User talk:Alanmak

Archived discussion (March 2005 - November 2005)

UCSBWiki

Hey there Alanmak, I just wanted to let you know that your photograph of Isla Vista has been added to UCSBWiki under the terms of the GFDL! It is a great picture, especially for our new website, and I would like to thank you for releasing it under a copyleft license.

Doopokko 21:06, 19 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

class=toccolours

Hi

is there any reason you changed class="toccolours" (copied from Toronto Star) to class="white"? Now the box does not have a border, and it looks really weird on my screen. (I don't know if it looks weird on your computer, though. Sometimes something looks weird here but looks ok on Windows.)—Gniw (Wing) 08:18, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Jyutping vs IPA

My thoughts about jyutping and IPA is that we should always use jyutping and not IPA. If jyutping is too weird (which I agree) or not friendly for any other reason, then we should fix the jyutping article to make it immediately usable as a pronunciation key. But we must avoid IPA for Cantonese at all costs, because the combination of current Wikipedia IPA guidelines and Cantonese IPA conventions have together made IPA transcriptions for Cantonese close to completely meaningless in Wikipedia.

My reasoning is stated in my user page and in Instantnood's talk page. Obviously, by now you know my writings are very disorganized, so you'll have to have some patience reading my reasoning. I don't expect you to understand what I write, however; Instantnood obviously didn't.

When I have some time I might try to reorganize my reasoning and post it here, but I'm not doing this now; I'm hours past my sleep time and I am supposed to be looking for some (paper) document that I still haven't found.—Gniw (Wing) 08:39, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Please..

Re your edit summaries: [1] [2]: I did suggest what we can do to allow readers to choose which of the pronunciation guides to be displayed by setting .css. Please kindly spend some time reading, give me a response, rather than keep lying around that I didn't suggest anything. Thanks. — Insta ntnood 20:36, 1 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

As far as I know such a button is not possible. Please don't remove pronunciation guides when there's only two, or when they've already been there before you started to complain. There are other romanisation systems for Mandarin other than Pinyin, and for some articles the other systems are included. Meanwhile, please mind your language. — Insta ntnood 18:17, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Lo mai kai

I'm that sure, but from the google test result has shown that lo mai kai has a greater popularity. I thought it's the common rountine to use the more common name in Wikipedia. On the other hand, there're some problems I'd like to ask you. You would find that the Chinese phoenix is redirected to fenghuang. Is that legitimate? In the Japanese cuisine, they use Shabu-shabu instead of Japanese hotpot. Why can they do so? -- Jerry Crimson Mann 07:54, 5 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Because the English language has an inherent POV of favouring Japanese terms, and there is no concensus among Chinese people what romanization to use. When in doubt, the Westerners use Japanese romanizations even for Chinese concepts, such as “kishotenketsu".—Gniw (Wing) 18:15, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Could you please elaborate a bit what kishotenketsu is? Thanks. :-) — Insta ntnood 18:42, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

“Kishotenketsu” is the Japanese romanisation for “起轉結".—Gniw (Wing) 19:00, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Slow revert wars

fyi, Most of the articles being reverted repeated are "topics about China" [3]. Revert warring is inappropriate. SchmuckyTheCat 19:55, 6 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Let readers to choose..

In response to your edit summary [4]: It was you who complained the pronunciation guide is too long, and that was the reason why I've invited you to help figure out how we can let readers to choose what to display by setting .css. You did not respond, and have insisted to remove a transliteration method arbitrary from articles, including those already having only two [5]. Please let me know what you want, and please stop removing things you don't like in an arbitrary manner. Thanks. — Insta ntnood 09:48, 10 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Macau map in Portuguese

Congratulations for the Portuguese version of the Macau map [Image:AdministrativeDivisionOfMacao-Portugese.png]. However, there are a few typos that it would be nice if you could correct:

The tittle should be: "Divisão Administrativa (not AdministrativO) da Região Administrativa (again, not AdministrativO) Especial de Macau da República Popular da China".
Add an acute to "António" in "Freguesia de Santo António" and in the legend for nr. 7 put "(Território ainda não atribuído a qualquer freguesia)".
It should be "Ponte da (not "de") Amizade". The neighbouring bridge should be "Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho" and not "Ponte Nobre Governador Carvalho". "Nobre de Carvalho" was the name of the governor.
Finally there is also an acute missing in the word "Lótus" in "Ponte Flor de Lótus". Thanks and keep on the good work! --82.102.42.70 13:39, 23 December 2005 (UTC) Manuel de Sousa[reply]

Define vandallism

I hope you do understand what vandalism is. A revert war is not considered as a good example of vandalism as the rules of Wikipedia have stated. -- Jerry Crimson Mann 08:11, 11 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who has moved my lo mai gai?

Stop it. The google test has shown my point of view. -- Jerry Crimson Mann 17:53, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

More to add, you're rather stubborn, sad to say. -- Jerry Crimson Mann 17:57, 12 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Pinyin

I do appreciate your effort of adding Pinyin around in Hong Kong-related articles. But I'm afraid what you've been doing is creating more confusions to less-well-informed readers that they may think Putonghua is common and popular in Hong Kong, and the names are of Putonghua or Mandarin origins. Please kindly consider adding Cantonese transliterations simultaneously, or refrain from adding Pinyin for the time being. Alternatively you may put up a list to request other editors, so that they know where they have to add the Cantonese counterparts. Thanks. — Insta ntnood 20:24, 22 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I'm afraid you've missed my point. I do not object adding Pinyin to these articles. It is, nevertheless, my concern that you're possibly confusing or misleading many readers. You may consider creating a list to inform other editors, e.g., I myself, so that they add the Cantonese romanisations for you.

Meanwhile, the status of Shanghai dialect in Shanghai and Cantonese in Hong Kong is hardly comparable. The governor there doesn't speak in Wu or the Shanghai dialect publicly in official situation.

I don't think my ethnicity or linguistic background is of any relevance to the discussion here, and I do consider myself familiar enough with the social settings of the place I currently reside in. — Insta ntnood 21:05, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The same old trouble again [6]. Please consider dropping a message at the user talk page of other wikipedians, or, at least, leave a short note in the edit summary. If it's like the above mentioned edit, nobody has any clue you've in fact requested for it. — Insta ntnood 20:53, 11 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Pinyin

I realise he is determined to show his sheer patriotism. It's always fair in war and love--loving your country, eh? PS Add an explanation in the talkpage of oyster omelette. You're informed that horjai is the Minnan (Fujian's and Taiwan's dialect) name for doulai (oyster). I'm not Hong Kong-centric, but you're just misleading the readers. -- Jerry Crimson Mann 12:36, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I only want to make one point to this "message." I don't agree with the sentence "I realise he is determined to show his sheer patriotism." Only some people who is dwelling in a Chinese territory and holding a foreign citizenship have phobia for China. :-) Anyway, your point is pretty interesting. -- Alanmak 14:37, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Who's holding a foreign nationality? And why is it relevant here? — Insta ntnood 21:06, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry for me butting into your talkpage, Alan, but I am rather intriged by the "I realise he is determined to show his sheer patriotism" statement. Was he directing that at you...or?--Huaiwei 15:36, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Reply

Although I would usually reply on your talk page, I've replied on my talk page due to the number of participants. enochlau (talk) 21:29, 23 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Picture of the day

POTD

Hi Alan,

Just to let you know that your photo Image:Fog&Sunny.png is due to make an appearance as Pic of the Day on the 29th December. If you get a chance, you can check and improve the caption at Wikipedia:Picture of the day/December 29, 2005.

Page move of char siu

Your page move of char siu to barbecued pork was unwarranted, and I have reverted it. Barbecued pork and char siu are not by any means synonymous to English speakers. To most English speakers, "barbecued pork" means something entirely different, that is, smoked meat in the style of the southern United States. (See the barbecue article.) Char siu may be a type or example of one type of barbecued pork, but they are not the same thing.

Please do not gratutitously move pages without discussion on the Talk page.

Thank you, MCB 06:23, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Commons

Don't forget to link the images you've uploaded to Wikimedia Commons from one of the Hong Kong-related galleries or categories there. Meanwhile, where in Sai Kung is the typhoon shelter in that picture? Thanks. — Insta ntnood 19:49, 29 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

Just put the images to the gallery for Hong Kong or one of its children galleries. I can't find that typhoon shelter on maps, and I don't recall it's a typical typhoon shelter with dams, that I thought it's just a natural body of sheltered water where ships and boats are buoyed. :-P — Insta ntnood 08:52, 31 December 2005 (UTC)[reply]

A Dove

This Peace Dove is given to Alan and Jerry, both highly-talented young men dedicated to Wikipedia, from K.C. Tang, in the hope of ending the unhappiness caused by editing HK-related article. (KC)

I'm not too informed of the controversy, but I'm sure that every one acts on good faith. Talented people are often impatient, and impatience usually caused misunderstanding, and hence unhappiness. We hope that everything can be solved in a friendly way. Wikipedia is, after all, a place for fun and friendship. ^-^ (Forgive me if my words sound silly). --K.C. Tang 06:54, 6 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The country names China and Taiwan

I've added my opinion on this issue at Wikipedia talk:Naming conventions (Chinese)#The country names China and Taiwan. Please feel free to provide your opinion and engage in discussions. Chanheigeorge 08:24, 8 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

List of languages

Hi Alanmak,

Just to notify you that both you and Instantnood have reached your 3RR limit for this article.

The page history is starting to look like a script from the Three Stooges. I'm not saying that you are the one to blame, but I would appreciate it if you would refrain from bringing your ongoing fight to this article.

kwami 19:15, 14 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Alan, what you've added to the Chinese entry is good information. However, we simply don't have room for that much detail in the language list. There are similar details for every language in every country. Sould we also describe the Mandarin/Taiwanese issue in Taiwan? The official switch to Mandarin in Singapore? The standardized spelling of Cantonese in Chinese communities in Canada and the US? Where's the limit? We would quadruple the size of the article if we followed this level of detail for every language in every country, and it isn't fair to do this only for Chinese in mainland China. For most languages, we haven't even distinguished between national and official languages. You've supplied good info, but it belongs in the articles on China and Chinese, just as the details of other countries and languages belong in their articles. kwami 19:38, 21 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Classified information

Could you and Instantnood join the discussion on the talk page for this article?--agr 23:36, 14 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Category:Transportation in China

I wasn't making any comments on whether that was the right version, all I know is that Instantnood was stirring up an old debate with that edit. I reverted the edit and banned him from editing that category. What is done from there is up to people who are not on probation. --Wgfinley 19:52, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Wgfinley. Thank you for your effort on solving the edit dispute. I was not intending to accuse you of making comments on whether that was the right version. The comment that I made about "some anti-China Wikipedians are pushing their POV" is not pointing to you. I pointed that out in the edit summary, just because some Wikipedians from Hong Kong have been demonstrating their high degree of anti-China sentiments in their edits, and have been trying their best to separate Hong Kong from all articles about China. In some situations, I agree that Hong Kong should have a separate article from the same topic for China. But this practice is not really necessary in ALL situation. Again, Thank you for your effort on solving the edit dispute. - Alanmak 20:05, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]
Not a problem, I just wanted to make sure my revert wasn't misinterpreted. I also appreciate your kind comments, thanks. --Wgfinley 20:13, 23 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Age of Consent

Hi Alanmak, thanks for your contribution to the AoC page with regards to the Chinese states. Could I ask that you also find and cite the relavant legislation (if available in english?) as requested in each section's header and in the talk page 'AoC Chalenge'. This would help us turn this page from heresay to a properly authoritive article. Thanks Monotonehell 11:03, 28 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Capitol of the ROC

Hi, I'm reverting a series of edits about the capitol of the ROC. It's not exactly set in ROC law. It's a debate that has been held before on Wikipedia and nobody can actually cite a reference to an official capitol other than "the capitol is where the Yuan are". You can read about it here: Template talk:Republic of China infobox. If you can find a citation in ROC law, that'd be great. SchmuckyTheCat 01:58, 29 January 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Regarding War And Beauty

I am not being biased against Mainlanders when I say that they are not able to read the page. What I mean is that due to censorship, they have troubles accessing Wikipedia, full stop. To say that I am biased without any evidence other than your perception is, to honestly and bluntly say it, offending, especially for a person who has never talked to you. I would suggest that you take a look at what I have wrote on the discussion board on that page. Arbiteroftruth 04:04, 14 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

In response to your comments, I know it should be in Hanyu Pinyin, but my problem with this is that the programme we are talking about is a Hong Kong production, and should we stick to the spelling which appeals to the audience it was intended for? Arbiteroftruth 14:19, 14 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

China-geo-stub

Hi - I've just reverted your change of icon on {{China-geo-stub}}. As it clearly says at the top of the full list of stub templates: Several of the stub categories relate to controversial issues For this reason, many of the icons have been chosen carefully so as not to cause offense or appear biased. If you wish to change any stub icon, please clear the icon change at both Wikipedia:WikiProject Stub sorting/Proposals and at any WikiProject associated with the stub category first.

Specifically, maps are deliberately not used where there is a controvery relating to national boundaries, which there clearly is in the case of China. It took a considerable amount of debate before the neutral icon of the first part the name of China was chosen. Please - unless you have a more neutral suggestion for a possible icon, don't chnge it. If you do know of a more neutral icon, please discuss it at WP:WSS/P first! Grutness...wha? 09:27, 16 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Country templates

After a quick glance at Wikipedia:country referencing templates I'm having an impression that the first critera is the ISO 3166 standard. We may create {{HKG-IOC}} or {{Hong Kong, China}} (and {{Macao, China}} too) for designations by the IOC and for other situations (e.g. WTO), and in fact {{HKG-PRC}} and {{MAC-PRC}}, which was actually the result of compromise, is already serving that purpose. Please kindly do not make changes to templates that affects lots of articles before discussions (and I'd recommend restoring them before discussion is fruitful). Thanks. — Insta ntnood 05:58, 19 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Bet you've forgotton the possibility that the same would be happening, that people will be using the template you've modified without being aware of "Hong Kong, China" or "Macao, China" would be displayed for situations that are not necessary. However your position is, you should have stopped, restored them, and sought opinion from the community. Personally I won't mind reserving {{HKG}} and {{MAC}} for IOC and/or international organisation designations, but only after seeking community consensus, notes are adequately provided (with the tag), and their applications are closely monitored. — Insta ntnood 18:23, 19 February 2006 (UTC)[reply]