Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 00:41, 25 November 2004

Hello and welcome to Misplaced Pages!

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• If you haven't already, please add your name to the new user log to let others know a little about yourself.
• Read the Tutorial, and feel free to experiment in the Sandbox.
• Eventually, you might want to read the Manual of Style and Policies and Guidelines.
• If you need help, post a question at the Help Desk or ask me on my talk page.
• Explore, be bold in editing pages, and, most importantly, have fun!

Good luck!
Jrdioko

P.S. One last helpful hint. To sign your posts like I did above (on talk pages, for example) use the '~' symbol. To insert just your name, type ~~~ (3 tildes), or, to insert your name and timestamp, use ~~~~ (4 tildes).

Your welcome basket

Well if you insist, here's your welcome basket, Misplaced Pages style:

• Some fresh fruit
• Ghirardelli squares with lots of caramel

Enjoy!  – Jrdioko (Talk) 05:58, 30 Jun 2004 (UTC)

Talk:Eddie Murphy

Perhaps you would like to add a comment to the debate on this page. Rmhermen 16:35, Aug 2, 2004 (UTC)

Jazzy Welcome

A belated welcome from me as well. I'm glad to have you on board! I'll no doubt be seeing you around jazz related articles. Cheers, -- Infrogmation 18:20, 2 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Jacking in from African American

Welcome. I had a bit of response about race riot over in Talk:African American, but I thought I'd add something here as well. I really admire the combination of cold rage and cold hard facts that you've put into that article.

I wonder what you think of blackface. I put a lot of stuff into that that confused people, but I think it has held up against the mind-numbers. The scale of injustice may not be quite the same, but I had some hassles straightening out the redneck article (my people, sort of), which was nothing but stupid jokes when I got there. Really stupid jokes.

Is there a black venue where you could promote Misplaced Pages contribution? Something online? Good luck, anyway. Ortolan88 22:50, 26 Sep 2004 (UTC)

PS-later -- I appreciate your thoughtfulness and compliments re blackface, but it has caused me to think more about perhaps starting an article on black influence on popular culture. You probably don't hate Elvis as much as I hate Led Zeppelin, but these white guys (including me) really do love black music. I sound kind of black when I sing, because almost all the singers I like are black. Such an article could wrap up lots of stuff, particularly the profound influence of black musicians on country music, where many of the greatest names had black mentors, Elvis (Ike Turner), Hank Williams, Carl Perkins, etc. I'm just making notes here, but I observe that white jazz musicians for the most part do not try to do the Mick Jagger thing, but simply play and let the show-biz stuff go, but that goes for black jazz musicians too. I'll let you know when I start anything.

As for black venues, how about fraternities and sororitys? Keep on keeping on, Ortolan88 23:24, 13 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Blackface/Ortolan

Hey, Ortolan *waving*. Sorry to be so late responding, but I'm a techno-idiot and just figured out how to do this. I like, pretty much, the most recent changes to African American. (I'm even warming to the divisions.) I took a look at your piece on blackface and made some changes. However, I removed the stuff about white artists covering black artists, because it's simply not blackface. Yeah, it's white folks stealing black music and/or mimicking performance styles, but it's not the same -- and, I think, somewhat diminishes the value of the black innovators being ripped off. Instead, I stuck in a quote which, perhaps, says more succinctly what you may have had in mind. I think you did a respectable job with the subject, and I'm glad you tackled it.

As far as getting more black folks to contribute to Misplaced Pages, I don't know anyone. Most of my friends and associates are activisits who, frankly, have better, more real-world things to do -- battles to fight, wrongs to right -- that kinda stuff. I did once make mention of Misplaced Pages on BlackPlanet a long while back, but that place has turned into such a cesspool, I think another mention would simply attract vandalism. What can ya do? Peace. deeceevoice 17:48, 13 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Went back and reread, then restored your cover stuff. Thought it important (I hate Elvis!) and noticed the language about "admiration." Cool. :-) deeceevoice 22:33, 13 Nov 2004 (UTC)

I've gone back and even more substantially reworked, rewritten and expanded blackface to include its racist iconography and impact on American culture. I had to -- particularly after noting the igorance/naivete of some of the comments in the discussion thread. Besides, IMO, it's too important in the shaping of the American psyche (how I wanted to use that word, but I figured some ignorant asshole would flag it as violating NPOV) shouldn't be treated as merely as an entertainment phenomenon. Let me know what you think. Peace. deeceevoice 15:47, 22 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Hadn't heard from you on my recent extensive rewrite/edits to blackface after posting the above notes to your page. So, I thought I'd post them here. deeceevoice 00:41, 25 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Welcome aboard.

Hi,

I am enjoying, and agreeing with, your comments on the race page. That article was the third thing I looked at on Misplaced Pages (after spiders and carrier pigeons -- both topics on which hard-bound encyclopedias regularly mess up). Wow! It started with a fight with somebody who was really interested in preserving the idea of race as a real thing out there in the real world. It's gotten a lot better than it was at that time, but it is one of those articles that we are going to have to watch forevermore because people will come in and "fix" it to suit what they think they know. Fortunately, although a couple of the current contributors are IMHO tactless, I don't think anybody is currently not operating in good faith or with a crimped intellect.

One thing I've noticed is that if I do not let my ego get involved I can be much more effective in securing changes over the long run. The other thing is that if we once get something said exactly right it has its own power and can pretty much take care of itself because most of the people who might change a poorer version of the same truth on the basis of their own thinking are actually educated by the article, see the justice in the way the matter is explained, and therefore let it alone.

Once in a while you will find the glorious exception to general Misplaced Pages practice, somebody who disagrees with you, maybe wants to change something you've put much effort into, actually reads your response and then says, "Now I understand. And the article should also reflect more clear that other thing you just wrote." Maybe you, too, will have the pleasure of bumping into Fenice somewhere on these virtual pages. Pat (P0M 11:23, 28 Oct 2004 (UTC))

P.S. On your most recent edit to the talk page for the Race article I think you ticked the "This is a minor edit" box. Ordinarily people only use that if they made no substantive change (i.e., fixed a spelling error, added a comma). It helps people who are seriously interested in an article, however, to know when a significant change has occurred, so if there is any doubt in my mind I left it unchecked. That way nobody will flame me for messing with their perfect prose. ;-)

"Talk"

When you get to the user page, just click on the "discussion" tab, and then click "edit this page" (or click the + symbol to add something new. (Hope that answers your question, I am a bit of a newbie too) Guettarda 19:13, 29 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Racism at Misplaced Pages?

Have you happened to come across an Egyptologist here? There's a statement at Talk:List of interracial, interethnic or intercultural couples that I was going to just leave but I think I should speak to it, or visitors will just assume it to be true.

Can you also look at Talk:Black British usage and tell me if you think this person was attempting a joke?

Quill 22:26, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Response at Quill's page Quill 21:21, 13 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Appreciation and Question and Request

Firstly, appreciated your tremendous improvements to soul food. I have two questions in that regard. 1) Do you think that "fat back" should be added, or at least mentioned. 2)Do you think that cabbage ought to be mentioned as a common ingredient in chow-chow? Another request (based on your screen name): Would you consider looking at my article District of Columbia home rule with an eye to improving it? It's been several years since I lived in the District area, but the idea of citizens of the U.S. mainland being essentially unrepresented in Congress and without effective control over their municiapl government is still pretty disturbing, and seemed to need its own article with a slightly different emphasis (more historical) than the good section on the Washington, DC page. Thanks! Rlquall 15:22, 20 Nov 2004 (UTC)