Mod Post

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

So.

1. The new layout: yay or nay? I just thought it was time to change the look of the comm. a bit.

2. TAGGING. With the help and guidance of the Lord the Supreme Being, I have finally tagged everything that's been posted...well, in the past two years, more or less. My eyes hurt, and I never want to have to type 'queries, robespierre' ever again. But the point is...it should now be somewhat easier to find what you're looking for/see if anyone has already asked a certain question/etc. I'm also up for suggestions if anyone thinks there's a better way to tag things; I've already gotten rid of weird double tags (camille desmoulins vs. desmoulins, for example. I went with the former, because more posts had already been tagged that way), misspelled tags, and added more for individual people. But yes, if anyone has a suggestion about how tagging could be made better, just let me know.

3. Related to the above, please tag your posts from now on (if you haven't already been doing so). No need to worry about whether or not you're tagging them with the absolute right set of words; if I see anything that I think needs to be added or taken away, I'll just quietly move in and fix it. :)

4. Should we bring back monthly discussion points? If so, what kind of topics would you like to see?

Comments

[josiana.livejournal.com]

I like the layout. ^_^ It is reminiscent of the blood of angry men, and therefore endearing.

I would um, endorse bringing them back, but I'm too shy to ever comment on them, so it would be wrong of me to ask you to take your time like that. :D

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

I've changed it again. Is this one okay by you as well? :D

Okay! I think I'll bring them back. Thank you for the input~

[nirejseki.livejournal.com]

I approve of the format of the new layout (though the color sort of hurts my eyes, though it's not really that bad).

And yes, I'd be interested! I wasn't around when the first ones were, so I'm all for it, though I don't know what sort of things would be asked. ^^ I also wouldn't mind if we occasionally had fic/art/vid/essay/plain old historical geekery challenge prompts, as well as [though certainly not instead of] serious historical discussion prompts.

May I say though that I'm thoroughly impressed with the tagging? That must have taken forever.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

I've changed it again. Do you like this one? The color is a bit easier on the eyes.

Thanks for the input! I think I'm definitely bringing back the discussion points, and the challenge prompts sound like a really good idea as well. Perhaps they could tie in with the monthly discussion point? Hmmm...

Thank you! It did take a while, but not as long as it could have, thankfully; I did the same thing in late 2007, so at least everything before that was already tagged. XD; I am never falling behind on them again.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

1. I like the color, though to be honest it's a bit modern for my tastes.

3. You might point out that a helpful way to do this is to check the tags that are already there... Which would, of course, require less fixing.

4. I'm all for it. However, I'm afraid I don't have a lot of ideas.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

1. I've changed it again - to the theme you have for your journal, actually! Do you like it better this way? I went for the other layout initially because I liked the way it arranged tags better, but then I discovered that you can customize that particular feature on a number of different layouts. XD;

3. Ah, good idea.

4. Thank you for the input! I think I'll be bringing them back.

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

1. I do like it, if I do say so myself. Though the comm is starting to take on a very, er, me flavor, considering I also designed the icon. XD;

4. I also thought of a possible idea for a new feature. We could have some kind of challenge question. Specifically, I was thinking one involving quotes. Someone could either post one quote and have people guess the author, or several quotes and several names and have people try to match them up... What do you think?

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, I do like that idea! I'll start it off at the same time as the first new discussion post, and then ask for a volunteer to come up with the quote(s) for next month. Does that sound good?

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

Sounds good to me. The only trick would be finding something obscure enough that it wouldn't automatically pop up on the first page if you googled it. Either that or we could have a no googling rule for this particular "game".

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Yes, very true. I think I'll try the "no Googling" rule for the first one and see how that goes. I'll be posting it later this week (instead of along with the discussion post, as I had planned - curse you, lack of time!). :D

[estellacat.livejournal.com]

It will be unenforceable, of course. But I think people will realize that there's really no point if you're going to cheat.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

That's what I'm hoping for, anyway. XD;

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

I've changed it again. Do you like this one better? I used the other one at first because I liked the way it arranged tags...and then I found out that you can actually customize that feature on most layouts. Ha.

Then again, it's more about the content of the journal than how it's presented.

Oh, absolutely. Which is one of the reasons I hope to get the monthly discussion points started again.

[lucieandco.livejournal.com]

2.
a)Some misspelled tags remaining: 'sophia coppola' is 'sofia coppola', 'wadja' is 'wajda', and 'stanislawa przbyszewska' is 'stanisława przybyszewska'.

b)Personally I would also like to see all names in the same format. This would make it easier for future posters to decide how to tag an entry dealing with a person who does not yet exist as a tag.
It does make sense to have a 'camille desmoulins' tag because there is also a 'lucile desmoulins' tag and they are not the same topic, but then it would be logical to have 'maximilien robespierre' beside the 'augustin robespierre', too, as opposed to calling the former merely 'robespierre'. Though I do see how it would clash aesthetically with practically every other historical figure's being identified by last name only, members of the CSP especially.
Anyhow. I would suggest either making the rule 'multiple individuals of the same last name are to be given their (best-known) first names in addition' or deciding that 'if multiple individuals carry the same name the most prominent one is to be listed by last name and all others to be distinguished by the addition of a first name' (might then be considered putting the last name first in the tag for the sake of an orderly index: 'desmoulins', 'desmoulins lucile'; 'robespierre', 'robespierre augustin', 'robespierre charlotte'), but at any rate to apply the same format to all as far as possible. (Or else: 'Last names except for women, juniors, and journalists!'.)

Similarly, the majority of historians or fictioneers are given both (and in the first name/last name order, which is why it could be bothersome to introduce the use of last name/first name as in the above scenario, since obviously the writers should then be adjusted, too), e. g. 'albert mathiez', 'hilary mantel', whereas Andrzej Wajda is only, well, 'wadja'. Same for 'godard'. (Speaking of whom, why have a tag for him and one for 'weekend'? No other individual work has its own tag.)

c)It can be argued that 'napoleon' is the most reasonably chosen tag for the individual in question because he is so widely known in the anglophone world under just that name, but shouldn't we either make him 'napoléon i' (like the Louises XVI and XVII) or 'napoléon bonaparte' - or even (depending on what is to be the rule re: multiple individuals of the same name - there might be other Bonapartes cropping up in discussion someday) just 'bonaparte'?
What about particles? Why 'de gouges' but 'sade'?

d)And what is the rule/consensus regarding accents? There are accents on 'hébert', 'barère' et al, but there are none on 'napol[é]on', '[é]l[é]onore duplay', and '[é]lisabeth le bas'. For the former, see previous point; for the latter there is no reason.

e)The 'queries' tag is virtually pointless if it is as imprecise as that. Nobody is going to read through eighty-five queries to find out whether their own exists already or whether they happen to be able to help out with an unanswered one.
Perhaps distinguish between:
'queries: facts' ('Where was X at the time Y did Z?', 'When did W meet X/come to Y/do Z?', 'What would have been the amount of W among X in Y in the year Z?', etc., questions pertaining to solid information presumed available somewhere),
'queries: citations' ('I read somewhere that W said X about Y to Z; is this true? If yes, what is the original source, and if no, who first spread the rumour?'),
'queries: theories' ('What are the possible explanations for/different theories about ... ?', 'Your take on ... ?', 'Has anyone else ever wondered if ... ?', questions that presumably cannot be answered definitely with reference to primary sources but are matters of interpretation/speculation, be it yours or that of someone you read - though some of these are hardly queries at all but discussions or polls),
and 'queries: recommendations' ('What is a good book on Z?', 'Has anyone here read/seen Z? How is it?', 'I really want to cut my hair à la Collot d'Herbois, know any salons in southern Vermont that could pull it off?').
That narrows it down a little bit.

These are minor complaints and you've already spent hours sorting out the tags as it is, which is great, but the system would be even more useful if it were more ... systematic :D

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Wow! Thank you for all these helpful points. I'll correct the remaining misspellings right away (I almost typed 'write away' - that would have been amusing!), and start in on the other items soon. My only answer concerning the current lack of uniformity regarding accents, formatting of names, etc. is that I tended to just use the most prevalent existing tag for a person, whether or not it agreed precisely with the way others were laid out. But I'll work on changing that! :D

[lucieandco.livejournal.com]

Fantastique! (And while the red wasn't godawful, the little ink pot's certainly better!)

[lucieandco.livejournal.com]

OMG/SB, I see you've done the queries thing. This must have been a colossal amount of work. AWESOME.

[misatheredpanda.livejournal.com]

I think the colour of the new layout is a bit too bright, it's hurting my eyes... though otherwise the new layout seems all right... much as red is my favourite, maybe a nice Republican blue would be a bit easier to navigate? :]

And I totally misread #2 and thought there was actually a tag called "camille desmoulins vs. desmoulins". I propose you do create this tag and I swear I will use it.

Monthly discussion sounds like a good idea even though I've never been good at participating. :/ Maybe we could ask for volunteers and rotate the responsibility of starting off a discussion post...?

As always, thanks for all your efforts Citoyenne C. &hearts :D

[maelicia.livejournal.com]

thought there was actually a tag called "camille desmoulins vs. desmoulins". I propose you do create this tag and I swear I will use it.
I second this and will totally comment on that post. XDDDD

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Ah! Temptation to do so rising...! XD

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

I've changed it again. Do you like this one better? :D The colors are a bit easier on the eyes, and it looks altogether more appropriate, I think.

XD! I am so very, very tempted. Visions of Camille fighting windmills à la Don Quixote are dancing through my head.

Thank you for the input! I think I'll be bringing them back.

Aww, thank you, Citoyenne L. ♥~

[misatheredpanda.livejournal.com]

I do like this one, it's nice and easy to read. I also like how the text of the posts themselves shows up a little better - bigger and more prominent, easier to read.

Omsb. I actually just loled at the breakfast table (..where I sit reading rev_fr because I'm anti-social). I hadn't even thought of it that way, but then, you're Really Freaking Clever. XDDD I feel I must illustrate this when I have a moment free.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

I feel I must illustrate this when I have a moment free.

YES! Do itttttt, citoyenne. It would be for the good of the republic!

[janewt.livejournal.com]

Okay, I too just loled at the breakfast table. Lunch table, whatever.

I like this newest layout--easier on the eyes. Thank you!

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

No problem! :D

[misatheredpanda.livejournal.com]

Addendum about the tagging: I realised (just now when I went to have a look at the tags) that I automatically search for 'desmoulins' first rather than 'camille' - probably being used to looking it up in the index of a book. I realise it's not as neat to do it that way since tags can't contain commas, but maybe it would make sense to organise it last name first just omitting punctuation, e.g. "desmoulins camille", "desmoulins lucile", "robespierre maximilien", "robespierre augustin"...? Obviously you've done a great job and people should still be able to find whatever they're looking for, it's just a little detail that might help make the search process faster.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

This is a really good idea, both to organize it better and to make all of the people tags more uniform. I'll get to work on it sometime this week! :D

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

Likies the new layout ^^ I know seriously, it was about time! I kind of had this odd thing where i have to change layouts over and over again because i just kind of get bored of them.

and all that tagging =/ that must of taken FOREVER. I can totally imagine!


oooh monthly discussions..ohhhhhhhh xP I have no idea off the top of my head *is drawing a blank*

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the input!

[missweirdness.livejournal.com]

Actually I have some ideas on what we can discuss. And they are big, except I have a hard time wording them lmao.

Go me.
xD

Because i'm always wondering and thinking..=/ overacted brain..

[bettylabamba.livejournal.com]

The new layout is fab. And thanks for doing the tagging stuff.

[trf-chan.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. :D What have you been up to? Haven't heard from you in a while!