan
• die passus over het bisdom geeft de indruk dat dit het belangrijkste historische feit is in de geschiedenis van :Brugge: dat zal niet echt veel interesse opwekken denk ik

Persoonlijk ben ik niet geimpressioneerd door die Unesco en cultuurstad referenties, maar ik neem aan dat dit voor een aantal mensen betekenisvol is.

Zo zie je maar, een samenvatting vraagt ongeveer veel werk en men kan er over discuteren ad vitam eternam.

--Foroa 06:33, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

Wel, kijk, probeer er iets moois en beters van te maken;-) Ik kan je wel volgen bij bepaalde punten hoor... Wat dat Engels trouwens betreft, daar reken ik ook op een of andere Brit die eens langskomt en alles in een vlotte constructie gooit:-) Gr, Wikifalcon 08:19, 8 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Bruges - Air [1]

I'm not sure what this is saying now. Before, I assumed that it meant that it was easier to get to Brugge via Brussels since the rail link was better. Now it seem to be saying that it is always better to go from Brugge via Brussels - wherever you are going, at whatever time, whether by road or rail? That doesn't seem to make any sense at all. -- Ian Dalziel 23:13, 6 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Amsterdam

I like your image sorting on the Amsterdam article. Too often people just place images randomly on an article - it's good to come across someone who has an eye for good image placement. Regards SilkTork *SilkyTalk 07:38, 9 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Asking You

Do you believe in superstition? Please leave an explanation at my talk page. Pokemon Buffy Titan 09:27, 16 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Gent/Ghent

Dear Wikifalcon, I've been enjoying our cooperation on the Port of Antwerp article. However, I would like to inquire about you insistence on "Ghent" as the preferred spelling for Gent in English. As you will have noticed I favour Gent. I do so for the following reasons: Gent is the name that appears on all road signs, except in those cases where Gent is followed by (Gand)- mainly near Lille/Rijssel - the (h) is ignored in English, and the "G" is not aspirated - the capitalization is enough to prevent it from being confused with "gent". The name G(h)ent has undergone various transformations in English over the years, most memorably as "Gaunt" as in "John of Gaunt". It seems to me that the only people who cling to the Ghent spelling are those who like to show off their knowledge of English, whereas most English people are flummoxed by the inclusion of the h, indeed you will rarely find the Ghent spelling in a modern UK/US atlas, as geographers tend to stick as closely as possible to the local appellation. In general, the names of many Belgium's have been so frequently distorted that the geographically less conscious are often misled into thinking that the divergent names refers to different places. I had the greatest of trouble some years trying to convince somebody that that Wipers and Ieper are in fact the same place. I agree that compromise in certain cases is inevitable, and here in particular I'm thinking of "Brussels" and "Bruges" both of which have become so well established that I doubt they will change. We have though seen Malines abandoned in favour of Mechelen (Mechlin in the past) and Kortrijk now established in preference to Courtrai. As the h in Ghent is redundant I suggest it should be abandoned. During the past 30 years I have worked as a freelance translator for various Belgian and Flemish authorities and the foregoing has consistently been advice. I will include a note to this effect on the Belgium talk page. In the meantime, kindest regards Everybody got to be somewhere! (talk) 16:15, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

Well, I changed it back to Ghent because "Ghent" is still the official English name for the city. Also on Wikipedia "Ghent" is used. The same for the article about the canal we are actually talking about. So my main goal is in fact to bring as much consistence as possible on Wikipedia... Greetings, Wikifalcon (talk) 17:10, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

But official where? Not official in the UK I think. Official in Gent? I think the language laws would have something to say about that, don't you? Everybody got to be somewhere! (talk) 17:52, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

To be honest, on the official website I can't find anything about the English name (it seems there's no English version of the site). But if I look to some international organizations like the port, the International film festival or the International convention Center I see "Ghent" is used the most... Wikifalcon (talk) 18:05, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

edit: The official tourism site. Also see Use-It. Greets, Wikifalcon (talk) 18:13, 28 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] WikiProject Ports

		Interested in ports-related articles?
		I notice you recently made major improvements to the Port of Antwerp article, possibly while looking for an article on stemming bleeding from a main artery. Given your interest in this article, you may also be interested in the WikiProject working to improve coverage of similar pages. Your help would be appreciated, so please consider joining WikiProject Ports. Euryalus (talk) 00:03, 6 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Belgian Infoboxes

Sorry for incorrect edits to Zeebrugge, I dont duppose there is an infobox for settlements like Zeebrugge?

No problem, it might be confusing sometimes. There's indeed no infobox for a settlement like Zeebrugge, which is a village and port in the deelgemeente Lissewege of the municipality/city of Bruges. Also in the Dutch Wikipedia only municipalities and deelgemeentes (and so the "main" town, village or core of the deelgemeente) have infoboxes, because those are clearly bordered areas. For example: Lissewege is a deelgemeente of Bruges. This deelgemeente includes the village of Lissewege (the "main" village), the village of Zwankendamme, the village of Zeebrugge and a large part of the port of (Bruges-)Zeebrugge.