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Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. That's our commitment.
Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?
We're not going to agree on everything, but we can disagree without being disagreeable.
About Wikimedia and Wikipedia
editHow to write good
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My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:
1. Avoid Alliteration. Always.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
4. Employ the vernacular.
5. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
6. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
7. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
8. Contractions aren't necessary.
9. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
10. One should never generalize.
11. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
12. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
13. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. Profanity sucks.
15. Be more or less specific.
16. Understatement is always best.
17. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
18. One word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be avoided.
21. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
22. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
23. Who needs rhetorical questions?— Frank L. Visco, Writer's Digest (June 1986)
Some quotes
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Stephen Wong, a contributor from Hong Kong who has been active on Chinese Wikipedia since 2009, said users across the region have experienced "some form of cultural shock", which triggers arguments. "Users from different areas have received different education, and have been influenced by different political ideologies", Mr. Wong said. "We discovered that the things we learned as a kid were totally different from each other."
"When I first joined the Chinese Wikipedia, I was an 'angry youth'", said Wilson Ye, a 17-year-old Wikipedia editor from Shanghai who started writing entries four years ago. "I was furious when I came across terms like Taiwan and the Republic of China. But after more interactions, I understand how people in Taiwan think, and I become much more tolerant."
Writing what to many people will be the definitive text on something is a heady experience.
But more appealing is the grand, utopic vision the founders have for Wikipedia: a vast melting pot of knowledge, contributed to by people from everywhere, accessible to everyone. "We're organization-obsessive, and knowledge-obsessive", says Alex Stinson.
Love and Drama at the Wikipedia Conference, Jessica Pressler, New York Magazine (June 2014)
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.
— Bob Marley, "Redemption Song" (1980)
In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.
— Donny Miller, Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings (2006)
... burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge.
In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.— Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: Down the Rabbit Hole (1865)
Suppose within every book there is another book, and within every letter on every page another volume constantly unfolding; but these volumes take no space on the desk. Suppose knowledge could be reduced to a quintessence, held within a picture, a sign, held within a place which is no place.
— Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall (2009)
Doveryai, no proveryai
English: Trust, but verify— Russian proverb
Some firsts
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- My first Wikipedia edit was to correct a factual error in a biographical article about a living person in a family tree I had researched (incidentally not someone I know personally). Oops, I didn't write an edit summary so it was reverted and I had to repeat it.
- The first Wikipedia article I created was for an 18th c. German game designer (in English and German). I also donated his portrait image to Wikimedia Commons.
- The first Wikipedia article I translated for the English Wikipedia was from a German Wikipedia article about a living American geneticist who pioneered human mitochondrial genetics.
- My first DYK credit was for an article I contributed to about a recently deceased South African in the international news headlines.
- My first barnstar was actually a bribe so I don't think it counts. My first genuine barnstar was the South African Barnstar of National Merit from htonl seconded by Roger, for which I am honoured.
Badges of honour
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The South Africa Barnstar of National Merit | |
| For a great deal of work in writing, editing and generally improving articles (and templates) related to South Africa. htonl (talk) 16:37, 13 April 2013 (UTC) Seconded Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 19:17, 13 April 2013 (UTC) |
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The Writer's Barnstar |
| Good job on the Satanic Panic page! Robvanvee 17:26, 13 May 2013 (UTC) |
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The Original Barnstar |
| For Satanic Panic (South Africa) - a brilliant article :). Ironholds (talk) 18:15, 7 September 2013 (UTC) |
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The Special Barnstar |
| Kind regards, Afro-Eurasian (talk) 21:45, 31 January 2014 (UTC) |
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The Original Barnstar |
| For helping combat the Wikipedia:Systemic bias on Wikipedia through creating articles like Thokozile Masipa a topic highlighting underrepresented African communities and prominent women and publicly profiling it via WP:DYK! Great job! Sadads (talk) 16:45, 1 March 2014 (UTC) |
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The Photographer's Barnstar | |
| For your fantastic coverage of the South African general election, 2014. Well done. Nathan121212 (talk) 17:29, 11 May 2014 (UTC) |
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The Defender of the Wiki Barnstar |
| For keeping the Trial of Oscar Pistorius article neutral and factual in the face of bullying and harassment, and even managing to remain calm and courteous while doing so! MelanieN (talk) 14:52, 14 August 2014 (UTC) Seconded Roger (Dodger67) (talk) 17:17, 14 August 2014 (UTC) |
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The Writer's Barnstar |
| for your excellent and well researched work on Thuli Madonsela. —Bruce1eetalk 05:34, 3 September 2014 (UTC) |
Sugar and spice
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In recognition of your work on the article about the child of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I would like you to imagine enjoying the taste of my grandmother's masterpiece dessert. An imaginary glass of pomegranate juice would go perfectly with it! Surtsicna (talk) 13:21, 6 July 2013 (UTC) |
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Glass of wine |
| May you find many more ancestors! Andrew Lancaster (talk) 10:56, 9 July 2013 (UTC) |
I hope you know there was nothing personal in the debate at T:EoW. I'm often not very concise in text communication and can come off ranty as a result. I've actually, quietly noticed many of your contributions around Wikipedia. —Sowlos 09:32, 3 August 2013 (UTC) has extended an olive branch of peace.
Thanks so much for your help on my DYK nomination and good collaborations and kindness in general. Nathan121212 (talk) 15:03, 13 October 2014 (UTC)
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I thought that you deserved something a bit extra for all of the amazing work you've done for the project.
I've nominated you for a gift from the Wikimedia Foundation! |
DYK credits
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 | On 30 March 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Reeva Steenkamp, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that South African model Reeva Steenkamp appeared in the reality TV show Tropika Island of Treasure which premiered two days after her death? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Reeva Steenkamp. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 5 April 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Daily Maverick, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that independent South African online newspaper Daily Maverick was influenced by defunct South African business magazine Maverick and American news websites The Daily Beast and The Huffington Post? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Daily Maverick. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 13 May 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Satanic Panic (South Africa), which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that in 2007, South African journalist Deon Maas was dismissed after advocating religious tolerance in his Rapport column, as a result of the ongoing Satanic Panic in South Africa? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Satanic Panic (South Africa). You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 24 July 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Jamestown, Western Cape, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the streets in Jamestown, in the Western Cape province of South Africa, are named after varieties of the main agricultural crop grown there since 1902? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Jamestown, Western Cape. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 6 September 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Edward Hulton (senior), which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that a vast British newspaper empire grew from a horse racing tip sheet published in Victorian Manchester by the enterprising son of a weaver? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Edward Hulton (senior). You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 18 December 2013, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that, as in Brazil, families of crime victims in South Africa have successfully campaigned for the establishment of a national forensic DNA database? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 12 January 2014, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Death and state funeral of Nelson Mandela, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the sign language interpreter for the state memorial service of Nelson Mandela made meaningless hand gestures that did not reflect established signs? You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 2 February 2014, Did you know? was updated with a fact from the article Shweshwe, which you created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that traditional shweshwe fabric made in South Africa was previously imported from Europe and popularised by 19th century German settlers and a Sotho king? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Shweshwe. You are welcome to check how many hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, quick check) and it will be added to DYKSTATS if it got over 5,000. If you know of another interesting fact from a recently created article, then please suggest it on the Did you know? talk page. |
| | On 1 March 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Thokozile Masipa, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Thokozile Masipa, the presiding judge assigned to the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, worked as a crime reporter for The Sowetan newspaper before her law career? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Thokozile Masipa. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 3 March 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Dunstan Mlambo, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that one reason South African judge Dunstan Mlambo permitted live broadcasting of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial was to educate the public about criminal proceedings? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Dunstan Mlambo. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 3 August 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that in 1773 newly appointed Governor of the Cape Colony Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn died at sea during the voyage to take up his post? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Pieter van Reede van Oudtshoorn. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 7 August 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article The Cenotaph, Cape Town, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Cenotaph war memorial in Cape Town has been relocated twice since it was first erected in 1924? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/The Cenotaph, Cape Town. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 22 August 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Alexander Sinton Secondary School, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that three protesters were killed near a Cape Town school by armed police hidden in a "Trojan Horse"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Alexander Sinton Secondary School. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 24 August 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Pride parades in South Africa, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that pride parades in South Africa (pictured) are increasingly used for political advocacy against LGBT hate crimes and to remember their victims? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Pride parades in South Africa. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 27 August 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Chicken Licken (restaurant), which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Chicken Licken, the "largest non-American-owned fried chicken franchise in the world", uses a secret recipe bought in Texas for $1,000? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Chicken Licken (restaurant). You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 4 September 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Harold Cressy High School, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the Harold Cressy High School (Harold Cressy pictured) is named after the first "coloured" man to gain a B.A. in South Africa? You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 4 November 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Afri Twin, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that Tafelberg School for children with special learning needs is one of over 250 schools in the United Kingdom and South Africa linked for mutual benefit via Afri Twin? You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 2 December 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the comedian anchor of the Emmy-nominated Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is considered "the reluctant voice of a cynical generation"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 2 December 2014, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Loyiso Gola, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that the comedian anchor of the Emmy-nominated Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is considered "the reluctant voice of a cynical generation"? You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 5 February 2015, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Boerehaat, which you recently created or substantially expanded. The fact was ... that during the apartheid era, South Africa's National Party won a by-election in Oudtshoorn after waging a "Boerehaat campaign"? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Boerehaat. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, live views, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 3 February 2016, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Strathtyrum, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that Prince William and Catherine Middleton lived in Strathtyrum for two years? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Strathtyrum. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, daily totals), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
| | On 12 February 2020, Did you know was updated with a fact from the article Fry Group Foods, which you recently created, substantially expanded, or brought to good article status. The fact was ... that Fry's award-winning vegan meat was created by a former livestock trader? The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Fry Group Foods. You are welcome to check how many page hits the article got while on the front page (here's how, Fry Group Foods), and it may be added to the statistics page if the total is over 5,000. Finally, if you know of an interesting fact from another recently created article, then please feel free to suggest it on the Did you know talk page. |
Rainbow nation
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I live in a country with shocking economic inequality (that’s both third world and first, sometimes within half a kilometre of each other) stricken by AIDS and corruption and crime. At the same time, there’s tremendous hope and optimism and a resilience. South Africa is an incredible place that has spent the last 20 years going through interesting times (as per the Chinese curse). It’s a fascinating place to be.
... I think of myself as South African full stop. Those European ties are so old, so frayed, they’re not even a sepia photograph, they’re a faded oil painting dating back 350 years when my family first came to this country.— Lauren Beukes, Interview: Lauren Beukes by Charles A. Tan (2009)
- South Africans are a mixed bunch. I am one part British diaspora in Africa and three parts other African of European ancestry. Although I am a South African citizen by birth, I am also a British citizen by descent as my mother was born in England. My ancestors traced so far are from England, Ireland, Switzerland, France (Huguenot) and Germany via Canada. My extended family in South Africa has British colonial and Cape Dutch ancestry.
- I was classified as white during apartheid. These days this label mainly matters when you apply for employment or are counted in a national census, where it is described as a "population group". It has a limited life span as the born-free generation has started entering the workforce.
- Most South Africans living in urban areas speak at least two languages, one being English or Afrikaans. My first language is English but the main language spoken where I live is Afrikaans. Afrikaans is related to Dutch, but it is not the same language and is not necessarily pronounced the same way.
en soms vir 'n oomblik
kan ons mekaar se taal
verstaan
English: and sometimes for a moment we can understand each other— Johannes Kerkorrel, blou aarde, bloudruk