[ANSTHRLD] Question for all

[kobrien at texas.net]

> You have been very helpful with this.  Thank you.  It is just something he
> has made known to me many a time and it is generally with certain areas of
> the world like Asia and the areas that use to be behind the "Iron Curtain"
> of present day.  I understand as heralds we are to help educate those
> submitting but ourselves to ensure as much accurate information is out
> there.  It is to a point I think with this contact he is going to write an
> article about at least his particular area of the world (and highly
> encouraged to use resources for documentation).  He is I think wanting to
> encourage other people to write about other areas like Mongolia and so
> forth.  Would these articles if reviewed by others and deemed a good
> source
> worth putting up for other heralds to look at as well?  If no other reason
> then documentation for names, etc.?


Hmm...  The more I think about this and the info you're passing on about how 
this person describes his experiences, the more I think I may know who this 
is.  If so, he's been hit with "Bad Submission Experience".  I know that one 
well, it got me started in name research...

Regarding articles, it's tougher to write a good article than it looks.  And 
good new ones are always welcome.

I'm on the Academy of Saint Gabriel email list and most of the best 
commentary I've gotten on name articles I'm writing has come from there.  If 
you're looking for direction when writing articles and feedback on ones you 
write, you may want to consider joining - new members are always welcome!

Here are some tips to get you (or your contact) started.  These are ones I 
think about when I write articles:

- document your sources (including general info, not just name elements)
- arrange the article so that the reader (or you) will be able to find the 
original info in the original source, if need be
- version and date it (so folks know if a printout they have is out of date
- say what you do know AND what you don't know
- be prepared to do updates, corrections, and reworks of the article; you 
will always learn more as time goes on
- get it reviewed by multiple people (folks who've written lots of this type 
of article - plus a general user; they find different problems)

Here's a good example of a Chinese article:
http://www.ida.net/users/valerie_lee/Octofoil/ChineseNames/

Here's an example of a decent, but problematic, Japanese article:
http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/miscellany/names.html

The problem with the latter article is that submitters often read it and 
assume that you can take any two elements and stick them together to make a 
nanori (given name).  Names have been regularly returned at Laurel for 
implausible constructions when the submitters have used this article and 
thought they had a good name.

Hope these tips help,

Mari
(who has to go figure out why the latest update of her Mongol article isn't 
displaying at http://www.s-gabriel.org/names/mari/tartar - Sigh!)