User talk:Yoshiah ap/Archive 2

Karaite edits

Hi Yoshiah

You wanted to know which articles I edited. They included Jew, Karaite Judaism, and Anan ben David. There is also a discussion of the changes on the Talk:Jew page. Jayjg 05:19, 6 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Invitation for input on a dispute

I'd like to know your input, whatever it be, on an ongoing dispute involving edit wars in several articles over the association of Canaanite languages with the Hebrew language and also with Hebrew status of the Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites. You don't have to say anything; I'm just hoping you might have some wisdom on the matter. I personally don't like disputes, and I'm trying to diffuse this one as painlessly as possible. Locations of dispute: User_talk:IZAK#The term Canaanite languages and Wikipedia:Requests for mediation#Request for assistance in a conflict between users regarding Canaanite and Hebrew linguistics articles - Gilgamesh 10:08, 7 July 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Oy. I've had lots of debates with IZAK. Hopefully the term I've suggested will be suitable to him. He does have a point though - reffering to Hebrew as a Caananite Language would offend many religous Jews.--Josiah 02:24, 8 Jul 2004 (UTC)

- I appreciate it, but you need to realize that I didn't know before that it would be offensive. However, the classification naming scheme cannot change when it is so widely agreed by linguists, even Jewish linguists. Heck, Hebrew was classified a Canaanite language even before I started editing, so he can't blame me for that. I'm a religious person, but I'm also scientific, which is one of the reasons I'm here at Wikipedia in the first place. Anyway, thanks for looking into it. - Gilgamesh 02:36, 8 July 2004 (UTC)[reply]

- - Hey, where is this debate taking place now??--Josiah 06:10, 9 Jul 2004 (UTC)
    - NM, I found it.--Josiah 06:14, 9 Jul 2004 (UTC)

New user page

Hahahaha! ^_^ I like your newly formatted user page. It looks familiar. ^_^ - Gilgamesh 03:12, 8 July 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Holy crud that was quick. I'd barely hit the 'save page' button!--Josiah 03:13, 8 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Eh, you're on my watchlist and I was browsing it. :P - Gilgamesh 03:16, 8 July 2004 (UTC)[reply]

Ultra-Orthodox Judaism

Most Non-Jews would have no idea what Haredi means, at least here in America.--Josiah 04:38, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)

That's the purpose of redirects. JFW | T@lk 08:41, 11 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Oh yeah... sometimes I can be a bit dense. Thanks!--Josiah 00:04, 12 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Personal note from Gilgamesh

Your comments helped me figure out what I needed to do to restore crucial system files and allow my system to reboot successfully. Thank you! I am extremely grateful. ^_^ It'll take some time for the panic to wear off though. :P - Gilgamesh 09:51, 11 July 2004 (UTC)[reply]

No problemo.--Josiah 00:08, 12 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Misspelling, which warrants its own header because I say so, so nyah! ^_^

In your profile page, you misspelled Tetragrammaton. ^_^ Also, Tetragrammaton directs to the proper article, so you don't need to use the sacred name in your document source if you don't want to. :) - [[User:Gilgamesh|Gilgamesh] 04:59, 14 July 2004 (UTC)

Fundamentalism

Hi. I'm leaving off the debate, which I don't think can ultimately do justice to the issue (like most WP controversies), but it simply wouldn't be polite not to respond to what you wrote to me.

It is true that all kinds of people use "fundamentalism" for all kinds of things today, non-scholars and academics alike. But be wary when people tell you they are using an "academic" definition for this, or any other loaded terms, because those terms then define the very debate itself. That is often highly misleading, in this case and in a great many areas, because the true debate is often about what terms to use! Which ones truly shed new light, which ones really add new meaning to our understanding of reality, and which ones oversimplify things and cloud how we read the nuances. This is especially true in the humanities.

Part of the reason I think this cannot be resolved on WP is that in a completely open project like this, anyone can quote a book or article and say, "See! Scholars DO say this." And then it becomes futile to argue about what kind of academic writing is better (even if I myself am an academic in the field). The best that can be done is the WP NPOV cliche: "Some scholars/writers/people employ term X to describe phenomenon X, while others prefer to view it terms of Y or Z." This will probably be the best possible solution available for "fundamentalism," though in reality the persistent partisan voices may void even that possibility. This is especially sad for a term which is clearly pejorative for a great many of its users (even if an "academic" definition is claimed), and also taken from a completely different setting and applied to groups of Jews who don't fit its pre-determined categories.

I think WP is a wonderful thing despite what happens for controversial issues. In the end, historically, the debates on the talk pages may be far more valuable that who "wins" inside the article itself!

Dovi 14:44, Jul 22, 2004 (UTC)

I agree with the last paragraph entirely :) I believe RK is starting to clarify the definition of 'fundamentalist' in some articles to avoid the confusion. Hopefully that will help.--Josiah 19:32, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

Perhaps, perhaps not (I suspect not). I don't think I've ever come across a more "fundamentalist" Conservative Jew than RK (and I know lots of people active in the movement). I think his deep motivation for this whole thing is to set up "fundamentalism" as the litmus test to divide between Conservative and Orthodox Judaism. Which is factually false, historically inaccurate, and saddest of all completely ignores the inner tensions within the rabbinic tradition which allow (or even force) these kinds of streams to arise. Too bad.Dovi 04:04, Jul 23, 2004 (UTC)

- Which articles was this an issue on in the first place? (I forgot) I wouldn't mind making sure a clean definition of fundementalism is in place, especially since I'm labeled as 'fundamentalist' under the "clean" definition--Josiah 04:51, 23 Jul 2004 (UTC)

The proverbial crap has hit the fan

I snapped. I totally told off IZAK... I can't believe I did it. I told him what everyone has been thinking but have been too polite to say. Now I have no idea what comes next... I still have a positive commitment towards Jewish issues, but I can't possibly recognize any credibility in IZAK anymore. I can't work with him — I won't, and I'm trying to reconcile with my role on Wikipedia. Not easy, as I really haven't told off someone else before. - Gilgamesh 06:13, 10 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Wikipedia:WikiProject Hebrew languages

You are hereby invited to Wikipedia:WikiProject Hebrew languages.

Some links ^_^

Here, Yoshi. ^^ Both requested links, and some links to Hebrew fonts that I have installed (that you didn't give me, so I assumed you didn't have). The two font sites are the source of most of the fonts I've found useful. ^_^

- Gilgamesh 00:04, 19 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for the 411--Josiah 09:18, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Vote

See Wikipedia:Votes for deletion/Occupation of Palestine

Thanks IZAK. Have an easy fast and a joyous Sukkot.--Josiah 09:19, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Linux

Hi Guys - I'm downloading the Mandrake ISO's as we speak and plan on installing them as soon as I get everything from this computer transferred to my new laptop. My interenet setting are configured externally (in a dsl modem/router). Other than that, is there anything I should have handy during setup?--Josiah 09:21, 23 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Karaims to be merged?

Hi. See Karaims Discussion. Your view ?--BIR 06:42, 24 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Thanks for the 411--Josiah 00:49, 2 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Vote: Wikipedia:Votes for deletion/Violence against Israelis

See Wikipedia:Votes for deletion/Violence against Israelis. Thank you and Chag Sameach. IZAK 09:49, 3 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Sam Spade

I'd vote, but I don't really know much about this user to make an informed vote.--Josiah 22:22, 6 Oct 2004 (UTC)