text:
Kruševo Republic

The Kruševo Republic (Bulgarian and Macedonian: Крушевска Република, Kruševska Republika; Republica di Crushuva) was a short-lived political entity proclaimed in 1903 by rebels from the Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMRO) in Kruševo during the anti-Ottoman Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising.

History
In the early 20th century, Kruševo was populated by a Slavic population, Aromanians and Orthodox Albanians with town inhabitants being ethnoreligiously split among various Ottoman millets, with Greek Patriarchists being the largest community, followed by Bulgarian Exarchists and the Ullah millet for the Aromanians. According to the ethnographer Vasil Kanchov's statistics based on linguistic affinity, at that time the town's inhabitants counted: 4,950 Bulgarians, 4,000 Vlachs (Aromanians) and 400 Orthodox Albanians.

On 3 August 1903, rebels captured the town of Kruševo in the Manastir Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire (present-day North Macedonia) and established a revolutionary government. The entity existed only for 10 days: from 3 to 13 August, and was headed by Nikola Karev. He was a strong leftist, rejecting the nationalism of the ethnic minorities and favouring alliances with ordinary Muslims against the Sultanate, as well as supporting the idea of a Balkan Federation.

Amongst the various ethnoreligious groups (millets) in Kruševo, a Republican Council was elected with 60 members – 20 representatives from three groups: Aromanians, Bulgarian Exarchists and Greek Patriarchists. The Council also elected an executive body—the Provisional Government—with six members (2 from each mentioned group), whose duty was to promote law and order and manage supplies, finances, and medical care. The presumable "Kruševo Manifesto" was published in the first days after the proclamation. Written by Nikola Kirov, it outlined the goals of the uprising, calling upon the Muslim population to join forces with the provisional government in the struggle against Ottoman tyranny, to attain freedom and independence. Both Nikola Kirov and Nikola Karev were members of the Bulgarian Workers' Social Democratic Party, from where they derived these leftist ideas.

However, an ethnic identification problem arose. Karev called all the members of the local Council "brother Bulgarians", while the IMRO insurgents flew Bulgarian flags, killed five Greek Patriarchists, accused of being Ottoman spies, and subsequently assaulted the local Turk and Albanian Muslims. As long as the town was controlled by the Bulgarian komitadjis, the Patriarchist majority was suspected and terrorized. Except for Exarchist Aromanians, who were Bulgarophiles, (as Pitu Guli and his family), most members of the other ethnoreligious communities dismissed the IMRO as pro-Bulgarian.

Initially surprised by the uprising, the Ottoman government took extraordinary military measures to suppress it. Pitu Guli's band (cheta) tried to defend the town from Ottoman troops coming from Bitola. The whole band and their leader (voivode) perished. After fierce battles near Mečkin Kamen, the Ottomans managed to destroy the Kruševo Republic, committing atrocities against the rebel forces and the local population. As a result of the gunnery, the town was set partially ablaze. After the plundering of the town by the Turkish troops and the Albanian bashi-bazouks, the Ottoman authorities circulated a declaration for the inhabitants of Kruševo to sign, stating that the Bulgarian komitadjis had committed the atrocities and looted the town. A few citizens did sign it under administrative pressure.

Legacy
The celebration of the events in Kruševo began during the First World War, when the area, then called Southern Serbia, was occupied by Bulgaria. Naum Tomalevski, who was appointed a mayor of Kruševo, organized the nationwide celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising. On the place of the Battle of Mečkin Kamen, a monument and a memorial-fountain were built. After the war, they were destroyed by the Serbian authorities, which continued implementing a policy of forcible Serbianization. The tradition of celebrating these events was restored during World War II in the region when it was called Vardar Banovina and was officially annexed by Bulgaria.

The "Ilinden Uprising Museum" was founded in 1953 on the 50th anniversary of the Kruševo Republic. It was located in the empty house of the Tomalevski family, where the Republic was proclaimed, though the family had long since emigrated to Bulgaria. In 1974 an enormous monument was built on the hill above Kruševo, which marked the feat of the revolutionaries and the ASNOM. In the area, there is another monument called Mečkin Kamen.

During World War II, the newly organized pro-Yugoslav Macedonian communist partisans developed the idea of some kind of socialist continuity between their struggle and the struggle of the insurgents in Kruševo. Moreover, they exhorted the population to struggle for "free Macedonia" and against the "fascist Bulgarian occupiers". After the war, the story continued in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, where the Kruševo Republic was included in its historical narrative. The new Communist authorities successfully wiped out the remaining Bulgarophile sentiments. As part of the efforts to prove the continuity of the new Macedonian nation and the former insurgents, they claimed the IMRO activists had been consciously Macedonian in identity. The establishment of the short-lived entity is seen today in North Macedonia as a prelude to the independence of the modern Macedonian state.

Nikola Kirov's writings, which are among the most known primary sources on the rebellion, mention Bulgarians, Vlachs (Aromanians), and Greeks (sic: Grecomans), who participated in the events in Kruševo. Although post-World War II Yugoslav Communist historians objected to Kirov's classification of Kruševo's Slavic population as Bulgarian, they quickly adopted everything else in his narrative of the events in 1903 as definitive. During the Informbiro period, the name of insurgents' leader Nikola Karev was scrapped from the Macedonian national anthem, as he and his brothers were suspected of being Bulgarophiles. Some modern Macedonian historians such as Blaže Ristovski have recognized, that the entity, nowadays a symbol of the Macedonian statehood, was composed of people who identified themselves as "Greeks", "Vlachs" (Aromanians), and "Bulgarians". When the anthropologist Keith Brown visited Kruševo on the eve of the 21st century, he discovered that the local Aromanian language still has no way to distinguish "Macedonian" and "Bulgarian", and uses the designation Vrgari, i.e. "Bulgarians", for both ethnic groups.

title: Kruševo Republic


text:
Ferrol

Ferrol may refer to:

Places

 * Ferrol (comarca), a coastal region in A Coruña, Galicia, Spain
 * Ferrol, Spain, industrial city and naval station in Galicia, Spain
 * Racing de Ferrol, an association football club
 * Ferrol, Romblon, municipality in the Philippines
 * Ferrol, Virginia, town in the United States of America
 * Ferrol Island, an island of Peru

People

 * Ferrol Sams (1922–2013), American physician and novelist

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Ferrol


text:
Ferrol, Spain

Ferrol is a city in the province of A Coruña in Galicia, Spain. It is located in the Rías Altas, in the vicinity of Strabo's Cape Nerium (modern day Cape Prior). According to the 2021 census, the city has a population of 64,785, making it the seventh largest settlement in Galicia. With Eume to the south and Ortegal the north, Ferrol forms the comarca of Ferrolterra, and together with A Coruña forms the second largest conurbation in Galicia, with a total population of 640,000 in 2016.

The harbour, for depth, capacity and safety, has few equals in Europe. The entrance is very narrow, commanded by forts, and may even be shut by a boom.

The city has been a major naval shipbuilding centre for most of its history, being the capital of the Spanish Navy's Maritime Department of the North since the time of the early Bourbons. Before that, in the 17th century,   Ferrol had the largest arsenal  in Europe. Today, the city contains some of the major shipbuilding yards of the Navantia Group.

Ferrol was the birthplace of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1892. The municipality was officially named after him as "El Ferrol del Caudillo" from September 1938 to December 1982. It was also the birthplace of the founder of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), Pablo Iglesias, in 1850.

The city is one of the starting points of the English Way path of the Camino de Santiago. Because of the modern requirement that pilgrims must travel 100 km by foot in order to be officially recognized, Ferrol is the preferred starting point for pilgrims traversing the English Way.

Toponym and etymology
The first historical mention of this settlement, then called Burum  or Arotebrarum Portum, appears in the history of Pomponius Mela, a Roman historian who in the year AD 43 detailing a description of the Portus Magnus Artabrorum,  the "great port of the Artabri". The current toponym Ferrol, though, can only be traced back to the Middle Ages; a document from 1087 mentions sancto Iuliano de Ferrol, near the monastery of San Martín de Jubia (12th century, in Romanesque style), where Ferrol is probably the local evolution of the genitive form of the Latin name Ferreolus; Ferrol was probably, in origin, the estate of one Ferreolus. In 1982 the government of Spain officially adopted the name Ferrol in accordance with its long history and tradition.

Another theory about the etymology of the name Ferrol posits some relation to the Latin word ferro (iron), as the area has long been rich in metals, especially iron and tin, but also gold and silver. It is possible, since the bay of Ferrol was such a well guarded port, that the old fishing village was named after the metal by traders reaching the enclave.

Alternatively, the name may derive from the legend of a Breton saint, Ferreol, who supposedly arrived there on a ship amid a chorus of seven sirens. Another tradition says that Ferrol comes from farol, alluding to the heraldic figure that appears on the coat of arms of the city. However, according to experts, the coat of arms of Ferrol dates back only to the eighteenth century.

History
The existence of prehistoric human settlements in the area that would later become Ferrol is suggested by the abundance of burial chambers and megalithic monuments, as well as petroglyphs and other archaeological findings. The Phoenicians established in this area several dried and salted cod stations and their presence, together with that of the Ancient Greeks, is well documented by such classical historians as Herodotus, Strabo, Pomponius Mela, and Ptolemy. In Roman times, in the 1st century BC, a fishing port existed which also traded in metals (like silver, gold, tin and iron ), and wild horses. Near Ferrol there is a place called Naraío (famous for its medieval castle), whose name bears a phonetic resemblance Strabo's Nerium, modern day Cape Prior. In ancient Hispania, these parts of the Iberia were dominated by the Artabri (or Arrotrebae ), who gave their name to the Portus Magnus Artabrorum ("Great Port of the Artabri"), formed not only by the bay of Ferrol but the three rias of Ferrol, Betanzos and A Coruña. Ferrol was then, as it is today, a first class natural harbour in the treacherous waters of the Atlantic, and very well guarded. Historically, it has often been described as the best natural port in Europe.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire the whole Iberian Peninsula, including Ferrol, was raided by the Vandals and incorporated in 411 to the Suebic Kingdom of Galicia; their kingdom was incorporated in 584 by Leovigild to the Visigothic Kingdom.

Following the collapse of the Suebic-Visigothic state, these Christian parts of Iberia saw very little change in comparison with other parts of the peninsula, becoming part of the Kingdom of Asturias as early as 750AD. Over time, the Kingdom of Asturias would split into further Christian kingdoms, causing the area to change hands several times between Galicia, Leon, and finally Castile. Ferrol served as a strategic safe port during the Hundred Years' War and sided with the House of Trastamara during the Castilian Civil War. As a personal reward to Fernan Perez de Andrade, in 1371, Henry II gave the town to the powerful Andrade family.

In 1568  a fire reduced the old medieval town to rubble; in the same period some parts of the existing fortifications at the entrance of the estuary were built. The town was considered more important as a royal arsenal at this time than as a harbour.

With the arrival of the Bourbons in the 18th century, Ferrol became a leading naval centre. Ferrol was made capital of the Maritime Department of the North, formed under Ferdinand VI and Charles III for the defence of the Spanish Colonial Empire in America. Rapid improvements followed, notably under the leadership of the Marquis of Ensenada, and the position of Ferrol was made almost unassailable from the sea, the difficulties of disembarking troops on its precipitous coast being strengthened by a renewed line of fortresses and newly built castles, including that of San Carlos.

The Royal Dockyards of A Graña and Ferrol, built between 1726–1783, produced ships protected with copper sheets from the rolling mills of Xubia. In 1772, The Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers of Ferrol, the first such academy in Spain, was created. For the most laborious work, six hundred galley slaves were employed in the harbour.

Ferrol is famous in the history of the struggle between the Spanish Empire and the British for being one of the only enclaves in the world, together with Cartagena de Indias, that always resisted occupation successfully; Ferrol was virtually impossible to blockade in the age of sail, as strong westerly winds would take any blockading force away along the treacherous north coast of Spain towards the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), where they had no safe haven. The geography of Ferrol meant that an entire Spanish fleet could slip out on a single tide. By the time the British were able to resume the blockade, the Spanish would be safely away and out to sea. Despite these advantages, a decline set in during the reign of Charles IV, and in 1800, during the Ferrol Expedition, after the defences had been reduced, a British fleet of 109 vessels landed troops on the beach of Doniños to take the Castle of San Felipe. Although only equipped with meagre artillery, the castle's small defence force under the command Count Donadio, together with a sizable number of volunteer citizens of Ferrol, successfully resisted the attack and the fleet withdrew. The alliance with the United Kingdom during the Peninsular War of 1808–1814 failed to prevent the deterioration in the town's fortunes. The arsenals and fortresses were abandoned and they were easily occupied by the French in 1809.

When the war with Napoleonic France was over, many of the South American colonies chose to pursue independence from Spain and the shipyards of Ferrol went into a serious decline, losing most of their civilian, clergy and military population. By 1824, Ferrol had a population of just 10,000 civilians and about 6,000 military personnel (stationed locally, if not permanently, at least during most of the year). Its mathematical school for marine artillerists, the pilot school, and the Spanish Royal Academy of Naval Engineers were almost completely empty, in stark contrast to the glorious years of abundance before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Ferrol built only two ships of the line between 1794 and 1845, although nine frigates and a considerable number of smaller warships were also constructed in this period. After half a century of decreased activity, it lost its title of capital under Ferdinand VII. However, there was a massive renovation during the leadership of Cardinal Alberoni and in just a few years fourteen great line-of-battle-ships were launched. New activities sprang up and Ferrol was employing 2,000 workmen in its foundries, now in full operation. A School of Naval Engineers was established where 40 students were taught the scientific principles of their profession by competent instructors educated in England and France. So successful in bringing the world's most advanced technologies was the administration of the Marquis de Molina, the Spanish Minister for Naval affairs, that by 1858 the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol were launching Spain's first steam propelled ship, which was also its first iron-hulled sailing ship.

The second half of the 19th century brought to the Royal Dockyards of Ferrol not only employment, but also concomitant social and political tensions, which culminated in the failed republican uprising of 1872. Steamers between Ferrol and the port of Havana in Spanish Cuba were in frequent operation at the time, such that shipyard workers who got into trouble with the local authorities in Ferrol often fled to the Spanish Main.

From the days of the Armada to the present, the Bay of Ferrol has attracted numerous ships seeking repairs or refuge after meeting with disaster or rough waters trying to cross the Bay of Biscay in bad weather. Such was the case of Cleopatra, carrying one of the two Cleopatra Needles, which stands today on the Thames Embankment in London, UK. It arrived in Ferrol on 19 October 1877 after almost sinking off the west coast of France five days earlier. A plaque commemorating the event and those who died can be seen at the base of the Needle in London.

Ten years after the Spanish–American War of 1898,  in which Spain lost Cuba and the Philippines, the Antonio Maura government, in an attempt to restore the Spanish Navy and Spanish shipbuilding industry, hired the Spanish Society for Naval Construction, whose major investors were a British-Spanish conglomerate taking contracts In the following proportions: 40% Vickers Sons and Maxim, 30% Marquis of Comillas of the Spanish Transatlantic Company, and 30% Biscay Furnace Company. All the previously state-owned shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks at Ferrol were handed over to the technical expertise of some of finest British shipbuilders; John Brown, Vickers and Armstrong were now in charge of building the new Spanish fleet.

For a period of sixteen years, the technicians were exclusively British, and the situation was not altered till 1925, when management was taken over by Spanish engineers. This was one of the new policies introduced by the newly-installed government of the dictator Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923–1930). The arrival of the British coincided with the construction of a local tram system (1924–1961).

In view of the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, and due to the fear of social unrest in the naval station, the Foreign Office in London organized a ship to repatriate all the remaining British citizens. On 22 July 1936, HMS Witch left Ferrol bound for Britain. At the beginning of the war, the shipbuilding yards, workshops, foundries and dry docks in Ferrol were taken over by the state. They were fully nationalized in 1945 under the name "Bazán", later renamed "IZAR", and, from January 2005, Navantia. The town was the birthplace of Francisco Franco, after whom the city was officially known as El Ferrol del Caudillo from 1938 to 1982. The end of the Spanish State and the arrival of democracy in 1978 did little to arrest Ferrol's economic decline, and from 1982 to the early 1990s, the city faced numerous problems due to the waning of the naval sector. The beginning of the new millennium, however, has been a time of economic expansion and prosperity in general. A new motorway and an outer-port have been built, as have numerous arcades and shopping centres, mostly in the outskirts of the city between Ferrol and Naron. Young shoppers and their families frequent the stores and enjoy weekend days out with amenities like bowling, cafeterias, fast food outlets, cinemas and sports facilities.

The Spanish Navy Spanish Squadron still takes part in naval demonstrations and in June 2008 Ferrol hosted the large NATO Maritime Exercise Loyal Mariner (RN).

The Ferrol Terminus railway station, connecting Lugo to Ferrol, branching off from the line from Madrid to nearby A Coruña, was sanctioned by the Cortes in Madrid as early as 1865 but was not finally inaugurated until 1904. A century later, the High Speed AVE Railway suffered similar delays, eventually opening in 2013

In September 2017, a new local railway branch serving the outer port of Ferrol (known as the Canelinas-Ferrol container port), the inside of the bay docks and the Ferrol Terminus railway station was given the green light to begin construction, and aims to move large numbers modern containers in and out of Ferrol, distributing goods throughout Galicia and the rest of Spain and Europe. A small railway local branch operated here in the early years of the 20th century. At that time, Ferrol itself and its ports were intended solely for the Royal Navy and its shipyards, and hence were not open to the general commerce per se. Historically, however, there have been many exceptions, with local businesses including PEMSA (timber), PYSBE (dried and salted cod) and HISPANIA (pencils), in addition to manufacturers of hats, paper and leather, plus naval and hardware stores. Items such as corn, wine, brandy, vinegar, pilchards and herrings (and other produce from Ferrol's own fisheries) have also been exported.

Climate
Like much of Galicia, Ferrol has a humid oceanic climate, characterised by year-long mild temperatures, rainy winters, and relatively dry summers, although it is slightly wetter than the typical Spanish Mediterranean climate during the summer season.

Demography
Histogram of population evolution of Ferrol from 1877. (From: Censos de población INE )

Economy

 * 1) Primary Industries – Agriculture (Horse Breeding), Aquaculture (Fish Farming), Fishing (Specializing in the Atlantic Shoals), Important Mines (ENDESA), NTFPs (Forestry), Quarries and Timber.
 * 2) Secondary Industries – Shipbuilding, Ship Engines, Turbines (Wind Mills and Ships), Electrical Equipment, Ironworks, Fashion (Textiles), Food (Canned Fish) and Wood-Made Products.
 * 3) Tertiary Industries – Mercantile, Fishing and Military Ports, Restaurants, News Media (Ferrol TV/Diario de Ferrol), Hotels (Barceló Almirante/Pazo Libunca), Leisure and Tourism (World Surf Competitions,  Popular Transatlantic Steamships Stop), Consulting, Health Care/Hospitals (Arquitecto Marcide Hospital Complex), Education (Schools, Colleges/ESENGRA and Universities/UNED/PERITOS) and Public Utilities, Franchises (main brand names and designer label's shops), Wholesale (Navy Suppliers/Anton-Martin) and Retail Industries (El Corte Inglés/Alcampo).
 * 4) Quaternary Sector Industries – Naval, Electrical and Mechanical Equipment together with New Technologies.

Twin towns – Sister cities
Ferrol is twinned with:
 * Águeda, Portugal (1999)
 * 🇪🇸 Mondoñedo, Galicia, Spain (2004)
 * 🇪🇸 Lugo, Galicia, Spain (2000)
 * Vila do Conde, Portugal (1973)

Notable people

 * Alonso Pita da Veiga
 * Andrés Suárez, singer-songwriter
 * Ángeles Alvariño González (1916–2005), biologist and oceanographer
 * Benito Vicetto Pérez (1824–1878), writer
 * Carlos Jean (born 1973), electronic musician and music producer
 * Concepción Arenal (1820–1893), writer, feminist activist
 * Fernando Álvarez de Sotomayor y Zaragoza (1875–1960), painter
 * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), dictator of Spain from the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) to his death
 * Frederick H. Shaw (1864–1924)
 * Gonzalo Torrente Ballester (1910–1999), writer
 * Ignacio Fernández Toxo (born 1952), ex general secretary of the national union CCOO and President of the ETUC
 * Jenaro Pérez Villaamil (1807–1854), painter
 * Jesús Vázquez Martínez (born 1965), TV presenter
 * José Canalejas Méndez (1854–1912), former Spanish Prime Minister died in office
 * María Isabel Rivera Torres (born 1952), actress
 * Marquis of Amboage (1823–1892), multimillionaire and politician
 * Nacho Novo (born 1979), professional footballer
 * Pablo Iglesias Posse (1850–1925), politician and founder of Spanish socialist party PSOE
 * Paloma Pérez-Lago González (born 1967), fashion model and TV presenter
 * Patricio Montojo y Pasarón (1839–1917), Spanish admiral during the Spanish–American War who was defeated at the Battle of Manila Bay
 * Aurora Rodríguez Carballeira (1879-1955), woman who murdered her teenage daughter, conceived as a eugenics experiment
 * Paula Vázquez Picallo (born 1973), TV presenter and model
 * Ramón Franco (1896–1938), aviator and brother of Francisco Franco
 * Ricardo Carvalho Calero (1910–1990), academic at the University of Santiago de Compostela and the first ever professor of Galician language and Galician literature

title: Ferrol, Spain


title: File:UKBest2.JPG


text:
Talk:Affiliate (commerce)

Removed links to commercial web sites
I have removed the following text from the article, since it appears to be a commercial link inappropriate to Wikipedia:

Several web businesses such as Linkshare.com specialize in setting up these affiliate relationships.

 * desertstandard.com/2004/07/choosing-affiliate-program.php - Choosing an Affiliate Program
 * affiliatepartner.be/affiliate_marketing_blog/2004/07/cbprosense.html - Affiliate Program Tools

Sharkford 14:22, 2004 Oct 5 (UTC)

Removed links to adult web sites
I removed the list of "adult affiliate networks". There is no such thing. Most adult sites have affiliate programs but they are not generic affiliate networks. Peterkoning 03:40, 21 October 2005 (UTC)
 * You will be surprised, but there are already Networks like that. At least one I know of and stumbled across when I was researching something. Its called Totemcash.com. Look for yourself. Anyway, you are right, it does certainly not belong in here. --Roy-SAC 05:22, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

E-commerce
This sentence "Beside this, the most proficous industry that has proven greater advantage of the affiliate system, can be traced in the Hotel and Travel Industry, where the concept of affiliate is accessory to the enlargement and empowerment of the affiliated primary product" is poorly written and does not seem to belong under the e-commerce heading. Please rework it. Verne Equinox 22:59, 22 February 2006 (UTC)

I took the hedgetrimmer to it. Peterkoning 17:30, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

Make Affiliate Networks its own Article
Having "Affiliate Networks" as a chapter for "Affiliate" is very weak. Affiliate Networks should be its own Article. I would even go further and create individual Articles for the different type of Affiliate Networks since the whole industry diversified a lot. I am sure that I could get a bunch of people to contribute to those articles. What you will probably have to accept are external Links to the Networks or as alternative allow the creation of Articles about each Network. I believe a mix of the two would be appropriate. I can't find the link to request a new article (as stated here Requested Articles - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requested_articles) --Roy-SAC 05:18, 27 February 2006 (UTC)
 * It DOES have now its own article, so corrected . Markerdryer (talk) 18:03, 29 February 2012 (UTC)

title: Talk:Affiliate (commerce)


title: File:USBest2.JPG


text:
Sjusjøen

Sjusjøen is a cross country skiing destination in the municipality of Ringsaker in Innlandet county, Norway. Situated on the mountain plateau south of Sjusjøen is Hedmarksvidda. The area is located with forest and mountain terrain about 750–1000 m above sea level. This area is located about 20 km east of the town of Lillehammer.

The area is the site of many holiday cottages plus a hotel and a youth hostel for accommodation. Sjusjøen and neighboring village of Nordseter (to the west) were both originally mountain farm communities, which - with their easily accessible forest and mountain terrain - have developed into skiing destinations.

The area offers a wide range of skiing alternatives, including on approximately 350 km of prepared cross-country trails. The tracks run all the way to Lillehammer and Øyer municipalities and they also connect with the Olympic tracks at the Birkebeineren Ski Stadium. The trails go through forested and mountain terrain, and are clearly marked with signposts.

Sjusjøen is also the name of a lake, centrally located in the area. The area also comprises the largest concentration of recreational homes in Norway.

title: Sjusjøen


text:
...Best II

...Best II is a compilation album by the Smiths. It was released on November 2, 1992, by the new owner of their back catalogue, WEA (Sire Records in the United States). Its highest British chart position was #29; it did not chart in the U.S.

Background
WEA (now the Warner Music Group) had acquired the entire Smiths back catalogue in early 1992 (sister label Sire Records already had the North American rights). Along with the re-release of the eight original albums (the four studio albums, the Rank live album and the three compilation albums issued while the band were still active), they immediately set to work compiling a 'best of' collection in two volumes. It was the first time a regular best of compilation had ever been made of The Smiths' material and the first volume effortlessly reached the top of the British charts. This, the second volume, fared considerably worse. The British press continued to groan about sell-out and low track selection coherence.

The material is more or less picked and sequenced at random, and consists of both singles and album cuts. As with the first volume, in the UK a spin-off single was released: "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (which had originally been earmarked as a single back in 1986 but was ultimately passed over in favour of "Bigmouth Strikes Again"). The single was released ahead of the compilation album and reached No. 25.

Cover
The UK and European release of the record featured the right half of a 1960s biker couple photograph by Dennis Hopper on its sleeve, with Best...I completing the picture; the U.S. sleeve was designed by singer Morrissey and once again features Richard Davalos, co-star of East of Eden (other shots of Davalos grace the covers of Strangeways, Here We Come and the U.S. edition of Best...I).

Track listing
All tracks written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr (including "Oscillate Wildly" ).

 * 1) "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (album version) (From The Queen Is Dead) – 3:16
 * 2) "The Headmaster Ritual" (From Meat Is Murder) – 4:52
 * 3) "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (From Hatful of Hollow) – 3:34
 * 4) "Ask" (album version) (From The World Won't Listen) – 3:15
 * 5) "Oscillate Wildly" (Single B-side of "How Soon Is Now?") – 3:26
 * 6) "Nowhere Fast" (From Meat is Murder) – 2:35
 * 7) "Still Ill" (From The Smiths) – 3:20
 * 8) "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (From The Queen Is Dead) – 3:14
 * 9) "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (album version) (From Meat is Murder) – 4:57
 * 10) "Shakespeare's Sister" (Single A-side) – 2:08
 * 11) "Girl Afraid" (From Hatful of Hollow) – 2:46
 * 12) "Reel Around the Fountain" (From The Smiths) – 5:56
 * 13) "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"  (album version) (From Strangeways, Here We Come) – 5:02
 * 14) "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (From The Queen Is Dead) – 4:02

Personnel

 * Morrissey – vocals
 * Johnny Marr – guitars, keyboard instruments, harmonica, mandolins, synthesized string and flute arrangements
 * Andy Rourke – bass guitar, cello on "Oscillate Wildly" and "Shakespeare's Sister"
 * Mike Joyce – drums
 * Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar on "Ask"

Additional musicians

 * Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals on "Ask"
 * Paul Carrack – piano and organ on "Reel Around the Fountain".

Production

 * John Porter – producer (A2, A5-A6, B2-B3)
 * The Smiths – producers (A3-A4, A7, B4-B5)
 * Morrissey and Marr – producers (A1, B1, B7)
 * Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street – producers (B6)

title: ...Best II


text: User talk:139.184.30.16

title: User talk:139.184.30.16


text:
Talk:Croydon facelift

Votes for deletion (2004)

VfD

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the . Croydon facelift was proposed for deletion. This section is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion. Further comments can be made in further sections, of the talk page. The result of the debate was KEEP. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

 * Delete. Neologism, only found at define-your-own sites and their mirrors. Susvolans 14:27, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Wikipedia is not a dictionary of slang. Katherine Shaw 15:41, Oct 5, 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. It's not a complete wiki-neologism.  I've heard it used out there in real life, in the UK.  However, Wikipedia is not a dictionary of slang; save this stuff for urbandictionary.com. -- GWO 15:47, 5 Oct 2004 (UT
 * Keep. It's not a web-only neologism at all, as the nominator asserts. It's verging on the dicdef. But it's got reasonable detail so far and could grow - David Gerard 16:16, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep - I also feel it has potential. Before creating this article I had come across this term in both the media in the UK and in print. -- Graham  ☺ | Talk 16:41, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. What the two keeps above me said. --Tagishsimon
 * Transwiki to Wiktionary, with a 'slang' and/or 'local' indication. - KeithTyler 17:41, Oct 5, 2004 (UTC) 17:16, Oct 6, 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. As far as British slang goes, this is one of the more notable ones. [[User:Xezbeth| Xezbeth  ─┼─ ]] 17:43, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. Interesting item of British popular culture. _R_ 18:17, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Transwiki to Wiktionary. I see no possibility of expansion past a dicdef (a discussion of the meaning and usage of a word or phrase). Rossami 20:27, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Yet another one of those misconceptions about poor old Croydon and its put-upon citizens. Dieter Simon 21:32, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Weak keep. Searching in Google Groups on the exact phrase does get 21 Google hits, mostly legitimate usage in the sense defined in the article. So I think it's not a neologism, just obscure. By the way, see also LEGAL AGREEMENT SETS SCENE FOR CROYDON FACELIFT for a different usage. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith (talk)]] 22:25, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * That's a generic use of "facelift" though. - KeithTyler 23:05, Oct 5, 2004 (UTC)
 * I guess I wasn't clear. I thought it was mildly interesting to see that it did appear in a straightforward context. It could be considered as very, very weak evidence against inclusion, because if "Croydon facelift" were very widely or commonly understood to mean an uncomplimentary reference to a kind of tight hairdo, the headline writer might have avoided using that particular phrase. [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith (talk)]] 13:46, 6 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * You're right, very good point. Hmm. - KeithTyler 17:16, Oct 6, 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. It's (just about) more than a definition as it adds usefully to info on Croyden. Whether that's fair on Croyden or not is POV only, as the phrase undoubtedly exists in the wild. Naturenet 11:57, 6 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep, seems to be real. Thue | talk 21:54, 6 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep. It's an actual term, not merely a neologism, and the article goes beyond simply providing a definition. Factitious 06:50, Oct 8, 2004 (UTC)
 * keep or merge with chav --[[User:Bodnotbod| bodnotbod »  .....TALK Q uietly  )  ]] 20:05, Oct 8, 2004 (UTC)
 * Keep if it's true. Gamaliel 21:10, 9 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete. Not because it's offensive to the people of Croydon (after all, nobody forces us to live in the arse end of Greater London), but because it really doesn't merit its own article and could easily be summarised on a list of slang terms or something similar. -- Gregg 23:10, 10 Oct 2004 (UTC)

 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the . Graham ☺ | Talk 00:57, 14 Oct 2004 (UTC)  Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Image requested
I find nothing in Google or Yahoo. --Error 19:44, 1 October 2005 (UTC)
 * I'm moving the header to the top of the page. --Viriditas 04:02, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
 * Done. Rklawton 00:13, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

How is this any different from a ponytail? -Branddobbe 03:19, 13 May 2006 (UTC)
 * The emphasis is on the hair being pulled back to the extent that it tightens the facial skin around the forehead and flat parts of the temples, as opposed to hair merely tied back into a bunch. Why Croydon? Nobody knows. It has been given an undeserved reputation over the years as an overbuilt concrete tangle which then reflected adversely on the dress habits of its inhabitants. Dieter Simon 22:03, 13 May 2006 (UTC)
 * I think what Dieter is trying to say is that it is a ponytail. - Abscissa 20:24, 3 July 2006 (UTC)
 * No, you idiot. As Dieter explained, the point is that the hair is so tight that it pulls the skin with it, often slightly distorting the eyes giving them a kind of mock-oriental look. The picture here doesn't quite do justice to the extreme variety. You'll know it if you see it. On another matter, can we move this to scrapeback which is a common name around the country. "Croydon facelift" sounds specific to London - I've never heard it and as you can imagine, people outside London wouldn't use it as the Croydon connotation is not understood. 86.136.0.145 23:03, 30 July 2006 (UTC)
 * I'd never heard 'scrapeback'. I've always known it as a council facelift. Icundell 22:28, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

Essex facelift
Before we get into an edit war over whether this is known as an Essex facelift or not (it was recently removed by one user just to be put back by another) do we have a reference that this is sometimes referred to by that name? -- Roleplayer 14:33, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * I found 700+ Google hits for Essex facelift with no mention of Croydon facelift. ("Essex faclift" -"Croydon facelift").  The toplisted link was from the Times Educational Supplement and dated today.Rklawton 20:43, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * Brewer's Britain & Ireland has an entry for 'Croydon facelift - '...scraped back so tightly into a ponytail that it pulls back the skin on the wearer's cheekbones...'. There is no such equivalent entry for 'Essex Facelift'. It does seem to exist but it needs a source as 'Croydon facelift' has. Martín (saying/doing) 21:02, 9 August 2006 (UTC)
 * The problem is that an awful lot of the Google and Yahoo websites are Wikipedia mirror sites all of which refer to our own page. You really need to go through the websites whether they have anything original to say (often of course the sample sentences give an indication of the original Wiki article). As for 700 Google hits for E. F. as opposed to none for C. F., I really would take this with a pinch of salt. Dieter Simon 01:04, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * What do you mean by a pinch of salt? Can you explain your logic a bit better?  Our article references both Essex and Croydon.  A search that turns up only Essex couldn't be a mirror or it would also reference Croydon.  Run the search yourself.  And the top-most listing certainly isn't a mirror.    Rklawton 02:15, 10 August 2006 (UTC)
 * What do I mean by a pinch of salt? Look at your first page of Google, after having entered "Croydon facelift" "Essex facelift" (together) and you will find the first website is Wikipedia with the introductory para starting "In English slang a Croydon facelift sometimes Essex facelift Council facelift or..." Out of the ten websites on the first Google page seven websites start exactly the same way as the Wiki page: "In English slang a Croydon facelift sometimes Essex facelift Council facelift or..." They are in fact copies of Wikipedia's article. They are not separate entities, they are one and the same thng under different names. So that's seven out of ten you could under no circumstances call different articles. That's what I meant by spuriously counting up websites citing "Croydon facelift" and in the same breath "Essex facelift". So, it means nothing because the whole caboodle is one and the same article. Yes?   Dieter Simon 00:04, 11 August 2006 (UTC)

Hey, since when has Vicky Pollard had a croydon facelift? Never! Catherine Tate's character Lauren maybe... and a tv personality famous for having a Croydon facelift was Michelle Bass from UK Big Brother 5. Maybe if someone han find a picture of her? TETRISROCK

Image
I've deleted the "Moscow blah blah blah" The style pictured is clearly a ponytail, and the hair isn't pulled back. --Bicycle repairman 01:53, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * The general idea here is one of continuous improvement. If you've got an image you think more "relevant", then by all means add it.  However, taking away the only image this article has does nothing to improve it.  Rklawton 02:50, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * How an image of a young woman supposedly taken in Moscow can illustrate an article about Chav culture is beyond me. I do not have a "better image" but I believe that using an unsuitable one is a lazy excuse. If you made this photo and liked it - just say so. But you can't honestly claim that it illustrates the page about "Croydon facelift". Anyway, what do I care. --Bicycle repairman 02:58, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * I thought this was an article about a hair style. Is it the word "Moscow" that bothers you?  Rklawton 03:22, 27 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Surely there's someone out there with long hair and a digital camera who can create an image of this. --Helenalex (talk) 01:23, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

Requested move (2007)

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

no move (in addition, the ghits for the two phrases, with Wikipedia omitted, give 10:1 ratio for the current title). Duja ► 07:36, 23 October 2007 (UTC)

Croydon facelift → Essex facelift — Because it gives a untrue and bad NPOV message that Croydon is full of chav's and council estates when this is simply not the case —Pafcool2 16:27, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

Survey

 * Feel free to state your position on the renaming proposal by beginning a new line in this section with  or  , then sign your comment with  . Since polling is not a substitute for discussion, please explain your reasons, taking into account Wikipedia's naming conventions.

Discussion

 * Any additional comments:

I've recrested that this page be moved to Essex facelift or as a IP adress user said earlier Scrapeback because "Croydon facelift" sounds specific to London - I've never heard it and as you can imagine, people outside London wouldn't use it as the Croydon connotation is not understood.. The change is for the simple reason that this way the article is more notable. Essex is noticed as a mauch more chavy place, and I feel that this articles name is NPOV towards Croydon, giving the misconception that Croydon is chavy when it's mainly not. Residents of Croydon wouldn't want this bad name on an encyclopedia, although i'm not saying residents of Essex would either, but this place is much larger (and if I say so, has a bad reputation in this feild than Croydon). As Dieter Simon said above, Yet another one of those misconceptions about poor old Croydon and its put-upon citizens. Pafcool2 16:27, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

 * Support - Because of all the reasons I expressed above. Pafcool2 16:27, 17 October 2007 (UTC)

 * The trouble is, Pafcool, that in the meantime developments have taken place which do actually seem to support the term "Croydon facelift", and I am sorry having to report that. None other than our Croydon Guardian has a reference to Queen Nefertiti who might well have been a Croydon resident with her "C. F." and unfortunately the term has also made the pages of the "Urban Dictionary". All this may well be seen in "croydon facelift" (with quotes)if you google or yahoo. As much as I, as a Croydon resident myself would like to agree with you, language has once again its own way of defeating our well-meaning opinions. It looks to me we shall have to prove it to them that Croydon is far superior to them in spite of it. (-|) Dieter Simon 01:02, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Having said all that, Pafcool, I do congratulate you on your excellent work on the Croydon articles, please do continue doing the good work. Dieter Simon 21:59, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Sorry, about my misspelling of your name. Dieter Simon

 * Oppose - I live in London, however, it isn't specific to London. It is specific to that area of London. Essex has much less chavs than Croydon. Essex actually has a lot more punks. The chav counterculture tends to centre on areas mainly around Croydon, Bromley, and Sussex. Reginmund 04:46, 23 October 2007 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Totally undeserved reputation

 * Croydon is Chavtown It's the Chav capital of the South. Chavdon, I mean Croydon, should be proud to have a hairstyle named after the town, it's the only thing Croydon has ever contributed to British culture. If the name of this article is changed, Croydon will have no claim to fame. 172.215.159.125 05:19, 18 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Please don't mistake the acknowledgement of an encyclopaedic fact (re Croydon facelift), for an acknowledgement of the reputation the town has undeservedly received over the past. Croydon is one of the most integrated towns in the UK, and is continuing and planning to continue to enhance its environment in future. Dieter Simon 22:16, 18 October 2007 (UTC)

Recent images did not really show what is meant by a Croydon facelift
The recent images which have since been removed did not really demonstrate what a Croydon facelift looks like, namely the tight pulling back of the hairline from the temple and forehead which leaves the facial skin very taut. Though the girl(s) were very pretty, you didn't really get an idea what it is all about. Dieter Simon (talk) 01:05, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Did the Ancient Egyptians Settle in Croydon ?
I've always felt there is something otherworldly about the Immigration & Nationality Department at Lunar House, but until now, I could not quite put my finger on it... Streona (talk) 13:17, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

 * Well there is evidence of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis being worshipped in Leicester from archeological digs, so I suppose anything is possible... -- Roleplayer (talk) 16:31, 25 February 2008 (UTC)

"Facelift"
The usage and primary topic of is under discussion, see talk:facelift (disambiguation) -- 67.70.32.190 (talk) 04:11, 24 July 2015 (UTC)

title: Talk:Croydon facelift


text:
Shlomo Ganzfried

Shlomo Ganzfried (or Salomon ben Joseph Ganzfried, Ganzfried Salamon, רַבִּי שְׁלֹמֹה בֶּן יוֹסֵף גאנצפריד, רבּי שְׁלֹמה בֶּן יוֹסף גאַנצפֿריד; 1804, in Ungvár, Com.Ung, Royal Hungary – 30 July 1886, in Ungvár, Ung, Royal Hungary) was an Orthodox rabbi and posek best known as the author of the work of Halakha (Jewish law), the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Hebrew: קיצור שולחן ערוך, "The Abbreviated Shulchan Aruch"), by which title he is also known.

Biography
Ganzfried was born in 1804 in Ungvár, in the Ung County of the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Ukraine). His father Joseph died when he was eight. Ganzfried was considered to be a child prodigy and Ungvár's chief rabbi and Rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Zvi Hirsh Heller assumed legal guardianship; Heller was known as "Hershele the Sharp-witted" for his piercing insights into the Talmud. Heller later moved to the city of Bonyhád, and Ganzfried, then fifteen, followed him. He remained in Heller's yeshiva for almost a decade until his ordination and marriage. After his marriage he worked briefly as a wine merchant.

In 1830, he abandoned commerce and accepted the position of Rabbi of Brezovica (Brezevitz). In 1849, he returned to Ungvár as a dayan, a judge in the religious court. At that time Ungvár's spiritual head, Rabbi Meir Ash, was active in the Orthodox camp, in opposition to the Neologs. Through serving with Ash, Ganzfried realised that in order to remain committed to Orthodoxy, "the average Jew required an underpinning of a knowledge of practical halakha (Jewish law)". It was to this end that Ganzfried composed the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch. This work became very popular, and was frequently reprinted in Hebrew and in Yiddish. This work often records more stringent positions.

Rabbi Ganzfried remained in the office of Dayan until his death on July 30, 1886.

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, first published in 1864, is a summary of the Shulchan Aruch of Joseph Karo with reference to later commentaries. This work was explicitly written as a popular text, in simple Hebrew, and does not have the same level of detail as the Shulchan Aruch itself.

Other works

 * Kesset HaSofer (קסת הסופר), a halachic primer for scribes published in 1835. Ganzfried composed this while he was still engaged in business.
 * Pnei Shlomo (פני שלמה), an elucidation of portions of the Talmud.
 * Torat Zevach (תורת זבח), a halakhic handbook for practitioners of shechita, ritual slaughter.
 * Sefer Apiryon (ספר אפריון), a commentary on the Bible. It contains a piece on every weekly Torah portion except for Parshat Massei, which is also the week in which his yahrzeit falls.
 * Lechem V'simlah (לחם ושמלה) on the laws of Niddah.
 * Ohalei Sheim (אהלי שם) on the official spellings of Hebrew names, as pertaining to gittin.
 * Sheim Shlomo (שם שלמה) on various sugyos in Shas.
 * Sefer Galuy A letter written at the time of the Congress of 1869.

title: Shlomo Ganzfried


text:
John Fredriksen

John Fredriksen (born 10 May 1944) is a Norwegian-born Cypriot oil tanker and shipping billionaire businessman based in London. He owns the world's largest oil tanker fleet and has major interests in the offshore driller Seadrill, the fish farming company Mowi, and the dry bulk company Golden Ocean Group. Through his investment companies Hemen Holdings and Meisha, Fredriksen controls the companies Frontline, Avance Gas Holding Ltd. and Flex LNG Ltd. In 2010–2011, Frontline owned 9.6 percent of another large tanker company, Overseas Shipholding Group.

Born in Oslo, Norway, Fredriksen is now a naturalised Cypriot citizen. Before abandoning his Norwegian citizenship, he was Norway's richest man. Norwegian magazine Kapital listed Fredriksen in 2013 with a net worth of NOK 69,75 billion (US$11.9 billion). In 2012, he was included in the 50 Most Influential list of Bloomberg Markets Magazine. He was named in the top 10 most influential people in the shipping industry according to Lloyds List 2014.

Family
Fredriksen was born on 10 May 1944 to a welder and his wife, and grew up in Etterstad, in the eastern half of Oslo.

Fredriksen is a widower and has two twin daughters (born 1983): Cecilie and Kathrine Astrup Fredriksen. Fredriksen's late wife, dentist Inger Astrup Fredriksen (died 2006), originally belonged to one of the Astrup families in Norway. Her father was a professor of psychiatry, and her grand uncle was the painter Nikolai Astrup.

Business
Frederiksen first got into oil trading in the 1960s in Beirut, Lebanon, before buying his first tankers in the 1970s. He made his fortune during the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s, when his tankers picked up oil at great risk and huge profits. As described by his biographer, "he was the lifeline to the Ayatollah." Fredriksen would later become the world's largest tanker owner, with more than seventy oil tankers and major interests in oil rigs and fish farming. His fleet is dominated by costly double-hulled, environmentally safer tankers.

In 2006, Seadrill bought more than 50 percent of Smedvig, gaining control of the company (51.24 percent of the votes and 52.27 percent of the capital). Smedvig is Fredriksen's biggest ever deal. Noble Corp sold its stake to Seadrill in 2009, leaving Seadrill with full control. Fredriksen has been the majority owner of Vålerenga I.F. for many years.

Fortune
The Sunday Times Rich List has ranked Fredriksen's wealth as £475m (2003), £1.050b (2004), £1.887b (2005), £8.311b (2023). In 2012, Fredriksen and his family were listed as the 9th richest in Britain with a combined wealth of £6.6bn. Fredriksen owns houses in London, Oslo, Cyprus, and Marbella, Spain. His house The Old Rectory in London has been estimated to be worth around US$172 million. He is a collector of classic Norwegian art.

Philanthropy
Fredriksen claims to support research projects at The Radium Hospital and to have donated several hundreds of millions of Norwegian kroner to medical research at hospitals in Norway.

Gard case
In 1985, the Norwegian insurance company Gard became suspicious about losses of cargo from Fredriksen's tankers. A private investigation was initiated, and a system for the use of heavy oil as bunker fuel was revealed. The case was turned over to the Norwegian police and in June 1986 Fredriksen's offices in Oslo were searched and several of his nearest associates, and after a while also Fredriksen, were placed in detention while the case was investigated.

After several years of arguments between the various lawyers, the case was settled out of court. Fredriksen had to pay a fine of 2 million NOK for risking his crew's lives, and in addition had to pay the insurance company Gard an amount of over US$800,000.

Literature

 * Hauge, Odd Harald and Gunnar Stavrum. Storeulv, en uautorisert biografi om John Fredriksen. Oslo: Gyldendal, 2005. ISBN 978-82-05-35346-6. Print.

title: John Fredriksen


text:
Båsmoen

Båsmoen is a small village located in the municipality of Rana in Nordland county, Norway. It is located about 7 km northwest of the town Mo i Rana. Båsmoen has grown together with its neighboring village to the east, Ytteren. Both villages are sometimes considered a northern suburb of the town of Mo i Rana.

title: Båsmoen


text:
Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering

Lebedev Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering (IPMCE) is a Russian research institution. It used to be a Soviet Academy of Sciences organization in Soviet times. The institute specializes itself in the development of:

 * Computer systems for national security
 * Hardware and software for digital telecommunication
 * Multimedia systems for control and training
 * Positioning and navigational systems

In August 2009 IPMCE became a joint-stock company.

Computers developed by IPMCE

 * BESM-1
 * BESM-2
 * BESM-4
 * BESM-6
 * Elbrus-1
 * Elbrus-2
 * Elbrus-3

Software developed by IPMCE

 * Эль-76


text:
Nine mountain schools

The nine mountain schools (九山; or gusan) were the initial monasteries of the Korean branch of Buddhism called Seon, founded in the Unified Silla period in the 8th or 9th century.

The initial transmission of Seon into Korea is usually attributed to Beomnang (法朗; fl. 632–646), said to be a student of the Chinese master Daoxin (道信; 580–651). Seon was later popularized especially by Sinhaeng (神行; 704–779) in the latter part of the eighth century and by Wŏnjŏk Toŭi (道義; d. 825) at the beginning of the ninth century. From then on, many Koreans studied Chan in China and, upon their return, established their own schools at various mountain monasteries with their leading disciples.

The number of these schools was initially fixed to nine, whence the name derives. Eight of these schools were of the lineage of Mazu Daoyi (馬祖道一; 709–788), as they were established through connection with either him or one of his eminent disciples:

 * 1) The Gaji san school (迦智山), established at Borimsa (寶林寺) under the influence of Doui and his grand-student Chejing (體澄; 804–890). Doui studied in China under Zhizang (735-814) and Baizhang (百丈; 749–814).
 * 2) The Seongju san school (聖住山), established by Muyeom (無染; 800–888) who received his inga from Magu Baozhe (麻谷寶徹; b. 720?).
 * 3) The Silsangsan school (實相山), founded by Hongcheok (洪陟; fl. 830), who also studied under Zhizang.
 * 4) The Huiyang san school (曦陽山), founded by Beomnang and Chiseon Doheon (智詵道憲; 824–882), who was taught by a Korean teacher of the Mazu transmission.
 * 5) The Bongnim san school (鳳林山), established by Weongam (圓鑑; 787-869) and his student Simhui (審希; fl. 9c). Weongam was a student of Zhangjing Huaihui (章敬懷暉; 748–835).
 * 6) The Dongni san school (桐裡山), established by Hyejeol (慧徹; 785–861) who was a student of Zhizang.
 * 7) The Sagul san school (闍崛山), established by Beom'il (梵日; 810–889), who studied in China with Yanguan Qian (鹽官齊安; 750?-842) and Yuesha Weiyan (樂山惟嚴).
 * 8) The Saja san school (獅子山), established by Doyun (道允; 797-868), who studied under Nanquan Puyan (南泉普願; 748–835).

The ninth of these initial schools was the Sumi san (須彌山) school founded by Ieom (利嚴; 869–936), which had developed from the Caodong (曹洞) lineage.

title: Nine mountain schools


text:
Talk:Nine mountain schools

Untitled
The initial version of this article was pieced together from this revision of our article on Korean Buddhism. See also that article's talk page! Lupo 14:39, 5 Oct 2004 (UTC)

title: Talk:Nine mountain schools


text:
Talk:Furman v. Georgia

related cases
I don't understand the second sentence of the article:
 * Jackson v. Georgia and Branch v. Texas, pulling of brief sentences for rape, had the same result applied to them as part of a combined decision and ruling.

Is "pulling of" supposed to be "pulling off"? The sentence still doesn't make any sense; it's missing any sort of context or explanation of how these cases relate to Furman v. Georgia. --Trovatore 15:48, 15 April 2006 (UTC)

Also, Furman wasn't, stricly speaking, overruled. In fact, Gregg and the companion cases have to justify themselves by explaining how the respective death penalty schemes either are or are not arbitrary and capricious so as to fall either inside or outside Furman. Maybe we should delete the red section of the infobox?

Social Studies Project
im doing this case in a social studies class it sucks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.224.53.169 (talk • contribs) 5 April 2007

List of those spared execution
I would like to see the article expanded to include a list of those spared execution by Furman. Off the top of my head I know Posteal Lasky ("The Cincinnati Strangler"), Sirhan Sirhan, and Charles Manson were had their death sentences commuted due to this ruling.

I don't have the time or the desire to research it, but I'm tossing out the idea for someone who might. SonPraises (talk) (contributions) 00:53, 2 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, it's not true for Sirhan or Manson. They were both sentenced to death by the state of California. The California Supreme Court threw out California's death penalty some months prior to Furman. I don't remember the case name. If it can be found, the California case might be an interesting sidelight in this article. --Trovatore 01:39, 2 September 2007 (UTC)

 * I found the case you were referring to: California v. Anderson.   Even without Sirhan Sirhan or Manson, there has to be a list of notable convicts whose death sentences were commuted by Furman other than the Cincinnati Strangler. SonPraises (talk) (contributions) 06:05, 3 September 2007 (UTC)

Why is this case important to the death penalty discussion
I've heard this case mentioned several times as a landmark case. What exactly makes it so special as to even cause death penalty cases before and after Furman v. Georgia to be considered differently? I'd like to see a section on this. LinuxMercedes 00:32, 4 December 2007 (UTC)

cannoned

 * One of the homeowners was cannoned and killed...

Um, "cannoned"? What sort of weapon was Furman packing, exactly??? 70.20.149.174 (talk) 01:43, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Nevermind, it was vandalism. 70.20.149.174 (talk) 01:45, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

Can you be more expecific about this case —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.130.217.175 (talk) 02:31, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

Plagiarism
The section "question of law" has been directly copied from oyez.com (http://oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_69_5003). The text on both pages is identical. 75.86.188.134 (talk) 20:02, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

Concurrences
According to a Washington Post Magazine feature from 1995, Justice White favored the death penalty. His main reason for concurring was that he believed actual death sentences were carried out too infrequently to be of much value as punishment. BubbleDine (talk) 20:55, 25 August 2012 (UTC)

External links modified
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Garbled quote
The last line of a blockquote from Potter Stewart's opinion reads: I simply conclude that the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments cannot tolerate the infliction of a sentence of death under legal systems that this unique penalty to be so wantonly and so freakishly imposed. There are some missing or garbled words here. — ℜ ob C. alias ALAROB 16:06, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Furman v. Georgia


text:
Gusan

Gusan may refer to:

 * Gusan (Accursed Mountains), a mountain located in Albania and Kosovo
 * Gusans, performing artists in the Parthian Empire and medieval Greater Armenia
 * Nema language or Gusan, Papua New Guinea
 * Nine mountain schools or Gusan, monasteries of the Korean branch of Buddhism

title: Gusan


text:
Deva (Hinduism)

Deva (Sanskrit: देव, ) means "shiny", "exalted", "heavenly being", "divine being", "anything of excellence", and is also one of the Sanskrit terms used to indicate a deity in Hinduism. Deva is a masculine term; the feminine equivalent is Devi. The word is a cognate with Latin deus ("god") and Greek Zeus.

In the earliest Vedic literature, all supernatural beings are called Devas and Asuras. The concepts and legends evolved in ancient Indian literature, and by the late Vedic period, benevolent supernatural beings are referred to as Deva-Asuras. In post-Vedic Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Itihasas of Hinduism, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad. In some medieval works of Indian literature, Devas are also referred to as Suras and contrasted with their equally powerful but malevolent half-brothers, referred to as the Asuras.

Devas, along with Asuras, Yakshas (nature spirits), and Rakshasas (ghoulish ogres/demons), are part of Indian mythology, and Devas feature in many cosmological theories in Hinduism.

Etymology
Deva is a Sanskrit word found in Vedic literature of 2nd millennium BCE. Sir Monier Monier-Williams translates it as "heavenly, divine, terrestrial things of high excellence, exalted, shining ones". The concept also is used to refer to deity.

The Sanskrit deva- derives from Indo-Iranian *daiv- which in turn descends from the Proto-Indo-European word, *deiwo-, originally an adjective meaning "celestial" or "shining", which is a (not synchronic Sanskrit) vrddhi derivative from *diw, zero-grade of the root *dyew- meaning "to shine", especially as the day-lit sky. The feminine form of *deiwos is *deiwih2, which descends into Indic languages as devi, in that context meaning "female deity". Also deriving from *deiwos, and thus cognates of deva, are "Zeys/Ζεύς" - "Dias/Δίας", the Greek father of the gods, Lithuanian Dievas (Latvian Dievs, Prussian Deiwas), Germanic Tiwaz (seen in English "Tuesday") and the related Old Norse Tivar (gods), and Latin Deus "god" and divus "divine", from which the English words "divine" and "deity" are derived. It is related to *Dyeus which while from the same root, may originally have referred to the "heavenly shining father", and hence to "Father Sky", the chief God of the Indo-European pantheon, continued in Sanskrit Dyaus. The abode of the Devas is Dyuloka.

According to Douglas Harper, the etymological roots of Deva mean "a shining one," from *div- "to shine," and it is cognate with Greek dios "divine" and Zeus, and Latin deus "god" (Old Latin deivos). The word "Deva" shares similarities with Persian Daeva.

Deva is masculine; the related feminine equivalent is devi. Etymologically, Devi is cognate with Latin dea. When capitalized, Devi or Mata refers to a divine mother goddess in Hinduism. Deva is also referred to as Devatā, and Devi as Devika.

The word Deva is also a proper name or part of a name in Indian culture, where it refers to "one who wishes to excel, overcome" or the "seeker of, master of or a best among".

Samhitas and Brahmanas
The Samhitas, which are the oldest layer of text in Vedas enumerate 33 devas, either 11 each for the three worlds, or as 12 Adityas, 11 Rudras, 8 Vasus and 2 Asvins in the Brahmanas layer of Vedic texts. The Rigveda states in hymn 1.139.11,

"ये देवासो दिव्येकादश स्थ पृथिव्यामध्येकादश स्थ । अप्सुक्षितो महिनैकादश स्थ ते देवासो यज्ञमिमं जुषध्वम् ॥११॥

O ye eleven deities whose home is heaven, O ye eleven who make earth your dwelling, Ye who with might, eleven, live in waters, accept this sacrifice, O deities, with pleasure. – Translated by Ralph T. H. Griffith

Deities who are eleven in heaven; who are eleven on earth; and who are eleven dwelling with glory in mid-air; may ye be pleased with this our sacrifice. – Translated by HH Wilson"

Some devas represent the forces of nature and some represent moral values (such as the Adityas, Varuna, and Mitra), each symbolizing the epitome of a specialized knowledge, creative energy, exalted and magical powers (Siddhis). The most referred to Devas in the Rig Veda are Indra, Agni (fire) and Soma, with "fire deity" called the friend of all humanity, it and Soma being the two celebrated in a yajna fire ritual that marks major Hindu ceremonies. Savitr, Vishnu, Rudra, and Prajapati (later Brahma) are gods and hence Devas. Parvati (power and love) and Durga (victory) are some Devis or goddesses. Many of the deities taken together are worshiped as the Vishvedevas.

Important Devas

 * Brahma the deity of creation
 * Vishnu the deity of preservation
 * Shiva the deity of destruction and time; associated with fertility and regeneration
 * Ganesha the deity of new beginnings, wisdom, and luck
 * Hanuman the deity associated to courage, reverence and strength/avatar of Shiva
 * Kartikeya the deity of victory and war
 * Vishwakarma the deity of architecture
 * Dhanvantari the deity of doctors and Ayurveda/avatar of Vishnu
 * Dyaus the deity of the aether (or sky)
 * Vayu the deity of air, wind and breath
 * Varuna the deity of water and rain
 * Agni the deity of fire
 * Yama the deity of death and justice
 * Samudra the deity of the seas/form of Varuna
 * Kubera the deity of opulence and wealth
 * Kamadeva the deity of love
 * Indra the deity of weather, storms and sky
 * Ashwini Kumara the deity of health and medicine
 * Surya the deity of the sun, light and day
 * Chandra the deity of the moon and night
 * Mangala the deity of Mars and Aggression
 * Budha the deity of Mercury and Nature
 * Brihaspati the deity of Jupiter and teacher of the  Devas
 * Shukra the deity of Venus and worship (bhakti) and teacher of the Asuras
 * Shani the deity of Saturn and deeds (karma)

Henotheism
In Vedic literature, Deva is not a monotheistic God; rather a "supernatural, divine" concept manifesting in various ideas and knowledge, in a form that combines excellence in some aspects, wrestling with weakness and questions in other aspects, heroic in their outlook and actions, yet tied up with emotions and desires.

Max Muller states that the Vedic hymns are remarkable in calling every one of the different devas as "the only one, the supreme, the greatest". Muller concluded that the Vedic ideas about devas are best understood neither as polytheism nor as monotheism, but as henotheism where gods are equivalent, different perspectives, different aspects of reverence and spirituality, unified by principles of Ṛta and Dharma.

Characteristics of Devas in the Vedic literature
Ananda Coomaraswamy states that Devas and Asuras in the Vedic lore are similar to the Olympian gods and Titans of Greek mythology. Both are powerful but have different orientations and inclinations, with the Devas representing the powers of Light and the Asuras representing the powers of Darkness in Hindu mythology. According to Coomaraswamy's interpretation of Devas and Asuras, both these natures exist in each human being, both the tyrant and the angel. The best and the worst within each person struggles before choices and one's own nature, and the Hindu formulation of Devas and Asuras is an eternal dance between these within each person.

"The Devas and Asuras, Angels and Titans, powers of Light and powers of Darkness in Rigveda, although distinct and opposite in operation, are in essence consubstantial, their distinction being a matter not of essence but of orientation, revolution or transformation. In this case, the Titan is potentially an Angel, the Angel still by nature a Titan; the Darkness in actu is Light, the Light in potentia Darkness; whence the designations Asura and Deva may be applied to one and the same Person according to the mode of operation, as in Rigveda 1.163.3, 'Trita art thou (Agni) by interior operation'."

All-powerful beings, good or evil, are called Devas and Asuras in the oldest layer of Vedic texts. A much-studied hymn of the Rigveda states Devav asura (Asuras who have become Devas), and contrasts it with Asura adevah (Asuras who are not Devas). They are born from the same father, Prajapati, the primordial progenitor; his sons are envisioned as the Asuras and Devas. They all share the same residence (Loka), eat together the same food and drinks (Soma), and have innate potential, knowledge and special powers in Hindu mythology; the only thing that distinguishes "Asuras who become Devas" from "Asuras who remain Asuras" is intent, action and choices they make in their mythic lives.

Upanishads
The oldest Upanishads mention Devas, and their struggle with the Asuras. The Kaushitaki Upanishad, for example, in Book 4 states that "Indra was weaker than the Asuras when he did not know his own Atman (soul, self). Once Indra had self-knowledge, he became independent, sovereign and victorious over the Asuras"; similarly, states Kaushitaki Upanishad, "the man who knows his inner self gains independence, sovereignty and is unaffected by all evil".

Chandogya Upanishad, in chapter 1.2, describes the battle between Devas and Asuras on various sensory powers. This battle between good and evil fails to produce a victor and simply manifests itself in the perceived universe, as good or evil sights witnessed by beings, as good or evil words shared between people, as good or evil smells of nature, as good or evil feelings experienced, as good or evil thoughts within each person. Finally, the Deva-Asura battle targets the soul, where Asuras fail and Devas succeed, because soul-force is serene and inherently good, asserts Chandogya Upanishad.

Chapter 3.5.2 of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad describes Devas, Men, and Asuras as sons of Prajapati, the primordial father. Each asks for a lesson on ethics. Prajapati tells the Devas to observe the virtue of temperance (self-restraint, Dama), the Men to observe the virtue of charity (Dana), and Asuras to observe the virtue of compassion (Daya). At the end of the chapter, the Upanishad declares that these are three cardinal virtues that should always be observed by all Devas, Men and Asuras.

Medieval era Indian scholars, in their Bhasya (review and commentaries) on the Upanishads, stated that the discussion of Devas and Asuras in the Upanishads is symbolic, and it represents the good and evil that resides and struggles within each human being. Adi Shankara, for example, in his commentary on Brihadaranyaka Upanishad asserted that Devas represent the human seeking for the sacred and spiritual, while the Asuras represent the human seeking for the worldly excesses. Edelmann and other modern era scholars also state that the Devas versus Asuras discussion in Upanishads is a form of symbolism.

In the later primary Upanishadic texts, Devas and Asuras discuss and act to seek knowledge, for different purposes. In one case, for example, they go to Prajāpati, their father, to understand what is Self (Atman, soul) and how to realize it. The first answer that Prajāpati gives is simplistic, which the Asuras accept and leave with, but the Devas led by Indra do not accept and question because Indra finds that he hasn't grasped its full significance and the given answer has inconsistencies. Edelmann states that this symbolism embedded in the Upanishads is a reminder that one must struggle with presented ideas, learning is a process, and Deva nature emerges with effort.

Puranas and Itihasas
In the Puranas and the Itihasas with the embedded Bhagavad Gita, the Devas represent the good, and the Asuras the bad. According to the Bhagavad Gita (16.6-16.7), all beings in the universe have both the divine qualities (daivi sampad) and the demonic qualities (asuri sampad) within each. The sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita states that pure god-like saints are rare and pure demon-like evil are rare among human beings, and the bulk of humanity is multi-charactered with a few or many faults. According to Jeaneane Fowler, the Gita states that desires, aversions, greed, needs, emotions in various forms "are facets of ordinary lives", and it is only when they turn to lust, hate, cravings, arrogance, conceit, anger, harshness, hypocrisy, violence, cruelty and such negativity- and destruction-inclined that natural human inclinations metamorphose into something demonic (Asura).

Everyone starts as an Asura in Hindu mythology, born of the same father. "Asuras who remain Asura" share the character of powerful beings obsessed with their craving for more power, more wealth, ego, anger, unprincipled nature, force and violence. The "Asuras who become Devas" in contrast are driven by an inner voice, seek understanding and meaning, prefer moderation, principled behavior, morals, knowledge, and harmony. The hostility between the two is the source of extensive legends and tales in the Puranic and the Epic literature of Hinduism; however, many texts discuss their hostility in neutral terms and without explicit condemnation. Some of these tales are the basis for myths behind major Hindu festivals, such as the story of Asura Ravana and Deva Rama in the Ramayana and the legend of Asura Hiranyakashipu and Deva Vishnu as Narasimha, the latter celebrated with the Hindu spring festival of Holika and Holi.

Bhagavata Purana
In Bhagavata Purana, Brahma had ten sons: Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasistha, Daksa, Narada. Marici had a son called Kasyapa. Kasyapa had thirteen wives: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kadru etc. The sons of Aditi are called Adityas, the sons of Diti are called Daityas, and the sons of Danu are called Danavas. Bṛhaspati (Jupiter, son of Angiras) is a guru of devas (vedic gods). Shukracharya (Venus, son of Bhrigu) is a guru of asuras (vedic demons) or/and Danavas.

Symbolism
Edelmann states that the dichotomies present in the Puranas literature of Hinduism are symbolism for spiritual concepts. For example, god Indra (a Deva) and the antigod Virocana (an Asura) question a sage for insights into the knowledge of the self. Virocana leaves with the first given answer, believing now he can use the knowledge as a weapon. In contrast, Indra keeps pressing the sage, churning the ideas, and learning about means to inner happiness and power. Edelmann suggests that the Deva-Asura dichotomies in Hindu mythology may be seen as "narrative depictions of tendencies within our selves".

The god (Deva) and antigod (Asura), states Edelmann, are also symbolically the contradictory forces that motivate each individual and people, and thus Deva-Asura dichotomy is a spiritual concept rather than mere genealogical category or species of being. In the Bhāgavata Purana, saints and gods are born in families of Asuras, such as Mahabali and Prahlada, conveying the symbolism that motivations, beliefs, and actions rather than one's birth and family circumstances define whether one is Deva-like or Asura-like. l

Classical Hinduism

In Hinduism, Devas are celestial beings associated with various aspects of the cosmos. Devas such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, form the Hindu trinity known as the Trimurthi and preside over the functioning of the cosmos and the evolution of creation.

Lesser devas may control the forces of nature, such as Vayu, the Lord of the wind, Varuna the Lord of water, and Agni, the lord of fire.

Hinduism also has many other lesser celestial beings, such as the married Gandharvas (male celestial musicians) and Apsaras (female celestial dancers).

Sangam literature
Sangam literature of Tamil (300BC-300CE) describes the offerings for devas. In Silapathikaram one of the five epics of Tamil by Ilango Adigal saying the offering for Four kind of devas.

title: Deva (Hinduism)


text:
For all practical purposes

For all practical purposes (sometimes abbreviated FAPP) is a slogan used in physics to express a pragmatic attitude. A physical theory might be ambiguous in some ways — for example, being founded on untested assumptions or making unclear predictions about what might happen in certain situations — and yet still be successful in practice. Such a theory is said to be successful FAPP.

FAPP is also emerging as a valuable concept and approach in mathematics with a major title by the name    For All Practical Purposes: Mathematical Literacy in Today's World.

There is also a profound joke about FAPP.

An elementary physics professor was teaching about how close you could get to the sun. He laid the foundation of heat and distance, and said that is as close as you can get FAPP. A boy asked, "what does that mean?"

The professor replied "All the girls in the room line up on the right side, and all of the boys line up on the left side. Now halve the distance between each side. Now do it again. After about five times of doing this, as their noses were touching, He said: You are all close enough for all practical purposes".

title: For all practical purposes


text:
User:Tractor~enwiki

Special account created by Quinobi
 * updated 08:28, 17 August 2005 (UTC) by CQ
 * refactoring began 15:10, 15 June 2006 (UTC) by CQ
 * checking... '
 * deployed 12:57, 23 October 2014 (UTC) by • Q^#o •

The tractor is an IRC bot and Internet server built by CQ and the Community Builders Task Force that pulls references out of IRC and other chat channel activities, social networks, and online databases, building up an adaptive framework for what it sees. The cumulative relevance, if any is found, is compared against a list of lists. Open content is created, maintained and curated by a non-profit organization, OzoneFarm.

Wikipedia
References are built by linking sets of keywords into context chains to establish a useful presence in tractor's control panel. If no live people are about. Some of tractor's design philosophy and engineering methodology was developed in the Keywords project.

Caution: Very little useful information appears below this line.

Objectives
For Wikipedia to really "gel", a way to more effectively unify an insanely diverse userbase with an ever-expanding world of information ranging from scattered bits of incomplete factoids (stubs ) to jewels of well-formed knowledge (Featured articles)  must evolve. For this to take place in a consensus-driven way, could require some fundamental architectural changes. The Portal namespace and WikiProject schema were steps in the right direction, in my opinion. I think that soon, it will be time for a Project:namespace and some tools for advanced automation of project management tasks. One way to do this might be through a messaging system using bots. (done) • 12:57, 23 October 2014 (UTC)

Wikipedia 1.0 and beyond
The script may oneday be able to assist channel participants while working on Wikipedia articles for validation and certification purposes. The idea is to direct the vehicle's resources toward finding and catalogging a source-focused matrix of trusted sources that can be safely imported into the main namespace via a standards-driven framework that allows Human intervention all the way to the core processes.

Metaphors for traction
The other metaphors or human-readable mindset is that of the tractor in the locomotive context, where the tracks are IRC channels through which the engine is controlled in real time in an experiential field known only to those who have a frame of reference conversant with the netizenship required by IRC environments such as Wikipedia's chosen "switch yard" - Freenode. Everyone who knows freenode - at least the way I know her - understands that the PDPC is itself a good club with a club good theory. Facts support a realization that there exists between Freenode and Wikipedia an effective partnership of goals and driving principles within a friendly meshing of discourses toward a hopeful future - sustainable in every way - which we shall demonstrate in real time on the real cyberspace in a matter of months.

see http://freenode.net/catalysts and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Community

Modes and functions
Updated: 19:59, 9 June 2006 (UTC) by CQ after a brief but inspiring IRC exchange with PilotGuy and CommanderKeene in #wikipedia-bootcamp

The tractor (at least for the OzoneFarm prototype) has three modes:
 * normal (tractor) -- scoped use by a single group with informal protocols
 * beam (tractorBeam) -- constrained use by a pair of groups - host and guest
 * hyper (SkyTractor) -- directed use by an organization for policy-driven missions

Some functions in the normal mode might include:
 * extract and report (IRC channel bot)
 * crawl and search (database automaton)
 * verify (reference checking)
 * track (user activity percentile enumerator)

A couple of existing groups at Wikipedia that might use these might be:
 * 1) WikiProject_Fact_and_Reference_Check
 * 2) WikiProject_Countering_Systemic_Bias

The beam mode allows focused and filtered communications from one tractor-equipped group to another group that may or may not have, need, or want its own tractor. If say, the Version 1.0 Editorial Team wanted to host one of the two groups above, as a guest group, they can "beam" over a few choice messages that serve as an invite function to "tow in" the other group. The guest group would then have temporary access to the host group's resources (including its tractor) but also subject to its policies. If things don't work out for some reason or the merger is no longer needed, the tractorBeam is simply turned off to effect a split (part) returning guest and host to a normal state.

If, on the other hand, a small but well-developed group wanted to advertise its services and resources to a larger group, network of groups or even the Whole Internet it can switch to 'hyper mode (what OzoneFarm calls its SkyTractor). This is the equivalent of "going public" in Wall Street terms and may be dangerous, could be mission-critical, and should probably require a licence.

...But back down to Earth and Wikipedia...

FreenodeIRC
Conversation between tractor and lilo:

Abstract
The theory of Cyber-traction is based on goal-seeking tendencies of consensus-driven processes. The tractor invention is a test of real-time constraints observed in a live model of a Network of Actors: both Human and robotic that exists in an abstract-space - the Public Internet. The policy directives that govern cyberspace are cited as having the characteristics of a Phantom authority.

Praxis and Pragma: working on a Live Model
The Human sensitivities inherent within online communities - both of interest and practice are mutually constrained with technology for machines and policy by Humans. This is an a priori condition that must be evaluated by the Human users of the network, if they are to remain in control. Most Humans are reluctant, for obvious reasons to hand over the network keys to a cybernetic agent of any kind. That is in my opinion, based on subjective experience at Wikipedia, a good stance.

Perhaps, my worth as an effective practitioner of community science can be effectively demonstrated by my sparce insights as a computer science enthusiast. The esoteric nature of my exploits within Wikipedia's Interior namespace - an experiencial dreamscape for me, have allowed me to create - within my own mind, anyway - a framework for diatribe that allows me to pursue my own interests as a community development practitioner while I seek and find kindred spirits here in WikiLand. My radiator cap is off for anyone who has followed my trail of clues to this spot.

IRC gateway
It could be that realtime control, monitoring, and communications via the simple IRC gateway is one of Wikimedia's main strengths. --- - ******************************************************* --- - This is the Wikimedia RC->IRC gateway --- - *******************************************************

I'm not sure if the those with User_accounts on Freenode are fully aware of what raw power they posess to get large chunks of work done through direct interaction between and among themselves and through the interaction of scripts, bots and other tools working through the various gateways in the network. #mediawiki on irc.freenode.net demonstrates this quite well.

With a bit of understanding, and some cooperation, some nice tools could be developed for #wikipedia as well, that could streamline the processes for managing the front edge of Wikipedia and more significantly, the WikiProjects that reside at the core.

Sampling recent changes
Recent changes are available for read only use at irc.wikimedia.org/6667. My tractor client sits on #en.wikipedia and #meta.wikimedia. Tractor's job is to watch for edits to registered WikiProject elements. If and when there is interest in further development, Database_administrators could have some handy tools available through the Relational model I'm just going to keep plowing away at with my lonely little tractor. (Which btw is currently equippped with a PTO - Persistant Traction Object)

Sampling workgroup channels
Method: When both tractor and plow appear in the channel, This file is created and refreshed here, replacing the previous sample. Notice:For ACADEMIC USE ONLY! Publishing logs of #wikipedia is against the Policy of the Administrators of Wikipedia. source: IRC_channels If you object to the publication of this brief sample, please notify an Administrator.

Building the Framework
The WikiProject_Keywords is the filesystem used for the three special user accounts:
 * user:group the registration panel
 * user:tractor a POE server
 * user:plow a POE client

How it Works: Keywords builds custom data types and query tables with definitions drawn from the WikiProject master template. Category:User_groups register at the registration panel by simply dropping a WikiProjectNotice onto the queue. The client script reads Group keys from the queue, resets the queue and delivers a message to #wikinode where tractor's administrator(s) reside persistantly.

If the tractor drivers think the project is valid, they open WikiProject_Keywords and build a custom Spreadsheet for the new project:

The members of the new project can elect to be either active or passive in the process of configuring the hash table, which is essentially a little tiny database that belongs to each registered project. These become Attachments and are stored as PTOs.

That's the basic framework. Now the fun part...

IRC servers and channels
You have to be there:
 * irc.wikimedia.org
 * #en.wiktionary
 * #en.wikipedia
 * #meta.wikimedia
 * irc.freenode.net
 * #freenode  <-- just wait for +voice
 * #mediawiki
 * #wikipedia
 * #wiktionary
 * #wikipedia-bootcamp <--This project enter
 * #wikiproject <--This project participate
 * #wikinode <--This project administer

Behavior codes:
 * open You can type freely in these places
 * touch Ok to to watch - just don't touch anything
 * play People here may know about this project

Wikimedia Projects and Portals
The interaction between Wikimedia projects may need to increase its resolution to facilitate a more fine-grained approach. Local context encyclopedias and communities may need to create, sort and manage information that flows into larger contexts. This could solve or create several problems.

If you look at the List of WikiProjects, you can see a natural relationship between ad hoc groups of users and a fairly orgainized topical outline of where their interests are. This phenomenon took place pretty much on its own and in many cases created high-quality, well-maintained portals with logically organized featured articles. With a Project namespace and good real-time collaboration, this trend could grow.

Lists for POE
Most tables are built from simple lists (arrays) with relevance to the protocols involved. These lists can grow into project timelines, activity percentiles, metadata charts, progress charts, and other dynamic records. Some of these functions exist in the Meta world and in individual WikiProjects, but with a bit more participation and a well designed POE-Component-MediaWiki they could go much further-faster.

IRC:
 * @Users
 * @Servers
 * @Channels

MediaWiki
 * @Users
 * @Projects
 * @Namespaces
 * @Articles

Table definitions and the Heap
POE is really good at scheduling and tracking events. MediaWiki users are really good at organizing objects. IRC Users are really good at thinking on their feet. There's your table.

Realtime control
sample-time has only two fields:

group-thread has six:

Trust metrics
current ..

Requirements
The Tractor implement must operate in a way that is complient to both Wikimedia and Freenode policies and guidelines for bots.

Guidelines

 * 1) Bots
 * 2) Freenode

The bot is to operate within a well-defined set of constraints in clearly visible locations at all times and designed to withstand attempts to subvert the purposes stated below.

Purposes

 * 1) To provide a 24/7 presence in designated IRC networks and channels for registered projects.
 * 2) To perform a set of auxiliary functions for registered projects:
 * 3) To greet new and returning users with a meaningful message
 * 4) To continue constructive dialog in the absence of human members
 * 5) To modify certain external content areas through commands:
 * 6) Append
 * 7) Search
 * 8) ...(other command)
 * 9) To notify the channel when certain external events occur
 * 10) To automate database functionality for registered projects
 * 11) (edit me)

Licencing
Licence must be of a free and open source software type. (in progress - subject to consensus)

Documentation
The bot must also be easy to operate and the code fully documented. This shall be maintained in the Specifications document that follows this section.

NOTE:The tractor and driver both join #wikipedia-bootcamp on FreenodeIRC. The channel's topic is changed to Identify the driver. At this time it is CQ (the developer). This is the control channel. The 'field' that the tractor 'plows' is #en.wikipedia on the WikimediaIRC server.

A SourceForge project area is being set up for further development of this tool. Check here for progress.

see also Boot Camp

Specifications
The Tractor implement is specifically an open source inturpreted script built from POE::Component::IRC with the Python Wikipedia Robot Framework in mind.

Edit me.

see

 * IRC channels Instructions and discussion for Wikipedians
 * IRC channels policies and procedures for Developers and Admins

title: User:Tractor~enwiki