How about a Wikipedia "documenting" expressions in various languages? I
mean, try googling around for "bring it on" (~542,000 matches), or "what
goes around comes around" (~98,500 matches)--and try finding out what
they /mean/. I'm pretty sure you won't be able to find any explanation
anywhere--I haven't.
Now I'm aware such a topic is more "dictionary-like" rather than
"encyclopedia-like"--I guess that's the first objection which comes to
mind, although we already have a Wiktionary--, but is Wikimedia's
purpose to only support encyclopedic projects, or to support projects
which would be helpful?
Also, think about the various languages which make use of
expressions--due to the human nature, I expect all languages do--, and
think how helpful such a (successful) project would be for people around
the world trying to find out information about this and that obscure
expression in some language. Bells and whistels included a la Wikipedia,
as in cross-referencing languages, historical periods, you know the
drill, I won't go into that.
What do you think?
--Gutza
It's apparently illegal to post lyrics on the Internet, and I think some
lyrics sites have been sued or shut down because of this. Some guitar tab
sites (notably olga.net, the Online Guitar Archive), were also forced to
shut down in the past, partly because of the lyrics (but also because of the
uncertain legality of the tabs themselves, but that's another story...in any
case now they can only include a few words of lyrics).
>From: "Kent Wang" <kwang(a)kwang.org>
>Reply-To: English Wikipedia <wikien-l(a)Wikipedia.org>
>To: <wikien-l(a)Wikipedia.org>
>Subject: [WikiEN-l] WikiLyrics
>Date: Thu, 8 Jan 2004 13:16:02 -0600
>
>I was browsing through OHHLA.com (Online Hip-Hop Lyrics Archive) and
>realized that a lyrics archive would be an excellent application of Wiki
>technology. Although OHHLA is the most comprehensive website in its
>genre, there are still many less popular artists that are not covered,
>and most of the pages I've seen contain at least a mistake or two.
>
>So I think a great new WikiMedia project would be a "WikiLyrics" that
>would cover music lyrics for all genres.
>
>Hip-hop lyrics are particularly in need for a wiki because they are full
>of slang words and in-references that can be Wikified to articles
>explaining them. Hip-hop albums also rarely come with lyrics sheets
>though ironically, are probably most in need of them.
>
>I've already Googled for "lyrics wiki" and found no significant hits.
>
>I'm very enthusiastic about this idea but a major problem that will need
>to be resolved is that almost all lyrics are not open content and the
>GFDL will most certainly be incompatible. Though the RIAA is definitely
>tort-happy, I don't believe there have been any attempts to shut down
>online lyrics websites, especially since they should not undermine
>record sales.
>
>I eagerly await your comments on this idea.
>
>Kent Wang
>
>
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Ray Saintonge wrote:
>Nevertheless I would like to see some kind of such
>scheme up and working on one single project so that
>we can get the bugs out before the scheme is adopted
>on other projects.
That is what http://test.wikipedia.org/ is for.
--mav
Gutza wrote:
>What do you think?
Sounds like a good idea for a series of new books at Wikibooks. They could be
used in conjunction with our language textbooks.
-- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)
I'd like the articles to clarify to what extent the "National Socialism"
of Hitler and Nazism is or is not "socialist". Perhaps a short list of
the essential attributes of socialism, combined with a brief discussion
of the degree to which Nazism had or did not have these attributes.
The article should also explain any reasons why Soviets despised
Hitler's government. Germany's invasion of Russia was probably a big
factor, to be sure, but was Nazism a "competing variant" of socialism?
Is it possible for a socialist economy or socialist government to be
more nationalistic than internationalist? If not, who says so, etc.
Remember, the Soviets were not always straightforward about their goals
and deeds, and they may have characterized Nazism as non-socialist for
propaganda purposes. Have enough decades elapsed for us to puncture the
veneer of Soviet propaganda and reveal the truth? (Or at least give
several POVs on the topic?)
Ed Poor, aka Uncle Ed
From [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Peerage]]:
...could we please make some headroads into changing [[Benjamin
Disraeli]] to an article rather than a redirect, and [[Duke of
Wellington]] into an article instead of a disambiguation page, in
keeping with the caveat of "[[Wikipedia:Naming conventions (use
English)|best known in English]]"? I don't think a WikiProject should
attempt to trump something that fundamental. -
[[User:Hephaestos|Hephaestos]] 01:50, 6 Jan 2004 (UTC)
Hi.
I understand that we now have the MediaWiki namespace and that we can
insert the contents of MediaWiki:XYZ into an article by inserting either
{{subst:XYZ}} or {{msg:XYZ}} (and yes, I know their difference).
Are there any plans to start using this functionality wide-spreadedly?
For example, all the articles on Greek letters have a list of links to
all the other Greek letters at the bottom. I had recently moved some of
the pages (e.g. [[Omega (letter)]] to [[Omega]]), and so I had to modify
all of the articles correspondingly. Then I had to change them all
*again* because I forgot one of them.
All of this would have been easier if this short list of links were a
page in the MediaWiki namespace and were included in the Greek letter
articles using {{msg:}}.
So, my question basically is: Should I do this?
One shortcoming I see with this is that each of the Greek-letter
articles would then have a link to itself. I guess one could resolve
that with coding; perhaps {{msg:}} should automatically change [[XYZ]]
and [[XYZ|.*]] to '''XYZ''' if it's used in [[XYZ]]. Or something.
Boxes like those on the right of articles like
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Franks could also benefit
from this.
Timwi
Crick and Watson's original paper was entitled "Molecular structure
of Nucleic Acids," (1953), Nature 171:737-738. The opening
sentence is: "We wish to suggest a structure
for the salt of deoxyribose nucleic acid (D.N.A.). This structure has
novel features which are of considerable biological interest."
The American Heritage Dictionary, 4th ed. defines "nucleic acid" as
"Any of a group of complex compounds found in all living cells
and viruses, composed of purines, pyrimidines, carbohydrates,
and phosphoric acid. Nucleic acids in the form of DNA and RNA
control cellular function and heredity."
However, looking at [[Talk:DNA]] and the descriptions of the changes
on the page, history, I don't see any obvious dispute
framed in terms of whether "whether DNA is a nucleic acid."
--
Daniel P. B. Smith, dpbsmith(a)world.std.com alternate:
dpbsmith(a)alum.mit.edu
"Elinor Goulding Smith's Great Big Messy Book" is now back in print!
Sample chapter at http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/messy.html
Buy it at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1403314063/