User:Mafalda Hopkirk/TMR1926

TMR1926 Archive Page

Horcrux Naming
Hello miss, nice to meet you. I saw that you undid my changes to some of the Horcrux pages. I did those for grammatical correctness. I am a stickler for proper grammar and English, it's just a pet peeve of mine. They just don't look right titled that way. I also saw they were properly named a bit before now (the way I had them changed to). Don't you think for the sake of being grammatically correct they should be properly titled with correct capitalization (especially since this is an encyclopedia)? TomMarvoloRiddle1926 17:13, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I sent you a message on your talk page regarding this. There was an extensive discussion about it on the forums weeks back, which is why they were specifically changed to the titles they have now. I understand your reasoning but there are other reasonings involved. Check it out Here Mafalda Hopkirk 17:15, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I could see that there has been some discussion about it before, but honestly it still does not look correct the way it does now. I was always taught in school that when referring to a particular person or object, they should be capitalized.  I'm just saying for people to take this wiki seriously as an encyclopedia of Harry Potter knowledge, it doesn't bode well for its image if the pages for some of the most important objects in the series are incorrectly labeled.  TomMarvoloRiddle1926 17:19, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I think the deciding factor was that the books refer to them in lowercase. Mafalda Hopkirk 17:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

I understand that, but the books did not refer specifically to them as "Salazar Slytherin's Locket" or "Helga Hufflepuff's Cup" either. In an encyclopedia, things as important as these objects should have gramatically correct titles for the sake of image. Rowling was referring to the objects in passing when they were named in the books, the books were not specific articles about the objects as an encyclopedia does. In short, it is one thing to refer to an object in passing in a fictional book and not refer to its full title but it is another to create an encyclopedia article that refers to the object in particular and speaks only about that object. I don't mean to be a nudge, but these articles really do look foolish the way they are titled now. They just don't look like the way say Encyclopedia Britannica would title their articles, or World Book. I honestly feel they ought to be retitled for appearances sake. TomMarvoloRiddle1926 17:29, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I believe the books do refer to them as "Helga Hufflepuff's cup." I don't think JKR referred to Horcruxes "in passing." Everything she wrote about was very purposeful. If she termed someone as "Fleur Delacour" we would be wrong to create her page "Fleur de la Cour" simply because its proper grammar. This was not my decision alone so perhaps you should take this to the forum discussion. Mafalda Hopkirk 17:45, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Actually, it was only ever referred to as "Hufflepuff's cup" or "the cup that had previously belonged to Helga Hufflepuff." And no, that is incorrect about Fleur Delacour, as that is how her proper name is given. And as I see, really the only one that pressed for these changes to the pages was you, and no one spoke up previously against it, so it appears the administrators just went ahead and let you do it because no one else was speaking about it. But I was not a member back then, and I am now. I do object to the way they are titled presently on the grounds that they are gramatically incorrect. This is honestly not meant to be a confrontation, merely just a discussion about improper use of grammar in an encyclopedia article. I just think for appearances sake the names should be corrected since this is supposed to be an encyclopedia concerning the Harry Potter world. TomMarvoloRiddle1926 17:51, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I really don't know what to tell you other than to discuss this on the forum. I am merely following a decision made by several people collaborating on an idea. The administrators here don't just let someone do something they want to do just because they are the only person asking to do it. I am not going to change that decision myself, especially after all the discussion that went into that decision.


 * Continually telling me that you dont think it makes sense isn't going to further your interests. If you know that this was changed based on a discussion, changing it yourself without first going back to that original discussion means it will probably just be changed back to reflect an agreed-upon policy. You need to put this before the same discussion that was previously held. On the note that you brought up, calling it "(Helga) Hufflepuff's cup" indicates the cup is in lower case. Mafalda Hopkirk 17:58, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

With all due respect miss, you are starting to sound a bit rude. I am sorry if I sound repetitive, but I am merely voicing a concern over a wrongful title change. And no, "Helga Hufflepuff's Cup" and just "Hufflepuff's cup" are two different titles entirely. One is complete, the other is not. And I shall go to the discussion page you showed me and speak there, but (no rudeness intended) you are sounding a bit domineering. The decision really wasn't made by a "group of people," it was made by you putting it before a discussion, and since no one else objected at the time, the administrators didn't care it appears. This was not an "agreed-upon policy," it was just a default policy that was okayed at a time when no one was objecting. TomMarvoloRiddle1926 18:08, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm sorry if i sound a bit rude or domineering, but i've asked you to take this up with the forums at least three times, and if you think that this was my decision alone or that the admins could care less what the articles are entitled as, you are wrong. What more can I say? Mafalda Hopkirk 18:14, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

You could admit that your input alone was the only thing that really swayed that discussion and that no one else really objected at the time and that truthfully the titles are grammatically incorrect. And I have gone to the forums with it, so there you have it. But you cannot deny the articles do look a bit ridiculous when they look like they've been started by a five-year-old. And it is understandable when you cannot see a person that some things they say seem a bit off the wall, but honestly these articles need to be changed if this wiki is to be taken seriously by the Harry Potter community. TomMarvoloRiddle1926 18:35, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I really don't think that this is a productive conversation. As has already been stated Mafalda was not the only user who had input about the topic of the titles. I'm glad to see the forum thread has been picked up about this. -- DarkJedi613 (Talk) 21:29, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I agree with DarkJedi613. I would also like to state that I feel that, since this is a potentially loaded issue, it should stay off user talk pages.  Discussions like this have the potential to degenerate into arguments that then have nothing to do with the issue at hand.  Please confine this discussion to the appropriate forum page before it gets personal.  Thank you. -  Cavalier One ( Wizarding Wireless Network ) 22:07, 30 January 2008 (UTC)