Interesting article but it shows the cultural biais of Wikipedia, not a word about Asia where visiting cards might have been even more important to social interactions.
It'd be fun if articles had links to their equivalents in other languages, with automatic translation. A problem with Wikipedia is that each language is a separate silo, which lowers the value of an universal encyclopedia.
Oh, wow, thanks. I'd seen that, but assumed it was a link to the frontpage of each language. Still would like if it could offer an automatic translation.
Would be great if you took a few minutes to improve the article then. Reducing the cultural bias of Wikipedia happens the same way as improving Wikipedia in general, one article at a time.
Thanks, I did contribute to Wikipedia long ago (the article about Confucius still has some sequels of my edits), but it happens that I have not enough knowledge on this topic. To me, reminding about Wikipedia's cultural biais is necessary, because many people think it is reliable and complete.
It's odd that in 2017 we are still having this debate. wiki welcomes you to improve the article. In fact that's the whole idea behind the site. It's odd that some users are still missing this use case in its entirety.
Welcomes? Over the years there have been many projects to make Wikipedia more welcoming to newcomers, because WP recognised that the "don't bite the newbies" guidance is nto always followed.
I don't know what it's like now. I'd be interested to see the results of surveys of new editors.
Don't edit for the same reason I stay away from Stack Overflow as long as possible:
Less chance of being bitten by people who seems to think they does the planet a service by rejecting and deleting content.
I recognise this might only be a misunderstanding, I rarely get bitten myself but I have seen enough useful questions and answers being punished on SO and enough Meta discussions telling everyone how great this is to learn that the site is mostly not for me.
It is a more general article on what we now call business cards, and contains a significant amount of information about the use of business cards in Japan and the etiquette involved.
OP, on the other hand, is about a specific precursor to the modern business card that only existed in the West.
My uncle loved to give people his card. Just like any business man from the time, he would reach into his pocket during a lengthy conversation, saying "here, let me give you my card."
Out would come this plain white business card, with 2 words printed: "My Card".
He would perform this satire with the most grace and seriousness he could muster.
"only existed in the West." Are you sure? I think I remember these mentionned in the vast Chinese classic litterature. It was the nearly the same usage: an expensive piece of parper with a name on it that was sent back and forth to prepare an irl meeting.
My first thought was that this would be an interesting protocol for calling someone.
I often receive more annoying robocalls on my personal phone than welcomed calls from unknown numbers. My usual solution is to quickly google the number to see if any scam reports are available and then quickly answer if not.
But I might start the practice of texting ahead of calling someone unfamiliar with a quick message like “This is John Smith's phone. I'll be calling shortly.” That way, I would ensure that my call was picked up or at least given the priority they prefer.
Or maybe I'm just a weirdo that worries too much about the consequences of actually answering robocalls :)
> But I might start the practice of texting ahead of calling someone unfamiliar with a quick message like “This is John Smith's phone. I'll be calling shortly.” That way, I would ensure that my call was picked up or at least given the priority they prefer.
Around here we have a number of forward/reverse lookup services (I use 1881.no) but I have a hard time finding anything similar for other countries. Right now I am trying to look up what I believe is a Californian number but where do I find a usable phone registry for US?
Just read an interesting strategy for dealing with robocalls: answer and immediately mute yourself. They will assume it's a dead line and take you off the list.
Or do what I do and answer every unknown call with "911. What's the location of your emergency?"
> I often receive more annoying robocalls on my personal phone than welcomed calls from unknown numbers. My usual solution is to quickly google the number to see if any scam reports are available and then quickly answer if not.
My strategy is generally just not to answer and let them leave a message if it's an actual person. Unless I have some reason to be expecting the call, I think that most people nowadays would find it reasonable that calling someone who doesn't have your number might result in you having to leave a message. If it is an actual person, I'll very often call them back immediately after listening to the message.
Interestingly, while in English we now say "business card", it seems that at least Swedish and Finnish, and probably other languages too, retained some form of "visiting card". In Swedish "visitkort" and in Finnish "käyntikortti" (literally, visit card) are still the terms for business card in use today.
Let me add Norwegian to the list as well, only with a double t in visitt (double because the vowel in front should have shorter pronunciation I think).
They were distinct concepts, my great grandfather had both [1], so maybe in those other languages they didn't overlap in use like they did in America. For timing I found them in his address book he brought to France in WW1.
"Biglietto da visita" in Italian, it was used also for accompanying a gift, most people used to have two sets, one, a proper "visit card" without anything but the title and the name (and the title was usually striken with a pen to show familiarity) and one more properly a "business card" with the postal address and (once available) phone number.
> Sometimes the name of a gentlemen's club might be added, but addresses were not otherwise included. [..] The visiting card is no longer the universal feature of upper middle class and upper class life that it once was in Europe and North America. Much more common is the business card.
And "gentlemen's clubs" now typically means strip clubs in modern culture.
These are still in use on some circles. When I was young, my parents sent me to a thing called Cotillion. It was a sort of evening camp for young people where we learned table manners, ballroom dancing, and ettiquite. Calling cards were part of the deal. A proper host had a special tray for them near the entrance for people to leave theirs.
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[ 3.7 ms ] story [ 112 ms ] threadIt'd be fun if articles had links to their equivalents in other languages, with automatic translation. A problem with Wikipedia is that each language is a separate silo, which lowers the value of an universal encyclopedia.
Welcomes? Over the years there have been many projects to make Wikipedia more welcoming to newcomers, because WP recognised that the "don't bite the newbies" guidance is nto always followed.
I don't know what it's like now. I'd be interested to see the results of surveys of new editors.
I've had edits rejected and I must say Wikipedia's 'assume good faith' policy makes it less hard on the newbie ego.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Assume_good_faith
Maybe newbie edits that don't cut the mark is one of the processes that attempt to drive the quality upward.
Less chance of being bitten by people who seems to think they does the planet a service by rejecting and deleting content.
I recognise this might only be a misunderstanding, I rarely get bitten myself but I have seen enough useful questions and answers being punished on SO and enough Meta discussions telling everyone how great this is to learn that the site is mostly not for me.
It is a more general article on what we now call business cards, and contains a significant amount of information about the use of business cards in Japan and the etiquette involved.
OP, on the other hand, is about a specific precursor to the modern business card that only existed in the West.
Out would come this plain white business card, with 2 words printed: "My Card".
He would perform this satire with the most grace and seriousness he could muster.
I often receive more annoying robocalls on my personal phone than welcomed calls from unknown numbers. My usual solution is to quickly google the number to see if any scam reports are available and then quickly answer if not.
But I might start the practice of texting ahead of calling someone unfamiliar with a quick message like “This is John Smith's phone. I'll be calling shortly.” That way, I would ensure that my call was picked up or at least given the priority they prefer.
Or maybe I'm just a weirdo that worries too much about the consequences of actually answering robocalls :)
Hitta.se (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=se.hitta.andro...) will automatically look up the caller's name in the (equivalent of the) yellow pages.
I assume there's an equivalent in most other countries?
Around here we have a number of forward/reverse lookup services (I use 1881.no) but I have a hard time finding anything similar for other countries. Right now I am trying to look up what I believe is a Californian number but where do I find a usable phone registry for US?
https://www.wired.com/2010/07/st_thompson_deadphone/
Or do what I do and answer every unknown call with "911. What's the location of your emergency?"
Not the best option considering the app sends them all your contacts.
My strategy is generally just not to answer and let them leave a message if it's an actual person. Unless I have some reason to be expecting the call, I think that most people nowadays would find it reasonable that calling someone who doesn't have your number might result in you having to leave a message. If it is an actual person, I'll very often call them back immediately after listening to the message.
1. https://imgur.com/gallery/GNdcj
And "gentlemen's clubs" now typically means strip clubs in modern culture.