View source for User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main

[[Image:Wiki-black.png|150px|center]]

Welcome to a random and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QSaM5gQ9vo rather silly place].

[[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Aridd|I]] am [[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Aridd|here]]. If you're not interested in [[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Aridd|me]] or in the page below, you can always [[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Safe|wander into the safe]].<br>
Alternately, you can find out what's [[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/List of multiple Paralympic gold medalists|here]], or [[User:Aridd/article incubator|here]]. Or a bit of silliness [[User:Aridd/Through the hidden door/Main/Vatican City at the 2012 Summer Olympics|here]].

==This user would like to remind you...==
...that [[England]], [[Great Britain]], the [[British Isles]] and the [[United Kingdom]] are not the same thing. At all. I'm assuming most of you already know that, but here's a reminder ''à toutes fins utiles''. In any [[Wikipedia]] article, it's important to use the correct term in relation to the historic, political and geographical context.
* '''England''' is one of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom. There was a Kingdom of England from the 9th century to [[1707]], at which point England ceased to be an independent kingdom. England today is not a sovereign State. It has no government; it is administered by the government of the United Kingdom. There is no "Queen of England"; there is a [[Elizabeth II|Queen of the United Kingdom]].
* '''Great Britain''' is an island. It is not a country. It is part of the United Kingdom. There are three nations present on the island of Great Britain: England, [[Wales]], and [[Scotland]].
* The '''United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''' is a sovereign State, composed of four nations: England, Wales, Scotland and [[Northern Ireland]]. The latter three are partly autonomous; England is not.
* The '''British Isles''' are a term used in a purely geographic sense, and have no political significance today. They include Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and smaller islands such as the [[Isle of Man]].
To sum up:
* British Isles = UK + Ireland (+ a few small islands)
* UK = Great Britain + Northern Ireland
* Great Britain = England + Scotland + Wales

[[Image:Map of England within the United Kingdom.png]]
''The [[British Isles]]. The large island on the right is [[Great Britain]]. In pink, the [[United Kingdom]]. In red, [[England]].''

==This user would like to encourage you...==
...to contribute to "small" Wikipedias. Even if you do not speak [[Tok Pisin]], [[Bislama]] or [[Scots]], these are [[creole]] or [[pidgin]] languages derived in great part from English, and it is often possible to understand them to some extent in writing. On that basis, it's possible for you to pick up a few basics through imitation, and to create useful stubs in the Wikipedias in those languages. Therefore I encourage you to contribute to the [[:tpi:Fran pes|Tok Pisin Wikipedia]], the [[:bi:Nambawan_Pej|Bislama Wikipedia]] and the [[:sco:Main Page|Scots Wikipedia]].

===French regional languages===
There are many [[Languages of France|indigenous languages in France]]. French is merely the dominant, official and most widespread language within the territory of the French Republic. There are a number of Wikipedias in France’s minority indigenous languages, including:<br>
[[:als:Houptsyte|Wikipedia in Alsatian]], [[:eu:Azala|in Basque]], [[:br:Degemer|in Breton]], [[:ca:Portada|in Catalan]], [[:co:Pagina maestra|in Corsican]], [[:vls:Voorblad|in West Flemish]], [[:frp:Reçua|in Franco-provençal]], [[:nrm:Page dé garde|in Norman]], [[:oc:Acuèlh|in Occitan]], [[:ty:Fa’ari’ira’a|in Tahitian]], [[:wa:Mwaisse_p%C3%A5dje|in Walloon]].

==This user loves Wikipedia==
I sincerely believe that [[Wikipedia]] is a fantastic idea. The impulse behind it, the drive to create a universal compendium of all human knowledge, is admirable, and -a few notable kinks notwithstanding- the project has been a remarkable success. Wikipedia should still be used with due caution, but I believe it has already proved itself as a revolutionary [[encyclopedia]] of the modern ages. May it [[live long and prosper]]!

On that note, this user finds [http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/publish_in_wikipedia_or_perish.php this] very interesting, and thinks it's a jolly good idea.

==Who is this user anyway, and why does he believe he can contribute to Wikipedia?==
[[Wikipedia]] is an [[encyclopedia]], which means it should hold itself to certain standards. I would not claim to be an "expert" in my field of research (the history, politics and cultures of Pacific Commonwealth nations), but I do know a fair bit about that area. I am, moreover, a ''[[Ecole Normale Supérieure|Normalien]] [[agrégation|agrégé]]'', I have a doctorate in British and Commonwealth studies, and I'm a senior lecturer at university. That doesn't mean I'm "better" than any other enthusiastic contributor to Wikipedia, but it does mean I have qualifications. Also, I speak fluent French, which enables me to translate material from the English Wikipedia to the French one, or vice-versa. I try to do my best and live up to Wikipedia's encyclopedic standards. I'm only [[human]], and I may make mistakes, but I hope to be a useful part of Wikipedia's greater whole, in some small way.

==Definitions==
According to [[Keith Windschuttle]], in his ''The Killing of History'' (my bolding),
:''"When it was founded early in the [[twentieth century]], American '''[[cultural anthropology]]''' focused on the language, art, rituals and religious practices of native peoples, especially those of North America itself and of the Pacific Islands. In Britain, by contrast, the discipline's main concerns were about social organisation, and so it came to be known as '''[[social anthropology]]'''. The descriptive activities of cultural anthropology, as distinct from its theory, have long been known as ‘'''[[ethnography]]'''’. When ethnographers turn their attention to the past to write the history of non-literate peoples they usually describe their work as either '''‘[[historical anthropology]]’''' or '''‘[[ethnohistory]]’'''."''
I myself work in ''civilisation'', a field of study unique (it would seem) to French universities, but on the basis of Windschuttle's definition, I'm probably something of a historical social anthropologist. I study the history and present of national and (to a lesser degree) ethnic identity concepts, a study which encompasses literate societies and their literate and pre-literate past. Maybe it's simpler to say that I apply a historian's approach to social anthropology. I hasten to add, by the way, that social anthropology, being essentially the study of human societies, is not (contrary to popular misconception) restricted to a study of non-Western societies. An anthropological study of specific Western societies (namely Australia and New Zealand) is part of my field of research.

==This user's favourite quotes==
* "[[Common sense]] is the collection of [[prejudice]] by [[adulthood|age 18]]" - [[Albert Einstein]]
* "If a nation expects to be [[ignorance|ignorant]] and [[freedom|free]] [...], it expects what never was and never will be." - [[Thomas Jefferson]]
* "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its [[animal]]s are treated." - [[Mahatma Gandhi]]
* "What is it that should trace the insuperable line? The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but, 'Can they [[pain|suffer]]?'" - [[Jeremy Bentham]]
*"If [[slaughterhouse]]s had glass walls, everyone would be a [[vegetarian]]." - [[Paul McCartney]]
*"No [[democracy|democratic]] delusion is more fatuous than that which holds that all men are capable of [[reason]], and hence susceptible to conversion by [[evidence]]." - [[H.L. Mencken]]
*"It's extraordinary how we go through life with eyes half shut, with dull ears, with dormant thoughts. Perhaps it's just as well; and it may be that it is this very dullness that makes life to the incalculable majority so supportable and so welcome. Nevertheless, there can be but few of us who had never known one of these rare moments of awakening when we see, hear, understand ever so much — everything — in a flash — before we fall back again into our agreeable somnolence." - [[Joseph Conrad]] in ''[[Lord Jim]]''
*"Does [[Magna Carta]] mean nothing to you? Did she die in vain?" - [[Tony Hancock]]

''and of course'':
* [[Bushism|"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?"]] - [[George W. Bush|Dubya the inimitable]]
* "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Dubya again
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4118142947508150872&q=raffarin&pl=true "Win the yes need the no to win... against the no!"] - [[Jean-Pierre Raffarin]]

==Recommended books==
===History===
* [[Henry Reynolds|REYNOLDS, Henry]], ''Why Weren't We Told?'', 2000, {{ISBN|0-14-027842-7}}. One of the most unforgettable history books you'll ever read. You quite simply cannot fully understand contemporary Australia, and current Indigenous Australian issues, nor Australia's past, until you've read it. Reynolds' work as a historian is thorough and challenging. He's worked his way through the archives, and brings you many quotes from nineteenth and early twentieth century views on Indigenous Australian matters, which undermine late 20th and early 21st century conservative assertions about the past. Reynolds conclusively demonstrates that early white Australians often described themselves honestly as invaders, and openly discussed widespread violence by and against Aboriginals who were resisted that invasion. White pioneers graphically described their participation in massacres to newspapers, without fear of being taken to court. Reynolds also demonstrates that British authorities had, on several occasions in the nineteenth century, indicated that Aboriginal land rights were to be recognised and respected. Legislation in the nineteenth century had established Aboriginal rights to lands under pastoral lease - a fact conveniently forgotten by the time of the [[Wik Peoples v Queensland|Wik]] issue. Most of all, Reynolds explains that the past treatment of Indigenous Australians cannot be forgotten or considered to belong solely to the past; he demonstrates in detail its inescapable influence on the present, ignored by so many non-Indigenous Australians. Reynolds does not exaggerate or sensationalise; he uncovers forgotten facts, and explains their contemporary relevance. A must-read for all Australian citizens, and anyone interested in understanding Australia's past and present.
{{main|History of Australia}}
* REYNOLDS, Henry, ''[[The Other Side of the Frontier]]'', 1981, {{ISBN|0-86840-892-1}}. This earlier work of Reynolds' was a landmark in Australian historiography, and played a crucial role in ensuring that Aboriginal Australians obtained their place at last in the telling of Australian history. It shattered the myth of "peaceful settlement", and described the ways in which Aboriginals fiercely resisted white incursions onto their lands. The book brought to light a crucial and forgotten chapter of the country's history.
* FAGE, J.D., ''A History of Africa'', 2002 (4th edition), {{ISBN|0-415-25248-2}}. 653 pages (I'm currently on page 171) crammed full with a detailed chronological and thematic description of [[History of Africa|African history]], from the earliest times to the present day. The style is a little dry, but the topic is fascinating, and the level of detail is truly impressive. I knew little about African history, and the organisation and diversity of its early societies was something of a revelation to me. A must-read for Nicolas Sarkozy, who [[Nicolas_Sarkozy#African_speech|has displayed shocking ignorance]] of Africa's history.
===Social anthropology===
* [[Kate Fox|FOX, Kate]]: ''Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour'', 2004, ISBN 978-1-447-2015-0. A serious but amusing anthropological study of the English by an Englishwoman.
===Literature===
* [[Joseph Conrad]]: ''[[Lord Jim]]'', ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'', and any other of his works. A masterful artist in his use of the English language.
* [[Jean-Paul Sartre]]: ''[[Huis Clos]]''. Something about this play, after I'd first read it, kept bringing me back to it again and again.
* [[André Malraux]]: ''[[La Condition humaine]]''
* [[William Shakespeare]]: Almost any of his plays, really. Shakespeare seems often to be dismissed by the general public as too complicated or too intellectual, but in his time his plays were staged as popular entertainment. A good production of a Shakespeare play can make it come to life, as was intended, and make it a fascinating experience for any spectator. And when you pay close attention to the text, it's an enthralling intellectual stimulus to any student of literature (much like reading Conrad, in another genre).
* [[Kim Scott]]: ''True Country''. Probably the best work of fiction I've read by an Aboriginal Australian author. His use of language and narrative technique in relation to story-telling is striking. I highly recommend it.
* ''[[Literature from the "Axis of Evil"]]'', an anthology by [[Words Without Borders]]. Contains translations into English of short stories, poems and excerpts of novels from Iranian, Iraqi, North Korean, Syrian, Cuban, Sudanese and Libyan writers. The aim is to humanise the individuals of countries labelled as "[[axis of evil|evil]]", promote knowledge of foreign cultures, and "widen [...] our circles of reference, thus waging the eternal battle against ignorance and fear of the 'enemy'" (editors' note).

==Recommended Wikipedia articles==
These are a few articles that I find interesting and that I did not write myself.
* [[C. L. R. James]] (1901-1989), Trinidadian journalist, socialist theorist and writer, influential in communist thought
* [[Rockall]], the UK's last established "colony". A rock in the ocean
* [[Lullabies from the Axis of Evil]]
* [[Betsy (dog)]], "credited with being one of the world's most intelligent dogs"
* [[The Wrestler (sculpture)]]
* [[Selim Aga]] (1826-1875), Sudanese explorer
* [[Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo]]
* [[List of linguistic example sentences]]
* [[Museum of Bad Art]]
* [[Museum of Particularly Bad Art]]
* [[Alhazen]] (965-1040), Middle Eastern scientist
* [[Al-Jahiz]] (781-868), Afro-Arab scholar
* [[Last universal ancestor]]
* [[Y-chromosomal Adam]]
* [[Navies of landlocked countries]]
* [[Cliff Palace]]
* [[A Short History of the Future]]
* [[David Harvey (geographer)]]
* [[List of common misconceptions]]
* [[Timeline of human evolution]]
* [[The Astonishing Hypothesis]]
* [[Social constructionism]]
* [[Voynich manuscript]]
* [[Conspiracy 58]]
* [[Compatibilism]]
* [[Argument from ignorance]]

==Other favourites==
This user recommends the film ''[[Good Bye Lenin!]]'' by [[Wolfgang Becker (director, born 1954)|Wolfgang Becker]].

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===Mind your grammar===

{{User than then}}

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{{User youryou're}} 

{{User totootwo}}

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<br><br><br><br><br><br>

==Oceania press==
If you're interested...
*[[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.abc.net.au/ra/ ABC Radio Australia]''
*[[Image:Flag of Fiji.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.fijitimes.com/ Fiji Times]''
*[[Image:Flag of Tonga.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.matangitonga.to/article/global_index.shtml Matangi Tonga]''
*[[Image:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.thenational.com.pg/ The National]''
*[[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.nit.com.au/ National Indigenous Times]''
*[[Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.nzherald.co.nz/ New Zealand Herald]''
*[[Image:Flag of Hawaii.svg|20px|none]]''[http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/text.shtml Pacific Islands Report]''
*[[Image:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.postcourier.com.pg/ Post-Courier]''
*[[Image:Flag of Fiji.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.radiofiji.com.fj/ Radio Fiji]''
*[[Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.rnzi.com/index.php Radio New Zealand International]''
*[[Image:Flag of Samoa.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.samoaobserver.ws/ Samoa Observer]''
*[[Image:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.solomonstarnews.com/ Solomon Star]''
*[[Image:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg|20px|none]]''[http://solomontimes.com/ Solomon Times]''
*[[Image:Flag of Australia.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.smh.com.au/ Sydney Morning Herald]''
*[[Image:Flag of Vanuatu.svg|20px|none]]''[http://www.dailypost.vu/ Vanuatu Daily Post]''

==Countries I've been to==
Self-explanatory, no? Leaving out France (where I live).
<gallery>
Image:Flag of England.svg
Image:Flag of Germany.svg
Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg
Image:Flag of Italy.svg
Image:Flag of Australia.svg
Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg
Image:Flag of Fiji.svg
image:Flag of Scotland.svg
Image:Flag of Cuba.svg
Image:Flag of Sweden.svg
Image:Flag of Wales.svg
Image:Flag of the Vatican City.svg
Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg
Image:Flag of South Korea.svg
Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg
Image:Flag of Thailand.svg
Image:Flag of Cambodia.svg
Image:Flag of Singapore.svg
Image:Flag of Denmark.svg
</gallery>

==Everything you never wanted to know about this user==
I strive to be accurate and objective in the articles I write and edit, but it's occurred to me that I should, perhaps, briefly outline my beliefs, so that any potential "bias" of mine may be out in the open. Therefore, this user...
*...is an [[atheism|atheist]]
*...is a [[vegetarianism|vegetarian]] and an [[antispecism|antispecist]]
*…thanks that [[Determinism]] is the likeliest explanation of our beliefs, impressions and actions
*...believes, as [[Winston Churchill]] reportedly did, that [[democracy]] is a flawed system when put into practice, but that there is no viable or preferable alternative.

==And finally...==

[[Image:Hercules_holding_Wikipedia.jpg|thumb|400px|center|''Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat?'']]


[[fr:Utilisateur:Aridd/Remarques diverses et variées]]

[[Category:User en-GB|Aridd]]