User talk:Elf

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Note: Now that I'm an administrator thanks to the kind support of other Wikipedians...I'm trying to cut back on my wiki hours for a few weeks.

Reduced images

Hello, you may have noticed that I've uploaded new versions of several of the images you scanned from The Clip Art Book. I was able to reduce the file size of most of them by around 20% by running them through a program called pngcrush, with no loss in quality, size, etc. You may be interested in trying it out on future images. Cheers! -- Wapcaplet 20:48, 2 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

P.S. - While I don't know of any graphical editing software that uses pngcrush, I have found that The GIMP tends to produce small, size-efficient files that cannot be further optimized with pngcrush. It is freely available for many computing platforms. -- Wapcaplet 22:46, 2 May 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Song/humor/namespaces/head spinning

Wikipedia:project namespace might explain it a bit. There is a lot of stuff on Wikipedia that should be on Meta for a number of reasons People don't use meta so they don't know where to put things, or it just doesn't occur to them to go there. Also, in the past the distinction between namespaces was less, so we historically have a lot of stuff here that has been here since before Meta was really used. People see that and think it must be the done thing and create new similar pages here rather than at meta.

m:Delete : this page does not belong to meta has some interesting ideas on what Meta should be used for. Basically, the Wikipedia namespace is meant to be for things which aid the building of the encyclopedia (policies and help pages mainly). Meta is more relaxed in accepting personal points of view, and also more focused on cross-project information. There are overlaps, but ideally I think pages listed at Wikipedia:Utilities#Fun should be moved to Meta at some point. It's probably best to wait until special:import is available so we can move the page history with them though.

The Utilities page is a good place to find them. I think m:Web Encyclopedia song would be the best place for the song (not necessarily that title, but somewhere on meta) as it isn't related to developing the encyclopedia. I hope that helps and I haven't just confused you even more. Angela . 12:38, 4 Jun 2004 (UTC)

I've just got to congratulate you to the wonderful lyrics of the Hotel Wikipedia-song. It made my day! \Mikez 03:23, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

a question about the CKC...

where can I find a list of the CKC registered breeds? Lachatdelarue 02:02, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Hi, excuse me for jumping in. I'm presuming you mean the Canadian Kennel Club rather than the Continental? There is a list on their web site [1] but it's not easy to find. Click on the "featured breed", then on "back to breed histories". I can't be more specific that that because they have done something fancy with the site that is preventing me seeing an accurate address! This lists 162 breeds (which doesn't include the miscellaneous class)

There is also a list at http://www.dogsincanada.com/breeds/aagroups.html But this lists only 154 breeds plus 19 in the miscellaneous class. I wrote to the CKC and got a list of 164 plus 29 from the miscellaneous class. I haven't sat and cross-referenced the lists, so I'm not sure where exactly the discrepancies are. I've tended to go with the e-mailed list in the belief that is likely to be the most complete. I'd be happy to forward a copy to you if it is of any help -- sannse (talk) 19:07, 29 Jul 2004 (UTC)

A suggestion

How about... moving Dog show to Conformation show, merging in the text from conformation point and making that a redirect, and changing the links to [[conformation show|conformation]]? Just a thought :) -- sannse (talk) 10:33, 16 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Hmm, I'm trying to think along those lines. I think that's not quite it yet, because "dog show" is by far the most common phrase used by most people, excepting breed people when they're talking about such a show to other knowledgable people, in which case it's often just "conformation"--but I think to laypeople they'd also say "dog show". But maybe your suggestion is a good one. I'll let it rattle around in my head a while longer. Thanks! Elf | Talk 16:24, 16 Aug 2004 (UTC)

A humble request

Mutt (dog) is up for featured status at wp:fac. To my eyes, it seems incredibly short, but I don't know if there's anything else that should be written. Could you take a look and give your opinion as to whether it needs expansion? Best wishes, [[User:Meelar|Meelar (talk)]] 13:01, 2004 Aug 16 (UTC)

Thanks very much. Au revoir, [[User:Meelar|Meelar (talk)]] 15:49, 2004 Aug 16 (UTC)

Oh, that was you with the 'major edit' notice, eh? I've just had a look and posted some comments on the discussion page. I'll go back and look again to see if I notice anything else from your last set of edits.Quill 23:55, 18 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Help--or direct to resource

Need your help on two fronts:

1. What is a 'double redirect'? When 'moving' a page one is instructed to check for double redirects. When I moved Clement Moore->Clement Clarke Moore I was so paranoid I went and changed the link at every single occurance of his name (and there were alot of them). Would rather not have to do it again now that I've moved 'Dr. Harry Cooper'->Harry Cooper (veterinarian). Guess laziness (and time constraints, to be fair) is setting in.

2. Is there an easy way to check what categories exist in order to pick the best ones for a new article. E.g., I put 'Harry Spira' in List of dog topics (I think...?) but, since he's a noted Australian vet, he should be in some Australian category, too. There are just thousands, too many to read through the lists one by one. Any way to narrow it down?

Quill 22:51, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

1. I've always assumed that they mean a redirect to a redirect but that you don't have to fret too much about single redirects. The former do show up in the What Links Here to the original page as redirects. Some people spend time finding even single redirects and fixing them; others might change them as they find them or leave them alone, claiming that those aren't the major draw on resources & we shd be spending time writing articles. I dont' believe there's an official policy on that. Elf | Talk 23:09, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

2. Guess! ;-) I'm starting to find that it works, as more topics are created. E.g., I tried "Category:Desserts" and sure enough it existed. DOesn't work so well for "Category:Australians who write about dogs" kinds of things. I'm trying to change (but I don't seem to be asking in the right place) where the CATEGORIES text link at the bottom of each page goes. Right now it goes to the full list which, as you say, is completely useless. I'd like it to go to one of Wikipedia:Category, Category:Categories, or Category:Fundamental. Much better places to start looking.

Elf | Talk 23:09, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

thanks. elf

how could "elf" NOT be interested in the Xmas article? it's almost "feature quality", if someone is aggressive enough to whack away at that goofy history stuff. I haven't a feel yet for how rough to be on these things. i try to leave at least a kernel of the original. btw, i don't know if i'm performing this "talk" procedure correctly. Sfahey 18:14, 21 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Dog chariot

Thanks for your response about finding my Dog chariot Carnival photos. Alas, the photos are a bit too blury, which I'm sure is why I wound up not using them in the article. This was one of the strange events that can be seen on the streets during New Orleans Mardi Gras. Some people put a good bit of effort into the day's performance art. The dogs seemed in a good mood as they pulled the happy charioteers through the streets at a good trot. I got two quick snapshots before they disappeared around a corner-- one of those things I might not otherwise have been sure I saw. :-) Cheers, -- Infrogmation 04:39, 22 Aug 2004 (UTC)

no edit conflict intended

Are you working on Mutt now? If so, I'll back off. Quill 01:44, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Okay, edits at Mutt plus strikeout (with comments) as you suggest on the featured article page. I'll be around for the next 36 hours or so, then away for a couple of days. Quill 02:06, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Corgis

No recollection, sorry. ("Dog photo inventory"?) Adam 05:52, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

redirect question

Hi Elf. I didn't know where to turn. I just tried to add a new article on the "Yellow-rumped Warbler", which species was formed by merger of "Myrtle" and "Audubon's" Warblers by the Amer.Ornith.Union. It's preserved in my "contributions", but the internal link still gets "redirected" to the pages for "Myrtle Warbler" and "Audubon's Warbler". I (generously) left these kind of outdated pages pretty much intact, as some people still "know" of them as separate. I can't figure out to re-redirect the link so "Yellow-rumped Warbler" gets its long overdue page. Thanks. Sfahey 22:03, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for your Elfin input. 'Twas all very confusing, but it appears that there was an old "yellow-rumped warbler" article buried under all the redirects. It resurfaced, with updates, perhaps due to the work of another wiki-birder. This fellow seems pretty expert, and I'll leave it the way he doctored it up. BTW, since this comment is entered under the "edit" function, instead of as a "new" message, will it register a "you have a message" message? Sfahey 16:56, 25 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Fox Terrier photos

Didn't mean to have two of MFT 'Lucky'. It was right at the beginning; din't know what I was doing. The photo at the article is properly credited; the other one can be deleted.

I'll look into changing the licenses. Some of those are famous dogs, so I'm not sure. It's a bit hard for me to argue; I don't really believe in free license in this instance. Will f/u and let you know. Quill 22:45, 23 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Corgi

I think all this paranoia about photo sourcing is quite unnecessary. I've been a journalist for many years, and my experience is that only photos anyone cares about are (a) current news photos ripped off from media websites (b) fashion photography and similar "designer" photos (c) "art" photos by big-name photographers. Everything else is junk and no-one cares about it after a few years. A 35-year-old publicity photo of HM comes under the junk category. Adam 00:30, 24 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Water

Hi. I left a message for you on Talk:List of British English words not used in American English. If you've got broadband I hope you find the ad amusing. Mintguy (T) 02:45, 26 Aug 2004 (UTC)

MINPINS!

Hey, I saw what you did with my Miniature Pinscher stub. I couldn't figure out how to get that table in there! How did you do that? Also, I want to post an image of the Minpin, Pavlov, that lives beneath me. He a little chubby, but very cute. What do I do? THX! Roodog2k 00:38, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

anon hr editor

For what it's worth, I've started a status page User:Joy/Anonymous Croatian editor from 6x.y.z.w in an effort to streamline discussions about our mutual acquaintance :)

The last couple of entries from your list on the user page aren't from the same guy, BTW. The 8x.y.z.w IP is from Turkey, while the 193.198.x.y IP is from Croatia. Our guy is from the United States (likely Ohio).

--Joy [shallot] 17:12, 3 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Category N

I changed your redirects for "Category N" (N=1..5) to point at Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale instead of tropical cyclone. It's a bit more specific destination that'll tell people what the category means. -- Cyrius|✎ 04:57, 6 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Australian Cattle Dogs

I see what you mean about the ACD page. I've got some images I want to upload, and I've actually fought off my "male" tendencies and read the instructions, but I'm still confused about how to upload images. If I'm working on my own personal webpage, I ftp the files into a particular directory, write the html to point to it, and there you are. How does that work in a Wiki context? Thanks for any help you can give. Jimhutchins 01:57, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Found it. Never mind. Emily Litella Jimhutchins 03:20, 9 Sep 2004 (UTC)

vizslas

i just discovered that both the "hungarian vizsla" and the "hungarian wirehaired vizsla" are on the dog breed list, but that the wirehaired page redirects to the other one. so, which one is the more appropriate name to be used in the list? [[User:Lachatdelarue|Lachatdelarue (talk)]] 03:58, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

- you know, i should really do some looking for myself before i ask questions... all of the alt. names redirect to hungarian vizsla, so i'm going to remove the wirehaired link from the list. [[User:Lachatdelarue|Lachatdelarue (talk)]] 04:02, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Actually the CKC and The KC both recognize them as separate breeds, so they shd probably both remain on the list. The redirect is probably a work-around until someone wants to write up a real article. Or to discuss them both in the same article as is done for, say, Dachshunds. Elf | Talk 04:03, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

ok, i reverted the breed list back (i had removed the link right before you responded) and made a slight edit to the hungarian vizsla page. [[User:Lachatdelarue|Lachatdelarue (talk)]] 04:14, 10 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Pekeapoo

Nope, the pekeapoo in the photo died back in the early '80s. I wouldn't object to a clearer shot of another one though. - Hephaestos|§ 07:24, 11 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Slaughter house

I added a message at vfd. I've not only witnessed the game, I've been popped in the head by a mis-thrown tennis ball while I was doing recess duty, resulting in a bruised face and a schoolwide suspension of the game for a 2-week period. I have no idea how widespread the game is, though. Joyous 20:28, Sep 11, 2004 (UTC)

Hi, Elf. :) I'm still kind of new here... I added the Slaughter house content to Wall Ball, but I'm unsure about making a redirect. Is it as simple as replacing all content on slaughter-house with #REDIRECT [[Wall Ball]]? I just want to be sure I don't screw anything up. Also, does one lose the history for the redirected article then? func(talk) 02:06, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Thanks, Elf. :) I'm just wondering if SEAN FLOWERS is going to come along and try to add his name back into the article. ;-) func(talk) 02:41, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Image:SacredDaturaFx Wb2.jpg

Great photo! And thanks for the edits to Zion National Park. BTW, that article is a featured article candidate. --mav 01:23, 12 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Zion

I removed them because they left blank space on the top (in my browser and/or skin, anyway). Feel free to reinstate them. Thanks. :) [[User:Neutrality|Neutrality (talk)]] 04:29, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Template:Visual System

Elf, I'm working on this (it's one of my areas of expertise) and it's, reasonably enough, locked. Problem is, the list on the template is incomplete; it needs two more items (optic tract and optic radiations) to be a parallel, thorough set. I'm not enough of a Wikipedian to determine who authored the locked item. Can you look into this and use your Magic Administrative Wand, if possible, to fix it? Thanks. jimhutchins 24.170.15.45 23:54, 13 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Nice photo

Yeah, thanks for doing that. I removed the other dogs from the artificial selection article; I think we need some funny-looking sheep, pigs or cows to emphasise the importance to agriculture. Any offers welcome :) Dunc_Harris|☺ 22:33, 14 Sep 2004 (UTC)

move page help

I've been moving the cat breed pages to titles that don't include the word "cat" (since it's a bit redundant). I need Scottish Fold cat moved to Scottish Fold, and British Shorthair cat moved to British Shorthair but there are redirects at the target pages, so the system won't let me move them. Could you assist me in this?

Thanks for the help. [[User:Lachatdelarue|Lachatdelarue (talk)]] 18:52, 15 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Siberian Husky Page

I liked your edit on the "coat" section. I am casanova btw, just changed my username. I think if your going to divide the line between racing siberians and show pets, that you should include something regarding Seppalla Siberian Sleddogs, because there is supposed to be no true difference in regards to Siberians for the ring and Siberians on the trail, the Conformance in the ring is meant to provide the best working dog outside the ring, and as we all know this is not the case however, I think that a truer version of this would be the Seppalla dogs that are being bred for the purpose of pure racing. Woolgatherer

Hey Again

Yeah, I like the story behind it, and I am a pisces so I dream ALL the time. Thanks, 16 years wow.. I've only have one for 4 years hehe... I am 18 btw, engulfed myself regarding Siberians and sleddogs and racing ever since I was 12, got one when I was 14. Red and White Sibe...

Response to question

I think it may have been an honest mistake but the user created a page called Parampara. I rollbacked the edit but the page was deleted (hence no edit history). I left a test message with the good intention that it was just a mistake or a misunderstanding rather then vandalism. Here is the log- 06:53, 17 Sep 2004 Stormie deleted "Parampara" (content was: '{delete}hi').

Thanks for the question hope this cleared things up for you. :) Arminius 16:03, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Sapsali

Saw your message Elf.

Out of town this week; will be really swamped over the next two.

I'll go check what I can fill in from memory; will put it on the 'to do' list. Quill 23:19, 17 Sep 2004 (UTC)