Memory Alpha has changed the name Rhaandarite to Vegan

[Jinn]

Actually, Memory Alpha's guidelines are a bit vague when it comes to which background sources can be used as article names.

For those who enjoy reading Memory Alpha arguments, here are a few more:

Forum:Alternate reality official name
Forum:Is the AR info applicable to the PR
Talk:Earth-Kzin Wars
Talk:Kzinti
Talk:Rigellian

Wow, these are really really stupid...:

Forum:Becoming an administrator (part 1)
Forum:How does one speak to an admin? (part 2)
Forum:Why is this wiki not allowing admin status for major contributors? (part 3)

These are just funny. Reminds of the late 5Billion...

Talk:Blastoneuron

I actually read this one when it came out.

Anyways, thanks for some very entertaining hours of Trek nitpicking and rule bending.

What I find bizarre about the Memory Alpha argument -- and I commented on this in one of the talk pages -- is that they're treating "alternate reality" as if it were an actual proper name for a specific individual timeline, rather than just a category identifier like "red giant star" or "dwarf galaxy." There have been other timelines in Trek that have been described in dialogue as alternate realities, so it's obviously meant as a generic label rather than a specific one. Nobody would argue that the article for Vulcan should be renamed "Desert planet" or that the article for Data should be renamed "Positronic android."

Yeah, someone pointed at that the Kelvin timeline was called "an alterante reality" which made it quite clear that it was not a name...

 

[Idran]

What I find bizarre about the Memory Alpha argument -- and I commented on this in one of the talk pages -- is that they're treating "alternate reality" as if it were an actual proper name for a specific individual timeline, rather than just a category identifier like "red giant star" or "dwarf galaxy." There have been other timelines in Trek that have been described in dialogue as alternate realities, so it's obviously meant as a generic label rather than a specific one. Nobody would argue that the article for Vulcan should be renamed "Desert planet" or that the article for Data should be renamed "Positronic android."

It seems like the argument (not saying I agree, just presenting it) is that while it's not actually a name, it's the only in-text way it's been referred to, and so they're using the generic description as an identifier the same way they do on articles like this one. It's a side effect of MA's insistence that the names of articles come only from canon sources, far as I can tell.

Except in some cases, I guess.

 

[Christopher]

It seems like the argument (not saying I agree, just presenting it) is that while it's not actually a name, it's the only in-text way it's been referred to, and so they're using the generic description as an identifier the same way they do on articles like this one. It's a side effect of MA's insistence that the names of articles come only from canon sources, far as I can tell.

But then why have articles named "Intrepid-type starship," say, instead of just "Starfleet vessel"? Sure, it's not going as far as calling it Intrepid Class as Memory Beta does, but it's still giving it a specific identifier rather than a generic one, because it's useful to be specific. Hell, even "Klingon prison planet" is more specific than just "prison planet." "Alternate reality" is far too generic to be useful as the heading of an article about a specific alternate reality. Even something like "Post-2233 alternate reality" would be a better name for it.

 

[Jinn]

But then why have articles named "Intrepid-type starship," say, instead of just "Starfleet vessel"? Sure, it's not going as far as calling it Intrepid Class as Memory Beta does, but it's still giving it a specific identifier rather than a generic one, because it's useful to be specific. Hell, even "Klingon prison planet" is more specific than just "prison planet." "Alternate reality" is far too generic to be useful as the heading of an article about a specific alternate reality. Even something like "Post-2233 alternate reality" would be a better name for it.

In the German MB we called it the "New Timeline" before the renaming to Kelvin Timeline.

 

[Christopher]

In the German MB we called it the "New Timeline" before the renaming to Kelvin Timeline.

I know "new" is "neue," but what's German for "timeline?"

 

[Jinn]

I know "new" is "neue," but what's German for "timeline?"

"Zeitlinie". It's pretty much a literal translation.

 

[Christopher]

Ah, I thought it might be "Zeit"-something, but I wasn't sure if that meant "time" in that particular sense.

 

[Tosk]

Yay! That "error correction" to Vegan was so frustrating! Thanks everyone!


Pop! Trek by Ian McLean, on Flickr

Cool custom! Was that a Riff Raff originally?

 

[Jinn]

Ah, I thought it might be "Zeit"-something, but I wasn't sure if that meant "time" in that particular sense.

This is one of the times were the german language ain't a complete clusterfuck.

 

[Christopher]

It's just that I mainly know it from "zeitgeist," where it refers more to a particular period in time ("the spirit of the times") than to the overall concept of time itself. English uses the same word for both, but that doesn't mean another language would.

 

[Jinn]

It's just that I mainly know it from "zeitgeist," where it refers more to a particular period in time ("the spirit of the times") than to the overall concept of time itself. English uses the same word for both, but that doesn't mean another language would.

I completely forgot that the word "zeitgeist" exists... It's funny to see german words used as regular english words. Or irritating, like when I read VGR: Protectors and suddenly Tom said "gesundheit" to B'Ellanna after she said something in Klingon. I double checked the cover to be sure that I was actually reading the English copy and then google the word to be sure that I wasn't going insane.

 

[Christopher]

^Well, there's been a large German immigrant population in the US for generations (very much so in my hometown, Cincinnati), so we've picked up a fair amount of the vocabulary. Although during the World Wars, a lot of German family, street, and business names were changed or localized to avoid being associated with "the enemy."

 

[Jinn]

Although during the World Wars, a lot of German family, street, and business names were changed or localized to avoid being associated with "the enemy."

Completely understandable.

 

[Christopher]

Completely understandable.

Well, in the sense that being afraid of racist persecution is understandable, I guess. I used to think it was only the Japanese who were subjected to horrible bigotry during WWII, but I've since learned that German- and Italian-Americans faced a lot of persecution as well, based on nothing more than sharing ancestry with the actual enemy. And it stinks that anyone had to be treated that way, to be made afraid to acknowledge their own heritage.

 

[Jinn]

I used to think it was only the Japanese who were subjected to horrible bigotry during WWII, but I've since learned that German- and Italian-Americans faced a lot of persecution as well, based on nothing more than sharing ancestry with the actual enemy.

As did I, until now. One would assume that that came up at one point during history class in Germany...

And it stinks that anyone had to be treated that way, to be made afraid to acknowledge their own heritage.

While I don't particularly care for my own heritage or feel any kind of patriotism, if anyone feels different about these things they definitivly shouldn't be harassed by anyone. Though I would be careful about the patriotism part, which in my experience often leads to a "we are better than you" feeling, which in turn leads to opression of people who embrace their own, different heritage. An example would be this.. er "politician". Also I think I am getting a bit to political for TrekLit forum...

 

[Avro Arrow]

An example would be this.. er "politician". Also I think I am getting a bit to political for TrekLit forum...

Is he vegan? Then it'd kinda be on-topic.

 

[Jinn]

Is he vegan? Then it'd kinda be on-topic.

No, but he is rhaandarite.

alternative answer: No he is not vegan. He is a [shitty] human being, you can't just eat him, McGhostface!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Cool custom! Was that a Riff Raff originally?

Yes indeed! And thanks.

 

[Avro Arrow]

alternative answer: No he is not vegan. He is a [shitty] human being, you can't just eat him, McGhostface!

Ghosts don't eat people. You may be thinking of zombies!

 

[Jinn]

Ghosts don't eat people. You may be thinking of zombies!

Ah, sorry. So where is Zomby McZombieface?