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Here's some help:all the official websites on the depatements are www.cg{{{DEPARTEMENT NUMBER}}}.fr

do you use firefox??? it would help me if you did

http://espace-documentaire.cg38.fr/uploads/Documents/WEB_CHEMIN_22028_1133261935.pdf Isère arrondisements and cantons

http://www.cg73.fr/index.php?id=393 list of cantons in Savoie

http://www.sabaudia.org/v2/carte/admin.php map of arrondisements and cantons in savoie and haute savoie

http://www.cdg26.fr/cdg26/implantation_regionale_carte.html cantons of the drôme Chris5897 10:13, 28 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I happened to notice your problem with Gryffindor re-adding warning templates to your page. That is not acceptable, and I have written a note to him explaining this. You should feel free to remove unwanted posts from your page. Please let me know if you have any more trouble. Bishonen | talk 13:37, 30 October 2006 (UTC).[reply]

Hi there Rarelibra,

I am not a cartographer but I love maps. Your maps are beyond me. You mention your willingness to help out others looking for particular maps and I really am looking for a map of Manhattan, NYC that shows (by great chance you also happen to work in telecoms) the entire island broken down by Telephone (Verizon) central office locations and areas they serve. I have never seen it broken down and I am sure something like that must exist. Anyway, any help you could give me would be very much appreciated. -RMT

RMT - it exists, but I'm afraid that the information you are looking for in that kind of detail isn't free. If you are interested in purchasing specific focused data, let me know and I can lead you in the right direction. Rarelibra 19:57, 8 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Rarelibra, Wow, thank you very much for your response. I would be willing to spend some, but I have no idea how much that would go for. As far as detail, it would not have to be an engineering schematic of the entire island, more like an overview with perhaps shaded or colored areas inticating the coverage for each particular CO or wire center. I know that in NYC even some buildings are split to different COs with some phone lines going to one CO and others going to yet another CO (a very crazy system). Also, downtown Manhattan is still crazy since 9-11 with tons of wires having been rerouted. But aside from those anomolies, I am sure that there is a general coverage map. And if it costs, then I would still be interested. Thanks again. -RMT

Can you contact me via email? I have the option open here on Wiki. Rarelibra 20:14, 8 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Not sure how to do that on Wiki. Where do I go? Never contacted a user before. I was wondering how to do it earlier as I would have used that option than the discussion forum. -RMT

Go to the upper left of this screen and click on "E-mail this user" or click here Rarelibra 21:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello there,

I found your name from a map created for the Hodh Ech Chargui region of Mauritania. I am currently beginning a stub project for all the departments of Mauritania. Could you make a map I can use for the Amourj department to begin with, probably more forthcoming?--Thomas.macmillan 00:02, 23 November 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra,
I saw the maps you made for Congo-Brazzaville. What level of subdivision do you have for the DRC? --moyogo 14:51, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Moyogo - I only have province-level boundary data (or 1st level administrative) for DRC. I am always looking and expanding my dataset, so if I run across more I will let you know! :) Rarelibra 14:54, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I just noticed [this web site] - if these are the 2nd level administrative zones, let me know and I will work on getting them digital. Rarelibra 14:58, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Congosite map is actually the current 3rd level (territoire) or seems to be. Unfortunately the cities are spotted so their contours is invisible.

I'm no sure whether the current 2nd level (district) will still exists in the new orgonisation of the country, since all the new provinces are pretty much the districts themselves, except for Bas-Congo which stays a single province and two districts of the Katanga which become one province together. Every other district becomes a province. In any case, let met know if you have a digitized form (vector or raster) of the current 3rd level.

[1] has the current 1st and 2nd level. There is also a 4th level, but I don't think it's anywhere out there. Cheers. --moyogo 15:20, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, [2], [3], [4] seem to have the current level 3. --moyogo 15:32, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, that was fast. Nice work too! It seems only the borders of the cities are missing. Matadi, Bandundu, Mbandaka, Kisangani, Goma, Kananga, should probably have borders of their own. The map [5] (also in TIFF and JPG) has borders for those cities.--moyogo 20:25, 6 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I saw your name listed on Wikiproject Illustration or the list of graphic artists, and I thought I'd let you know that a Graphics Lab has been created on EN. Based on the highly successful French and German graphics labs, it seeks to better organise and coordinate our graphic design and photo-editing efforts. Up until now, there has been no common space on EN where users could ask for maps, charts and other SVG files to be created. What's more, the Graphics Lab has discussion boards, tips, tools and links; in sum, a good common workspace. Come help us out! The infrastucture is already in place, and now we need participants. :) --Zantastik talk 02:07, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello! I was wondering if it would be possible to ask for you assistance in creating some maps for the state of Israel. Besides some basic maps highlighting the different districts, the are no useful maps that could be inserted into geographical articles. Thank you very much! Db1944 17:10, 12 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Dear Rarelibra, If you share some time, your help needed for geography of Turkey. I am trying to organize rivers,mountains. I create a Template:Infobox River TR, and trying to find river articles (many of them created by Greek users with Greek names and not include any "Turk",Turkey, words)to add this template to fill info and to add map. 1-Can you help to prepare locator maps for mounts and rivers.? 2-Can you find coord info for these (source and mouth coord. for rivers, and coord. for peaks of mounts) Please take a look here . Regards Must^TC 22:03, 13 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I good deal. Thanks. Then may we use this db for other geographic locations; like villages, ancient sites, etc.?

If I didnt misunderstand; now we need clear lists of articles (topic by topic).

Ok.will be done asap.

Regards Must^TC 22:51, 13 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Rarelibra! I am sorry to tell you, you made some little mistakes in this article and on the map. As you can see in this [Municipalities of East Timor official document of East Timor], the lower entity after districts in ET are subdistricts and finally sucos with the different towns, villages and hemlets. Anyhow, there are only 65 subdistricts, not 71. Please check for differences the maps of each district on Commons commons:category:Maps of East Timor. I am not sure, if your map has just old informations of pre2003 or there is another reason. Greetings, J. Patrick Fischer 13:28, 22 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I appreciate the update/correction on East Timor. Sometimes the information I get (in this case, from Statoids) is old and outdated - and the good thing about Wiki is how fast we can learn about updated information.

I did a few formatting changes to the subdistricts page - and the map I made I will relabel to Subdistricts (instead of Municipalities). Might I suggest this - add an article that talks about the definition and applicable usage of suco? Because village is the English term. If we have an entry for the subnational entity of suco, then the article can remain more cultural. :) Oh, and if you have any reference to maps of the Municipalities, I would gladly work on creating some. Rarelibra 14:46, 22 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The article about the subdistricts looks nice now, but your maps has still some subdistricts too many. ;-) I uploaded my own work (sources mentioned there). Compare especially Baucau and Oecussi-Ambeno. Its a pity, I couldn't find until now a map with the sucos.

I couldn't find a definition, what is a suco exactly. A suco has a chefe do suco and a suco council, elected last time 2003/2004. Dili is splitted into several subdistricts and sucos, most subdistricts has no suco with the name of the subdistrict's capital... . I only know, there are 443 Sucos with 2.336 towns, villages and hamlets... . Maybe you are more successful for searching the definition. Maybe we should add the suco-list from German/Dutch Wikipedia. Merry christmas! J. Patrick Fischer 22:22, 22 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Rarelibra! I found this map with the borders of the sucos of East Timor! Not easy to reproduce and no orientation for the suco names, but a first step. Hope, it could help you. Tell me, if you were successful producing a suco map. Happy new year! J. Patrick Fischer 21:52, 27 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

According to what source is Togo divided in 23 prefectures and not 30? Punkmorten 15:21, 24 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

• Yes, actually the link http://www.statoids.com/ytg.html given at the bottom of the article. Also the French Wikipedia, however that's not a reliable source. Maybe there were 30 at one point, but some have later been merged? That would be interesting. Punkmorten 11:19, 26 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]
  • Cooperating with you has been wonderful! Punkmorten 21:16, 27 December 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I took it from another Template and modified. I used your map(since I have no an empty one). Please make trial in this template, by changing x and y values to see how the label places would be changed. happy deals for you. I will be in holiday beginning tomorrow afternoon for 12-13 days. No internet, no Tv, no newspaper, only (skindiving) fish +barbecue+Genuine Turkish village made vine. Happy newyears for you. regards.Must^TC 17:59, 27 December 2006 (UTC) {{Image label begin|image=Kilis_districts.png|width={{{width|250}}}|float={{{float|none}}}}} {{Image label |x=0.454|y=0.575|scale={{{width|250}}}|text='''[[Kilis]]'''}} {{Image label small|x=0.281|y=0.306|scale={{{width|250}}}|text=[[Musabeyli]]}} {{Image label small|x=0.464|y=0.404|scale={{{width|250}}}|text=[[Polateli]]}} {{Image label small|x=0.744|y=0.577|scale={{{width|250}}}|text=[[Elbeyli]]}} {{Image label end}} <noinclude>Labeled map for listing [[Districts of Turkey]].<br>{{User:Zondor/Labelled Map Documentation}}</noinclude>[reply]

I have a question about how you obtained the data to make your Uganda map. I'm trying to do something similar, but i need to be able to bring the data into a GIS. Please contact me via email so I can pick your brain. ctedesco@aed.org

I see that you are still doing your maps on the arrondisements and cantons of france. But have you noticed that tthere are no maps for the regions and departements. Don't you think this is more important??? If so shouldn't that be your priorty??? And since there are only 22 regions and 96 departements, you could do it in a short space of time, getting back to your original project.

Chris5897 (T@£k) 17:47, 23 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

You wrote:

Chris - I am a bit confused - do you mean there are no 'breakdown' maps of the regions and departments? I see a lot of maps out there. Could you point me to a page (or two) as an example where there are missing maps?

What I mean is that the only maps are, for example Rhône-Alpes only show it in comparasion to the rest of France. There should be a map of only Rhône-Alpes. Chris5897 (T@£k) 18:01, 23 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra. I need your help. We need to ethno-linguistic maps for the article Afghanistan, based on these 2 maps (both being based on official census numbers of the Afghan government): [6][7].

I had a look at the maps you have created, and I think that you are the right person.

The maps above were deleted because of copy-right issues, so we need "original" Wikipedia maps based on those maps above.

Please note that the Uzbek and Turkmen languages, although prited as prominent in the north, are still "minority languages", being dominated by Persian (Dari). So, the best thing would be to have a "mixed spot", showing that both languages are spoken there. Bilingualism is very common anyway.

Please let me know if you are interested in creating the maps. That would be a great help! Thank you! Tājik 12:35, 27 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you! :) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tajik (talk • contribs) 16:55, 29 January 2007 (UTC).[reply]

I'm finishing digitalization sum borders and sum centers. Actuality of "Авто замын атлас" (Road Atlas 1:1 000 000) and Монгол улсын засаг захиргааны хуваарь (Administrative division map 1:2 500 000) is: printed in 2006, actuality 2005. Your maps are not actual - too many new sums, too many sums disappeared - very often settlements loose their status, but very often the settlements dissolve - nomads move to an other place. So, for the future, it will be good idea to note map actuality. And Eastern Aymag border with China is so... strange. In Great Hingan region (most eastern part of Mongolia, Herlen on your map, actual Halhgol) China has a peninsula - but China never claimed this territory Chinese... And one more Chinese peninsula betveen Halhgol and Matad (now Bayantumen and Matad) does not exist. Bogomolov.PL 08:55, 30 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bogomolov - I ignore any criticism based on the foundation that I can only work with the sources I am able to come across. My goal with regards to wikipedia are to find the gaps and to fill them. Sometimes when they are filled (in the case of the Sumuud), it may have been the case that the source is a little older - in which case, it results in a person like yourself to come forward and offer up the most up-to-date information possible. That is the best part of wikipedia! So you comments about 'actuality' are granted - if you have a map with new(er) borders and centers, GET IT POSTED! :) Or if you don't have the capability, let us exchange data and I will get the update(s) up there quickly. The 'strange' border you mention must meant the small point at the eastern edge... which could result from anything, but again, if I see the updated information, I can also make corrections to the data that I have as well. So let me know - are you going to update the Sumuud maps, or do you need assistance? Rarelibra 14:05, 30 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I sent to you bundaries and lakes tabs. I hope it is possible to make outline map. Aymag sum maps are in process of recoloring etc. Soon I will send you DGNs. Do you have soft for DGN viewing/editing? Bogomolov.PL 09:27, 9 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't understand... did you send me tables? I haven't received anything. Rarelibra 19:41, 9 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

On your yahoo address were sent MI tab files with Mongolian sum(+ aymag with different width) boundaries and lakes (as a result UT conversion). I don't have MI 8½ (only 8) and does this version read DGN directly (I don't think so), or using UT? Are you using map2svg for SVG conversion? Bogomolov.PL 07:11, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bogomolov - I still have not received anything on my yahoo account. ?? Did you send it to (my wiki name) @ yahoo . com? Rarelibra 14:12, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I did. And no mail delivery problems reported (it was 02.08 and 02.09). I sent files again 02.13. Bogomolov.PL 13:23, 13 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Strange. I have not received anything yet. If possible, post your email and I will send you a test message you can reply to? :) Rarelibra 13:54, 13 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Your Yahoo is a black hole! It's something! My address: my WP name at vishagi dot com. Bogomolov.PL 16:02, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Bogomolov - test email sent your way! :)

I'waiting... Nothing...Bogomolov.PL 16:21, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've never had this problem with Yahoo before. Hmmmm. I sent one from my work address. Let me know. Rarelibra 16:59, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing! May be it is problem from my side? Bogomolov.PL 17:28, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

założyłem conto na Yahoo.pl pod moim imieniem w WP ale bez kropki. Teraz się uda! (może spam protection jest za srogie?) Bogomolov.PL 17:49, 15 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Did you get sum map in DGN I sent you? What with SVG from this map? Bogomolov.PL 13:33, 13 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

This is a thank you for working on Wikipedia. Every edit helps! Have a wonderful day.
Saber girl08 04:35, 9 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra. Personally, I do not know which colors to pick. I'll leave that to you :) It'll probably good too choose the same colors (with small variation) for the same ethno-linguistic groups. For example Greenish colors for Persian-speakers (Tajiks/Persians, Hazaras, Chahr Aimaq), purple for Pashtuns, and yellowish colors for the Turkic-speakers (Turkmen and Uzbeks). What do you think? Tājik 11:29, 12 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, Rarelibra! Just wanted to update you on the status of Adygea's administrative divisions list. We are pretty much done now with the draft, and will be submitting the revised version for a peer review soon. David hacked your map a little bit to address some previous concerns regarding it not showing some of the places referenced in the text. It's only a temporary measure; we still hope you'll be able to update the map nicely when you eventually have time. Cheers,—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 18:30, 13 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Boy, am I glad to hear that! Unfinished work itches me like flea bites :) I will, of course, be absolutely happy to assist with whatever translation needs you might have—just give me a shout! I just wish I knew that the cadaster site could be of assistance to you—I would have pointed it out earlier.—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 18:08, 21 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Got your email. I will work up a much better rendition of the map this week. Sorry for such a delay - but my schedule is rather loaded at present. :) Rarelibra 00:22, 26 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Wow, this is fantastic! The map looks so much better now; it was certainly well worth the wait :) The only thing that's missing is the Caucasus mountains, but other than that I don't anticipate the map needing any further tweaking. Thank you thank you thank you!!! If anything I can help you with ever comes up, I'll be more than happy to return the favor!—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 17:50, 27 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I just got initiated into masonry recently and was interested if there were any masons on here (I know I have a ways to go, I have just started). So, i started looking through the categories and I see User:Agentmoose's user page (which i thought was a joke at first). From what I have experienced so far, the two are incomptiable, atheism and freemasonry. But then again, I have alot to learn. -- Chrislk02 (Chris Kreider) 14:37, 23 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Chris - according to what was said on Agentmoose's talk page, he is trying to justify the removal of the belief of Deity (in his eyes) with the "higher humanistic purpose". This is a pathetic attempt at trying to alter the very foundation of why freemasonry exists. Freemasonry does differ from place to place, however, we swear an oath on the Bible upon membership - that is proof enough of the belief of Deity. As far as his comments of discussing religion, that only has to do within official meetings. It is a grave shame to have such members who proudly display the antithesis against the very oath they swore. Rarelibra 15:15, 23 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Regardless of your views on it being pathetic or not, please leave the boxes on my userpage alone. Agentmoose 18:56, 9 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

First of all, you'll notice I corrected one - so you are welcome. Second, as a Mason I am sworn to protect that oath - and you are in violation of such, IF you really are a freemason (and even IF - you violate the very oath you took). I sincerely doubt that you participate proactively within a blue lodge. You are probably just someone who joined and changed his views and now wants to attempt to advertise a kind of sick dichotomy. You don't really live by the Craft nor contribute positively towards it. Rarelibra 19:08, 9 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Rarelibra, you mentioned an interest in Masonic graves, etc. just came across this, thought you'd want to see it. left comment here because talk page is archived. & a note on above conversation: Regular Freemasonry requires a belief in a GAOTU; also, remember, some Brethren swear an oath on another VSL than the Bible...;~) Grye 23:29, 25 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra. I'm working my way down the List of missing Africa topics and I came across Kangaba, a new (created in January) cercle of Mali. Could you please update Image:Koulikoro_cercles.png to include it? Image:Cercle Kangaba.PNG shows its location. Picaroon 22:42, 28 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Picaroon - this is the kind of feedback I appreciate very much! Of course I will update it... give me up to a week or so (sometimes faster). Cheers! Rarelibra 02:07, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, that's absolutely swell! I can now confidently work on the Russian administrative divisions topics knowing that much-needed maps will be eventually available. As of now, we have a (rather limited) assortment of all kinds of maps made by different people, so it's nice to finally have a uniform set in sight.

As for the maps being up to date, you can safely use the "administrative divisions of..." series as a reference. There weren't many changes recently, but I always keep an eye on latest developments and make corrections quite expeditiously. If you watchlist all articles in the series, it will serve as a personal subscription to all updates you need to know :) Of course, if anything isn't clear, just contact me. Ahh, this is exciting! Thanks again!—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 20:59, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

My friend - the hardest part is that if the article has additions/differences, I don't have a proper map to reference for such changes. So I guess we'll have to work through each territory and I can make corrections as we go! :) Rarelibra 21:08, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Well, lucky for you, the bulk of changes that happened since the 1990s dealt with selsoviet-level (level four) divisions, and, more recently, with federal subjects as a whole. The earliest scheduled change on the raion level will happen in 2009, and even then it's only one case. The bottom line is that I'll go all out to help you figure out whatever things that might be unclear to you along the way :) Best,—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 21:45, 29 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Could you leave a link to your maps, please? We (wikipedians of ruwiki) are very interested in your work. --Obersachse 07:27, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Obersachse - I've added a section to my Map gallery HERE. As I complete the maps, I will add them to my gallery here on English wiki (as well as on Commons). If you have any input on the format, colors, etc. from WikiProject Russia, let me know. Otherwise I will use the standard pastels and such that I've used on many other administrative level maps. Rarelibra 16:12, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Just curious what the point of this was?—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 15:56, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Ezhiki - the map is now posted to Commons, so I attempted to put the link to the map on Commons... because soon after the map will eventually be deleted from the English wiki server and remain on Commons. Rarelibra 16:05, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

But underscores are supposed to be the same thing as spaces in file names, no? Whenever a file name contains a space, it is converted to an underscore in the browser's address bar, but otherwise they are equivalent. Am I missing something else here?—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 16:23, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Everything I've seen with English wiki and Commons - when there is only an image in Commons, you have to use the underscore to refer to the gap in the name. However, I just tested it with a map that I made for Norway and it changed the gap to an underscore. Hmmmm. I do know that when a map existed both on Commons and English wiki, the underscore helped keep the link when the image was deleted in English wiki. I could be wrong... it's probably just semantics? That is why I added the underscore... ? :( Rarelibra 16:42, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing anything important. See, I just hate those underscores :) While I wouldn't, of course, go on a jihad mission to remove them, I do remove them in cases when I have to make an edit anyway. If underscores were mandatory to link to images in Commons, I might have had broken quite a few links. Luckily, it doesn't seem to be the case. Thanks anyway!—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 16:47, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dear RareLibra! Your Adygeya map is not North-oriented. May be will be reasonable North direction arrow? Bogomolov.PL 16:53, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't see the need. Clearly, the reader can see from the reference map in the main article what the republic looks like, and the orientation is not the focus of the map itself. If it becomes an issue, I can always redo the map to orient it North. Rarelibra 16:54, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for all the fantastic work you've put into creating the maps of Districts of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, however, I feel that some of this work may have been wasted. The districts have recently been reorganised - some have been split or merged, others moved from one province to another. Almost no province is unaffected.

Have a look at Talk:Districts of Afghanistan for background info, and at this Excel file for the most recent list of districts and how they match to older ones.

I feel bad about this - I should have realised when you initially added the lists of districts to that page that they were out of date, and warned you about it before you went to the effort of creating maps for them all. --OpenToppedBus - Talk to the driver 10:47, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't feel bad. The maps stand as the most current until a source comes out showing the definition of the new boundaries - then I can update the maps and get the updates into wiki. These are valuable in a historical context, right? :) Rarelibra 12:52, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The map you labeled "Smolensk Oblast" is actually for Bryansk Oblast. I can't believe I didn't see that right away yesterday.—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 19:17, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

ACK!!!! I will fix quickly... Rarelibra 19:19, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. My other question is about the cities/towns. On this map, you showed borders of Bryansk, Novozybkov, and Dyatkovo, but not of Klintsy and Seltso. And on the map of Adygea, you showed borders of Maykop but not of Adygeysk. Is that because there was no information available, or was there another reason? Technically, the best way to handle this (considering how the corresponding articles are written) would be to show the area borders of the cities/towns with the municipal urban okrug status, and to only show locations (with a dot) of the towns with the municipal urban settlement status. While the municipal status information is not yet in the majority of the articles, I can certainly let you know which are which each time you are about to start a new map. This is all, of course, provided that you can get the borders information for all cities/towns; otherwise we'll have to make do with what's available.

Another thing is that the Bryansk Oblast map is not north-oriented, but the insert showing the approximate location of the oblast is. Shouldn't they be aligned the same way?—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 19:36, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The map was a prototype, and I definitely appreciate the feedback. I will ensure that the inset maps are properly oriented in the future (or do you think I should even include the inset?). As for the town/city borders, I am going off of the cadastral info from the website we discussed. I can easily dissolve them into the proper raion, so what I will need to do is adjust each map as I get it posted (I will go off of the article for the oblast/krai/etc. for guidance), if that is the case. I will adjust the Bryansk map and go from there. What about the colors? Are the pastels ok, or do you wish to establish a standard color set? Otherwise the software will assign the colors randomly. Should we have one color for a city and one for a district? Let's toss around a few ideas. Bogomolov mentioned above that I should include a north arrow... is that desired for all the maps? Once we get the requirements tweaked for the Bryansk map, I will ensure all the rest look similar. ? Rarelibra 19:49, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, I, of course, understand it's just a prototype. Otherwise I would have filed another multi-kilobyte piece filled with complaints :) Anyway, to address your questions:

1. Inset. An inset will be very helpful. However, it has to be oriented the same way as the main map (more on orientation below); otherwise the map overall will be confusing. Another thing is that the inset does not show the oblast borders, but I assume that's a prototype issue to be fixed later.
2. Orientation. Is there a particular reason why the maps should not be oriented to north? Adygea actually looks better with a non-standard orientation, but I am not so sure about Bryansk Oblast. In any case, if you orient a map differently, an arrow should probably be present, because without it readers will automatically assume that the orientation is standard. Not really that big of a deal, probably, but still...
3. Colors. I don't really have a preference, although I do kind of like the color scheme used in this map. Pastels are fine, too, if that's easier. One thing to watch, however, is that adjacent districts don't randomly get assigned the same color (e.g., in the Bryansk Oblast map Gordeyevsky and Surazhsky Districts are both painted cyan, and Dubrovsky and Rognedinsky Districts are both blue, and Novozybkovsky and Klintsovsky Districts could probably use better contrasting colors, too).
4. Cities/towns. How about I let you know the borders of which cities/towns should be shown as you go? For example, in the map of Adygea, Adygeysk's borders need to be shown (I forgot to mention it last time, sorry!). If you only show Maykop, the map becomes neither administrative (Maykop, as currently shown in the map, is not an administrative division but a municipal urban okrug) nor municipal (because Adygeysk urban okrug is missing). Speaking of which, I am not entirely sure how to best handle this—perhaps two maps are in order? With Adygea, the administrative map would show all districts, but mark Maykop and Adygeysk as dots, and the municipal map would show both cities as municipal urban okrugs (which have larger territories than cities proper). With Bryansk Oblast, I'll need to do a bit of research first, but I'll let you know exactly which cities/towns to "expand". Hope it doesn't add too much work!
5. Colors for cities/towns vs. districts. I like the idea; the cities/towns will indeed look better if they are marked with distinct colors. This would be especially important on municipal maps, because the status of a municipal urban okrug is not the same as that of the municipal district.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else.—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 20:30, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I think we have the basics down now. I will ensure North orientation, include an inset map, and base the colors off of the map you pointed out. I will also dissolve the municipal boundaries so that the map only shows the administrative borders (so, I will tweak Adygea to dissolve Maykop, for example). I'll let you know when I get an update online. Rarelibra 20:56, 30 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

First thanks for uploading them. I am personally not so much in favor of renaming images, but several people indicated that they should be renamed. I just unofficially undertook the task of renaming them. I am far from finishing this task now. I apologize for failing to give full credit for your work, i tried but I guess I failed.

Currently the summaries should be like this:

"Map of the districts of Düzce province in Turkey. Created by Rarelibra 19:52, 1 December 2006 (UTC) for public domain use, using MapInfo Professional v8.5 and various mapping resources",

which should be about the same with what was before. There are some commented out parts in the text now, indicating that I was the one who renamed them, in case someone wanted to contact the renamer. Please tell me the phrase that I should add there to give you full credit.

The new district maps are on Atlas of Turkey on wikimedia. I did not want to just delete the old ones, even though we have a copy of them now under names with Turkish characters. I categorized them instead.

I have so far finished all the provinces up to Düzce, I will wait for your response before I continue. Thanks a lot, once again.

ps. Do you think we should move the images instead, so that we can keep the history? I wasn't sure that the title of the page and the title of the image could be different. deniz^T_C 00:42, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

They are used on other wiki's (other languages), I think. So it might be better to keep them for now. I think we should not impose a decision we made on English wiki on them. deniz^T_C 14:37, 11 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's more to keep things simple. If they are on other wikis, it will be easy to trace, and then relink them to the ones you are setting up. Consistency :) Rarelibra 14:52, 11 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I do in fact like it better than pastels. The map now looks more crisp. I think it'll work for the rest of the maps very well.

Now, I do have some additional comments about the maps (at this rate, you are probably soon going to hate the day I left the first message on your talk page :)). First of all, you mentioned that you don't want to do hydrology and district centers on all maps. Does that add a lot of work when you are developing the maps? I could agree that hydrology probably only adds marginal benefits, but district centers are quite relevant. Would you reconsider? Second, speaking of hydrology, I have just realized that Adygea's reservoirs aren't quite right on the map. "Tshchitskoye Reservoir" is spelled "Tshchikskoye" (Тщикское) and, what's more important, it is actually considered to be a part of Krasnodar Reservoir. Third, David Kernow below wondered if you'd be able to add Krasnodar and Caucasus Mountains to the map. Krasnodar is not a part of Adygea, but it did serve as its administrative center in the past, and there are quite a few references to it in the text. Having the mountains would also be useful. Fourth, "Stavropol" on the map really refers to Stavropol Krai—that also needs correcting. And finally, I wanted to clarify one more time about the cities/towns. As the Adygea list currently stands, it only describes the administrative divisions, so one map is enough. The updated version, however, describes both administrative and municipal units (and it is my plan to add that information for the rest of the lists in the series as well), so another map would be quite handy. The second map would be quite similar to the first one, with the main difference being that municipal city okrugs would be shown. Once the first map is done, producing the second to accompany it should be trivial. What do you think?—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 17:35, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

P.S. By the way, do you think that adding maps to both "administrative divisions of..." and the main articles is necessary? Here, for example, the map overloads the already overloaded (by the infobox) stub. Perhaps a small thumbnail in the main article and a decent size image in the "adm. divs. of..." article would suffice? Thanks!—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 17:40, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

OK - I will try to go in order of your questions/comments. First, on adding the admin centers for the districts (raions)... man, it would just make the map incredibly 'busy' with too much text, seemingly all jumbled. The name of the reservoir I got from either Wiki or Google, so I will correct it - but should I just make all three of those as "Krasnodar", or should I just merge the Tshchitskoye and label it as Krasnodar? I can add the mountains (hmmmm)... that will be a first, I think. I can make an additional map with sub-units for Adygea, no problem. But I only have the outline for the Maykop okrug from the cadastral site, so I am dead in the water unless I can see an outline somewhere.

As for adding maps to both articles, I think it is necessary - because otherwise the section of the article itself is non-existent (all there was before was a link to a main article). There should at least be a summary and a small(er) thumbnail. Rarelibra 18:00, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks. Here are my follow-up comments:

• Reservoirs. Oktyabrskoye Reservoir is separate; only Tshchikskoye is considered a part of Krasnodar Reservoir.
• Admin. centers. Hmmm, I haven't really thought of that. Adygea only has seven, so they don't clutter the map much, but I can see how it can become a problem with something like Tatarstan, which has 43 districts. Perhaps just show them as tiny stars with no labels? This way the location would still be shown, and the names can be looked up in the text.
• Mountains. Don't you just love the new challenges? :)) If this doesn't work, however, we can also revert to David's solution—just put "Caucasus" printed in large font over the general area where the mountains are located.
• Urban okrugs. I believe the cadastral site shows all outlines of all existing municipal formations, as it is the site's very purpose. If for one reason or another an outline is unavailable, oh well, readers will have to make do with the administrative map. It's not like they can go elsewhere and easily find a substitution map—in that case we wouldn't be in such desperate need for your map-making services!
• Maps in the main article. That's what I meant—a small map in the main, and a full-size in the specialized article. I'll really have to edit your section summaries, though, as having precise terminology is very important. No offense, hopefully!—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?); 18:24, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Never any offense with you, my friend. By doing so we are improving each other's work. :) Rarelibra 18:38, 3 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Great! I'll be tweaking/adding the summaries as I go through the federal subjects adding the infoboxes.—Ëzhiki (Igels Hérissonovich Ïzhakoff-Amursky) • (yo?);

Hi there sergeant, I've been creating maps and stubs for the municipalities of Colombia. Check IE, Norte de Santander... so far I've done most of Colombia's northern region and working on the rest. I was wondering what software are you using to create the maps? I've been using Macromedia Fireworks which is very basic. please take a look and tell me what you think...--((F3rn4nd0 ))^{(BLA BLA BLA)} 16:01, 11 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

F3rn4nd0# - saw the ICM and USAR on your userbox page, what MOS are you? I've been 11B for 20 years, and switching to 25W (probably) for the next 6 (or whatever I make it to).

As for the maps, the Norte de Santander map looks great! If you update the various departments, I will update my data off of your maps and help to create the overall map (or leave it to you). I use MapInfo Professional for all of my maps - it isn't as graphic intensely beautiful as some of the publishing products out there, but it is a GIS system, much like the various ESRI products. If you ever need some help, let me know... and check out my gallery to get an idea of what I try to do here. Rarelibra 16:09, 11 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm a 63H (Pr) and 63W. Also changing, probably to 38A for the next 8. I just ReUp...

Here is a link you can update from... It's from the Colombian Geograhic Institute www.igac.gov.co, if you need a translation I'll be glad to help you as well as for other Spanish speaking countries...[8]

link:http://209.15.138.224/colombia_maps/m_Chocox.htm For the other maps simply change the name on the link, Chocox for Magdalenax or Cesarx...etc --((F3rn4nd0 ))^{(BLA BLA BLA)} 18:41, 12 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Norte de Santander[9] San Andres [10] but they dont have a really good map of Bogota DC...([11] all maps list) I'll try to find one of Bogota.--((F3rn4nd0 ))^{(BLA BLA BLA)} 20:42, 12 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was must have been spaced out, here is bogota.. in the middle of cundinamarca[12]--((F3rn4nd0 ))^{(BLA BLA BLA)} 19:03, 13 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I've noticed you personally warned two page vandals. However, as WP has templates for warnings, your own warnings aren't considered "official" for purposes of blocking repeat offenders. See WP:VAND for the list of official warnings, and yes, which level you start with is up to your own discretion. Moreover, they can be used for specific page or as a general warning, so you may want to check the user contribs to see if the vandalism is isolated to one page or covers multiple pages in the last 24 hours or so. MSJapan 19:02, 16 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Cool. Thanks. My PHO with regards to vandals is immediate assumption of lack of good faith. Some of the IPs show a history of such vandalism as well... a shame, really. Rarelibra 19:04, 16 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hello Rarelibra! Your map is really a great improvement for this article. Thank you very much for the great work. I would think it also would greatly improve the existing stubs about some of this municipalities to use this map there as location map. I think I could make a location map for them using your map and coloring it in Photoshop. What to you think about this idea? Thanks again. --VirtualDelight 16:26, 20 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

VirtualDelight - I am already in the process of making "blowout" maps for the individual provinces. Rarelibra 17:01, 20 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Great, this really will be an improvement for this articles. Thanks VirtualDelight 17:39, 20 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The article Wildfire Grill has been speedily deleted from Wikipedia. This was done because the article seemed to be about a person, group of people, band, club, company, or web content, but it did not indicate how or why the subject is notable, that is, why an article about that subject should be included in Wikipedia. Under the criteria for speedy deletion, articles that do not assert notability may be deleted at any time. If you can indicate why the subject is really notable, you are free to re-create the article, making sure to cite any verifiable sources.

Please see the guidelines for what is generally accepted as notable, and for specific types of articles, you may want to check out our criteria for biographies, for web sites, for bands, or for companies. Feel free to leave a note on my talk page if you have any questions about this. NawlinWiki 16:38, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The article didn't say anything about it being part of a major restaurant corp -- it just said "here's a restaurant chain with 7 locations, here's its menu". I'll copy and paste to your userspace at User:Rarelibra/Wildfire Grill; feel free to repost if you add an assertion of notability to the article. Thanks, NawlinWiki 16:47, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sure - but next time don't be so quick to pull the trigger of "speedy delete" without allowing for further fleshing out of an article, right? Rarelibra 16:48, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hello! I was looking through the members of WikiProject Maps for someone who might help me out, and you seem a likely candidate. I'm currently working on an article for the Battle of Arras (1917), and the only useful map I have is a crop job of a larger USMA map (you can see the original map here and the cropped map here). I was wondering if you might be able/willing to produce a better map for use in the article? Obviously, it's no problem if you can't/aren't/are too busy, but any help would be appreciated. Carom 19:30, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I'm really looking for a map that 1) Shows the location of the front line at the start of the offensive, 2) Indicates the general positions of the major formations (i.e., armies), and 3) Shows the changes in the front that ocurred during the offensive (i.e. the gains by the British Empire forces). The original USMA map has a nice close-up in the lower left hand corner that is similar to what I'd like. Let me knowif you need more specific info. As far as timeframe goes, there's no real hurry. I'm aiming for a FAC at the end of May (at the earliest), so that's probably the "deadline," but it shouldn't be a major sticking point. Carom 19:57, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi there Rarelibra. Well, I was talking with a friend of mine on maps, and he told me about you. Browsing through your map work and user page, I think you're the guy we're looking for. We, in the fairly new WikiProject Syria, are looking for maps of the 60 districts of the 13 governorates of Syria. They're actually 14 governorates, but Damascus already has a map. I don't know if you are busy or have higher priorities in this time, but I would really appreciate if you can do us this favor. I don't know if you're going to be able to find the needed map resources, because I couldn't. If you can, I would like it if the maps used uniform colors. Again, I'm busy myself and would be fine waiting for the maps, so take your time. :-) Let me know if you can help. —Anas ^talk? 14:50, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Major bummer. I have a perfect map resource for a few governorates. We need 13 maps, and I will try to get some resources you can use. For now, I found the map of the districts of Idlib Governorate. It's in Arabic, so just leave the names for me. I will look for other maps and return back. Thank you, I appreciate your altruism. —Anas ^talk? 12:09, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Maybe I'm not going to need any names. I might use markers and labels for every district in an infobox, much like how the folks did it in Template:Infobox Indian Jurisdiction. The map looks good, thanks a lot. I might make some modifications in the future to the maps you create, I hope that will be fine with you. I found a map of the districts of Aleppo Governorate. However, I think that there is an error in the map; the district labeled "Aleppo city" includes the one labeled "Samaan", i.e. both are one district. I am still trying to look for the remaining maps! Regards, Anas ^talk? 14:55, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Looks good... keep finding them and throwing them my way! :) Rarelibra 15:01, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you so much! I modified the Idlib map, check it out. I know I'm being very fastidious, but I hope that you are OK with me modifying them. :-) I will modify the Aleppo map now and will keep on looking for the remaining maps! Thanks again, Anas ^talk? 15:39, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Actually I noticed it and was surprised at the speed in which we are working together! Keep me posted, and I will keep the maps coming... I could definitely use the names once you have them referenced in to fill in my own database! :) Rarelibra 15:54, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Whew, this is arduous! This is the map of the districts of Hama Governorate. I had to photoshop it to show the borders. Cheers, Anas ^talk? 17:03, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks man! Of course none of this would've happened if it weren't for your help and skills. This is exactly why I love Wikipedia. :-) Concerning the other maps, I've spent some 6 hours searching yesterday; it's hopeless. I contacted a bunch of Syrian websites requesting some help. I don't trust I'll receive any help but would sure love to. It's really sad how weak Syrian-related coverage is online. At worst, I will buy some maps and books in my (probably last) visit to Syria this summer. —Anas ^talk? 15:01, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I was thinking the same thing - there may be map sources to consult. I will see about going to a library sooner to scan something in, if possible. Rarelibra 15:52, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I don't suppose there's any way the names on the maps could be rendered in a larger typeface? --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 15:01, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi. I don't have map software, but I went ahead and took 5 minutes to enlarge the names on the map of Adrar on this page using GIMP: Adrar (region). In thinking that you may be planning to go back later and fix these legends, and in the interest of doing my fair share of the work, which I am glad to do, I certainly hope you don't mind if I add the big typeface names to your maps as I work my way through some of the pages I watch. I mean, why should you do all the work of creating these wonderful maps? --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 15:57, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The new typeface is GIMP's 32. --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 16:28, 29 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi, Can you copy edit the article when you have time? Thanks--Ugur Olgun 17:24, 30 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for helping me--Ugur Olgun 17:08, 1 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra,

I am psyched to find your maps! I am a Master's student in International Development writing my thesis on youth and transport in Dakar. I am in desperate need of shapefiles for the arrondissements of Dakar, Guediawaye, Pikine, and Rufisque-Bargny. For one, I want to be able to show the different population densities of each arrondissement. I am also wondering if you have layers with the communes d'arrondissement (within each arrondissement). This would really be the ideal thing. Please let me know if you would be willing to share what you have created. I am happy to provide you with more info if you like.

My email is srowbutt@yahoo.com.

Many thanks, Sara —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Srowbutt (talk • contribs) 19:03, 2 May 2007 (UTC).[reply]

..We got 'em! I almost gave up hope, so I was searching online today, trying all kinds of search strategies, and of course, found nothing. I accidentally clicked on the CBS-SYR (Central Bureau of Statistics) in my bookmarks folder, and what I immediately noticed was the new design and the major overhaul in the website. I had visited it yesterday night and there was nothing. I immediately started looking for any helpful new additions, and there they were: every districts map we need! They're heaven-sent. Here they are:

• Districts of Rif Dimashq
• Districts of Quneitra Governorate
• Districts of Al-Hasakah Governorate
• Districts of Daraa Governorate
• Districts of Ar-Raqqah Governorate
• Districts of Deir ez-Zor Governorate
• Districts of As-Suwayda Governorate
• Districts of Homs Governorate
• Districts of Tartus Governorate
• Districts of Latakia Governorate

They're not exactly the best maps you can find, but at this point I'll take anything. Of course, you can take your time, I will probably not be around until Saturday, after I finish my SAT test, which is haunting me. Thanks in advance. Cheers! —Anas ^talk? 17:26, 3 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

excellent find, my friend. I'll get these done by Monday - I have MBA classes this weekend. Rarelibra 18:32, 3 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

OK, my brain, eyes, and whole body for that matter, are now on the fritz. I just finished my SAT test and really need a break. I will try to look for them tomorrow. I think Egypt's maps will not be too difficult to find. Cheers, Anas ^talk? 13:36, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hi Rarelibra. I searched for maps for the subdivisions of Egypt. In Egypt, a governorate has several regions (markaz) and each has several cities and districts. There are 166 regions in the 27 governorates of Egypt. The capital governorate, Al-Qahira (Cairo), has no regions. I've found four ready and perfect maps in Commons:

• Al Fayyum - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Fayoum.svg
• Ad Daqahliyah - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Dakahliya.svg
• Kafr ash Shaykh - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kafr_El-Shiekh.svg
• Al Buhayrah - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Behiera.svg

Here is a list of the maps of all the remaining governorates, except Cairo of course:

However, in those maps, the regions, their capital cities, and some districts are all together shown, so it is quite chaotic. Maybe you can contact User:Mohammed Khalil, the creator of the maps from Commons, to ask him where he might have got the maps. As for the labels, that will be a little too difficult and strenuous for me. To get the names, I would have to go through the pain of finding the standard English transliteration of the name, and believe you me, that is not easy. This might be helpful.

Iraq's district maps can be found in the Districts of Iraq article. Bahrain's municipalities are here. In Libya, the second-level administrative divisions are cities, not regions or districts; this is the case in Qatar too, where every municipality has one city. In the United Arab Emirates, every emirate has a capital city and many towns; some have exclaves. Tunisia, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia remain. I can't promise you anything. Honestly, I think I won't have the time to find them, if they are anywhere online. Got to go now. Regards, Anas ^talk? 19:14, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hey rarelibra, quick question on this page. Why is there South Tyrol now? I mean, there has never been a province of South Tyrol in all of recorded history. :-) I still don't see what the issue is against using the bilingual Bolzano-Bozen, considering it is 1) bilingual 2) listed in black-and-white in Brittanica (i.e., an established English reference). So simple really. Later dude. Icsunonove 21:14, 5 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is there any reason why Dane County gets a good map and Niger gets a bad map? It is important that Wikipedia be free of (personal attack removed). These are how the maps currently appear in Dane County and Arrondissements of Niger: --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 16:38, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Sorry to budge in. Rarelibra's maps (mostly) have the same style. Besides, you cannot compare two different types of maps. For example, in this case Image:Wisconsin-counties-map.gif is a map of similar type. It's just two different styles, and these maps can be modified any time. Regards, Anas ^talk? 17:30, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Loser McTrixie has attempted to accuse me of racism in a public venue. This falls under the context of defamation of character - regardless of the wiki opinion, this is a matter that is taken quite seriously. It is blatantly obvious that this user lacks any and all knowledge of cartographic principles - especially when it comes to typography and maps. It is also blatantly obvious that this user is on a race rampage against me - and for what reason, because I make maps? I would be EXTREMELY interested in having this user present a well-documented thesis of how such a topic as racism could be portrayed in maps. Maps are quite subjective in nature - the types of maps he is alluding to are administrative division representations of a simple nature. The text is not legible on the page due to the fact that the text he proposes violates typographic rules and, in some cases, completely covers the object that the label represents. I encourage this user to educate himself on maps and type ruling BEFORE ever attempting to change maps - and I also encourage this user to quickly refrain from ever accusing someone of a serious nature else risk possibly legal action outside this community.

Rarelibra 19:59, 6 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

• McTrixie, you are in the habit of throwing serious accusations at other editors. You really need to read Wikipedia:No personal attacks and Wikipedia:Assume good faith. Rarelibra, making legal threats may get you blocked, editors have been blocked for less. See Wikipedia:No legal threats. --Ezeu 12:08, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Of course, the maps can be modified at any time. It is as though here today, Arrondissements of Senegal has been given a spoonful of peanut butter, and Dane County (and every other geographical entity) has been given a McDonald's Happy Meal; there is no way that illegible maps will survive on Wikipedia in the long run. In realizing this, I have decided not to pursue this matter; the market will decide. My comments are not so much directed at another user as they are pointing out an obvious vulnerability in the Wikipedia: a disparity of map quality. If 99% of the maps on the Wiki are readable, then whoever gets the other 1% will surely complain, (personal attack removed). Rarelibra, you are free to archive these comments as you see fit; and I hope we can all continue working in peace. --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 16:58, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

All I will say is this, McTrixie... you need to gain an education in maps, mapping, cartographic principles, typography, etc. before you even attempt to after what you are attempting to pursue. Also, you need to ask yourself - how do you compare apples to oranges and attempt to put some kind of racial spin on it? Why aren't you going after Nissan for building the Sentra smaller than the Infiniti M - isn't that racist of them? Why aren't you going after McDonald's for super-sizing their french fries but not super-sizing their ice cream - isn't that also racist? Why aren't you going after GOD himself for making the sky blue but making the grass green - isn't that rather racist of God? Why aren't you going after the United States government for deciding to drive on the right side of the road - that is racist, too. Do you see that you are not making sense NOW? When a map has a lot of various elements on it - you CANNOT simply just make the text as big as you want and call it the day - especially when the text is too large out of context or covers up the foreground and focus of the map. That was the $.02 education for you - but don't stop there. Go out and actually READ books or online knowledge sites about it - BEFORE you run around with accusations again. Is your life so boring that you must create havoc and disharmony in others' lives? "Working in peace" - hah! You make a mockery of your own words. STOP YOUR INSANITY. Rarelibra 17:13, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I am definitely not a finger pointer, I am not a knee-jerk liberal, I do not think it's a light conversation, and I as far as this is concerned, I definitely believe in Wikipedia:Assume good faith; there is actually no problem here, just a lot of maps to be made. Because I raised the race issue as a Wikipedian, in good faith, I definitely retract it because it doesn't apply here and because it is quite a serious issue and doesn't need to suffer any obfuscation; it's been checked off the list, so to speak. I will go so far as to remove it from the talk page at Arrondissements of Niger, to take back what I said, because the issue has been duly noted. If anyone ever accuses you of bias based on all this map talk, you can rest assured, from me, that Wikipedia:Good faith is not in question; please don't be uncomfortable. Is there anything else? --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 19:21, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

There are currently no issues of bias in what was originally written at Talk: Arrondissements of Niger. I spend a lot of time working with Africa and when something like this comes up it should be checked and hopefully dismissed - definitely dismissed in this case. And, because I work in African issues, I am much number to "accusations"; I apologize for the apparent accusation. One doesn't accuse, one raises the issue so it can be asked and answered. I would much rather talk about Wisconsin's incredible run in college men's football and basketball this and last year - in November I was thinking they could play Ohio in January, and I had them going to the Final Four in my ESPN Bracket Challenge. I'm actually a Boston College fan. --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 19:25, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dude, relax. :-) It's really not worth all the stress. Just try to chill, maybe take a small wiki-break. I'm sure you realize the falsity of his claims, so don't be too worried of what he says. I've had my share of stress here too, so I know how you feel. —Anas ^talk? 17:54, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I myself am taking a wiki-break. --McTrixie/Mr Accountable 19:30, 7 May 2007 (UTC)[reply]