User talk:SV Resolution

Serial Data Communication

I see that you are somewhat new to this wiki, and possibly Wiki writing in general. I would recommend that you add comments onto the discussion page of the article instead of embeding them within the text of the article itself. The purpose of this is to try and keep the text itself clean in terms of editing.

I know that you had some criticisms about the content of the Prerequisite section of the Programming:Serial Data Communications Wikibook. Some of this is semantics that you are picking at, but I can acknowledge that there is a need to reword what I am saying there. Thank you for that criticism, and I'll try to rework it to something that makes the intent come across in a more positive manner, as well as be more clear where and how it seems from by background where most computer programmers seem to pick up this knowledge. I was trying to suggest that learning about serial data communications, or most remote access environment protocols, does not come from a university class that they took trying to get a degree but rather something they had to pick up "on the job" when they were given an assignment by a supervisor to take care of some issue. That learning usually came from a book, and a poorly written book at that. I know this Wikibook isn't that great to behold either, but at least it is a start, and it has the potential to become something much better. --Rob Horning 20:47, 17 August 2005 (UTC)

Printable wikibooks

(Sorry it took so long to reply) Yes, I'll try and write a script that converts wikibooks to PDF, possibly by changing the mediawiki code itself. I'm not planning to do this in the immediate future though -- I don't have enough time for this now. It's a larger project than it sounds...

Sideris 20:54, 23 August 2005 (UTC)

wikijunior

If you can point me at the articles you are working on, I'll give some more specific advice. I think material should be understandable by anyone in the age group, so it might be that simpler expressions are more appropriate, but I think the content itself can be aimed pretty high. If you want some info on who wants these books, maybe User:Zanimum on wikipedia might have some info. I do have a lot going on, but if there's some specific help you need I'll do my best. Pedant 05:50, 26 August 2005 (UTC)

Zanimum also comes around here from time to time. Sj 02:31, 2 September 2005 (UTC)

Images

Yes I did use to use MS Word but I did eventually get a proper drawing program (Serif Draw Plus) and I used that to create the Sun diagram. However there is nothing to stop you from taking the PNG and putting it as a background and so putting new text over the top. Or you could use a bitmap image editor like the Gimp and directly alter it that way. Theresa knott 21:33, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

Hi. Please see my note on the Solar System Talk Page. Danny 03:28, 7 September 2005 (UTC)

I was glad to help, if only a little. I am in the process of moving right now, from New York to Florida, closing up one job and starting on another, so my time is rather limited. On the good side though, I will have LOTS more time to devote to Wikipedia once I start my new job. Danny 22:53, 11 September 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior proofreading process

I don't think it's a dumb idea at all! I'm glad you thought of it, it really got this project moving along. :) Maybe you could tell me what you think of my idea. I want to create a page called "Pages needing images" or something like that, for all current (and future) Wikijunior projects. For Solar System images aren't a problem, but for other modules there are either poor quality images on commons, none at all, or fair use or copyrighted images on the Wikipedias. Hopefully, we can get some good images, and it'll be another way for people to contribute. What do you think? --Shanel 00:58, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

Thanks, I actually didn't know WORD could do that. You're right, it is really hard to bring the reading level down. Even after I edited it to have simpler words and sentences, the reading level only went from 9.5 to 9.4. :( I really wish we could get our hands on some actual kids; this would be alot easier. :D--Shanel 00:33, 15 September 2005 (UTC)

I found this website. I think it also would be very helpful in bringing down the grade level.--Shanel 01:55, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

Capitalization

Hi,

Please use on Meta sentence-style capitalization, also in headers and page titles, that is the standard there.--Patrick 21:12, 13 September 2005 (UTC)

Missing information in Wikijunior

I noticed that for Neptune, there's no section for how long a year is. When we're done proofreading, will we have a chance to add missing information to the modules?--Shanel 19:41, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

OK, I'll add it in now. Any idea on when's the latest we can finish all this proofreading? It seems like you and I are the only ones doing anything!--Shanel 21:33, 24 September 2005 (UTC)

October 3?!

There's no way we'll reach that deadline without some help! I'm going to try to recruit people from the Simple English Wikipedia. I'll also see if I can get my silly brother and some friends to help out.--Shanel 00:11, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

References

When I'm copy editing the references, should I mention which specific section the fact came from, if possible? For example, if the reference was to the Wikipedia article on Pluto, and it was referenced for the size of Pluto, should I mention the section it came from? Or is leaving the whole article as a reference fine? --Shanel 05:02, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

Alright, I'll see if I can find some more non-wikipedia sources. But for most facts I have the NASA website and Wikipedia as references, so I guess all I have to do is just remove the Wikipedia reference.--Shanel 20:01, 26 September 2005 (UTC)

I've removed all Wikipedia references now. Pluto is just about done!--Shanel 03:19, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Neptune and Uranus are done as well--Shanel 00:20, 28 September 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior Solar System

Can you point me at a couple of tasks I could do to help get the wikijunior Solar System book out? Pedant 19:49, 27 September 2005 (UTC)

Deadline

Are we still trying to make the October 3rd deadline, or is there a new timeline? -- Rachel 20:37, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

Beck Foundation

In answer to your question at meta, it's the John and Frances Beck Foundation. This was confirmed today by Michael Davis who checked the name on the $10,000 check they sent us. Angela 19:22, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

On Copy Editing Solar System

sorry about the changes in your sentences on wikijunior: solar system , but the sentences I changed dont make sence gramatically. I understand they're for 8-12 year olds, but the book does not flow well the way those sentences are currently placed. I am also checking punctuation, Grammar, Spelling and such. Part of the copy edit is to make the book flow correctly, and currently (as a result of so many people working on it) it does not. Please share your thoughts -Basejumper123 17:43 (UST), 31 October 2005

Thanks

I really don't think that its nessasary to reopen copy edit, perhaps a final grade-level check would be nice, but don't you think that the most of the work was already done? I mean, the book flows well, it sounds reasonable for 8-12 year olds, and it has VERY few gramatical errors. I dont know, but maybe the page just wasent ready for the phase it was in when I found it. Your thoughts,

-Basejumper123 17:50 (UST), 1 November 2005

Hi

No problem, ill find some other sources, but i mean i checked the data on wikipedia versus other sites and it seemed to be accurate. Just about every teacher i know will accept wikipedia as a credible source....so...... but anyway its not a problem

-Basejumper123

HA HA Ok

Im really not trying to argue at all, and trust me i have read your profile. -Basejumper123

Ok

I will set a source at each of the facts, can you just leave short messages in future? I dont need examples, and i dont need you to treat me as an inferior, ok?

Copy of my response to your post re "About weight and gravity"

Thanks for your comments, SV Resolution. I agree that its all too easy for Wikijunior books to become overgrown, but this module About weight and gravity is offered as a replacement for About gravity, mass, and weight (or, at least, most of a replacement). I feel a decision needs to be reached as to whether one or other of these modules is included, or none like them at all. I think there's a case for including such a module, as I've already come across areas in the book where it might usefully be referenced, e.g. the Comets module which I have been (but have currently suspended) copyediting. Best wishes, David Kernow 12:26, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior Solar System/Solar System

Since you removed the "this module is finished" noticed, the module is getting "unfinished". Words are getting added. The reading level is going up. I am almost convinced that it is absolutely impossible to get an entire book ready for publication at the same time. Do you have any ideas on how to get a module proofread and then held static? Thanks for your thoughts.

--SV Resolution 02:01, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

I'd suggest something along the lines of the following. Have an administrator announce that a module is to undergo a final period of copyediting and proofreading, leading to a vote to protect that version of the module from further editing. All those wishing to take part in the vote have N days in which to register their interest. After that, once those who have registered to vote reach a consensus that the module is ready, the supervising administrator protects that version of the module and anyone else who has come along since (or who didn't register their interest, etc) will be editing what will/might become the next version of the module. Once this has occurred for all modules, you have a first (second, third, etc) version of the Wikibook for printing.

As regards my intervention in the Solar System module, this arose because I have begun to work my way through the Wikijunior Solar System modules removing the adult-style superscripted reference numbers, URLs, etc from the text and replacing them with quotes from the text linked to the references in each module's separate References section. While beginning to do this for Solar System I felt there were some fundamental steps missing from the story outlined at the start of the module. If my attempt to insert them has created too demanding a text, I apologise and believe it should be possible to resimplify the text without losing them.

I am convinced that is impossible to declare an entire Wikibook – even a Wikijunior book – ready for publication unless something in the spirit of the above is agreed. Otherwise, yes, "Maybe a wiki is a lousy place to write a book".

David Kernow 03:49, 6 December 2005 (UTC)

Wikijunior Solar System

Are you familiar with the process of rounding up admins, getting them to do stuff, etc? I'm not. If you want to propose a change in the finished project of the proofreading process, why not go ahead and do that. Follow your own approach. Do "we" agree on taking the references out right now? How about on how to do that? The nice thing about having them where they are is that they show which facts have been checked.

--SV Resolution 01:16, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

A vote was started sometime ago here on how to treat referencing and as there has been no votes or comments against keeping them away from the text, I have forged onward. I believe young people prefer reading texts without superscripts or the like (see here). I'm aware that the format I'm implementing is less specific, but so far I feel it is still sufficiently specific to indicate the source/s of nearly each and every fact. Since most of the references I've parsed thus far refer to the same four or so sources per modules, I'm tempted to plan a second pass through them to remove such redundancy. I would however propose such an idea first.

I am more concerned that my efforts to copyedit (not proofread) the modules may result in sentences etc that are too demanding for our target audience. I would very much appreciate your (and anyone else) pointing out when you feel that has happened – or, probably better, simply rephrasing it. Back on the Wikijunior Solar System talk page (and perhaps elsewhere) I've enquired whether anyone has easy contact with a bunch of 7-12 year olds so we can benefit from some feedback. Elsewhere someone has mentioned they received a positive response from a (or maybe a few) young person/people but I'd like to feel reassured about the assumptions modules already make about young people's grasp of numbers, scale, history, etc, etc before I unwittingly add any more.

Meanwhile, I'm not familiar with the process of rounding up admins etc but if (or probably when) push comes to shove I'd sort out what to do and put what we've been discussing before them.

Best wishes, David Kernow 03:18, 9 December 2005 (UTC)

What is SIMPLE about?

If you are still interested, Simple English Wikibooks are books written with simple words and grammar. The project is still very young, it just got it's first sysop this week! The developers are (to my knowledge) working on a single log in for all wiki sites. I'll get you the link if you are interested. -- Gerard Foley ~

Re: Unclesamwantsyou.jpg

Hello, SV Resolution. Thanks for the message. I don't think I ever uploaded the image, so I unfortunately don't have any copies of it. I do recall, however, working with the image previously but can't remember how - how did you see my name attached with the image? I can't seem to remember now. If you need a higher resolution image, I would suggest checking with Brian0918, who uploaded it originally to Commons, or searching the Library of Congress archives. Good luck, and thanks! Flcelloguy 00:27, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

Stubs and categories

Hmm tricky one. The articles should have categories as well as stub categories. When I last looked the two hierarchies didnot correspond, so no automated solution was possible. Definitely, though, the stub category should not be thought of as a replacement, ersatz or place holder for a real category. These articles should have {{uncatstub}} put on them. Rgds, Rich Farmbrough, 16:23 2 August 2007 (GMT).