Dunno about hivemind, but...

Subject: Dunno about hivemind, but...
Author: Neshomeh
Posted on: 2012-10-18 18:40:00 UTC

There is the part where there are actual rules about capitalization, and it's generally agreed that we should follow such rules about language usage around here.

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp - Rules 3-6 deal with titles.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/capitalization_rules.htm - Number 2 here; also gets into some other exceptions and such.

Those are just the first two hits on Google. I've also got my Manual of Style handy, which says the same things.

~Neshomeh

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New Mission! by desdendelle on 2012-10-16 11:21:00 UTC Reply

After much facepalming, a little writer's block, and much beta'ing, my first mission is finally finished!

Lucid Nonsense, in which Agent!Des and Anebrin tackle a 'fic with extremely bad grammar, a horde of minis, and two character replacements.

Loot:
Two Xtonic light-blocking spacesuits, which will be donated to DoSAT.
Two daggers with blades shaped like holly leaves.

Minis (56 of them; all of them are up for grabs unless noted otherwise)
Mini-Roots (Fowlverse):
mud boy, Fairies, Elf, Pixie, section eight, Mud boy, Imp, Fowl manor, Artemis Fowl senior, Artemis senior, arty, holly, Gnomish, Centaur, Mr&Mrs Fowl, Mulch Diggems, Centaurs, Pixies, spirits, Dwarfs, Gnome, Artemis Fowl the second, frond, grub, Artemis Fowlor, Lili, vinyàya, Elvin.
Mini-Reapers (Whoniverse):
Doctor who (adopted by Des and Anebrin), time lord, the doctor, The doctor, the master, time lords, weeping angels, Time lords, midnight, doctor, midnight creatures, the master, master, time rotator, Paradox machine, torchwood, Jacks, jack.
Mini-Hounds of the Baskervilles:
Sherlock Homes.
Mini-Noo-noos (Teletubbies minis; invented by yours truly):
tellitubbies (reserved for LilacLielac), tinky-winky (adopted by Des and Anebrin).
General minis:
Arctic circle (adopted by Des and Anebrin), the titanic, Buckingham place, youtube.

Neat. by Ellipsis Flood on 2012-10-17 17:08:00 UTC Reply
I have to say, you really got better with your writing. Still, it's a long read, and I wish all of it was as funny as the Arster.

Things I noticed:
- Everything is a mini. If you have that many minis, you can handle them differently, especially the capitalization-based ones. I would have turned 'weeping angels' into exactly that. A bunch of angels that weep. Probably at the badness of the fic. The doctor could have been a random doctor (not necessarily of medicine, be creative here). And do you know how many things go by the word jack?
- You need to learn how to dose fic quotes. They shouldn't be too long and, ideally, showcase a thing you found. Like the Wapanese heart disease. You could have quoted the first time it was mentioned.
- You like capitalizing things, do you? Things you shouldn't capitalize:
  - Agent, unless it's used as "Agent [name]."
  - Colors, even if they're Suvian in nature.
- You don't need to read the full charge list. You really don't need to read the full charge list.

Wait a minute here. by Sergio Turbo on 2012-10-18 13:16:00 UTC Reply

I always capitalize "Agent", and I'm pretty sure a lot of other people does that too. It helps to differentiate PPC Agents from other kind of agents that can pop up in fics (police agents, chemical agents, all that sort of stuff)

In fact, I wouldn't surprised if Des capitalized "Agent" after seeing me doing that...

Some time ago... by Huinesoron on 2012-10-18 13:52:00 UTC Reply

... the Hivemind (we have one of those, right?) decided that it shouldn't be capitalised as a noun, only as a title. I believe all my missions capitalise it, since they predate that decision. After that point, I suspect I got a little slapdash with the capitalisation.

hS

Hivemind? by Sergio Turbo on 2012-10-18 17:11:00 UTC Reply

... Never liked hiveminds, so I'll do the exactly opposite. I'll capitalize "Agent" as a noun and not when it is a title.

Kidding here, but I think I will keep capitalizing "Agent" when it refers to a PPC Agent, noun or title or whatever. I feel like the text is clearer that way, especially if I ever do a NCIS or Detective Conan/Case Closed mission where non-PPC agents are abundant.

Also because after more than two years writing "Agent" instead of "agent" getting out of the habit will be hard.

Dunno about hivemind, but... by Neshomeh on 2012-10-18 18:40:00 UTC Reply

There is the part where there are actual rules about capitalization, and it's generally agreed that we should follow such rules about language usage around here.

http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp - Rules 3-6 deal with titles.

http://www.towson.edu/ows/capitalization_rules.htm - Number 2 here; also gets into some other exceptions and such.

Those are just the first two hits on Google. I've also got my Manual of Style handy, which says the same things.

~Neshomeh

B-but... by Sergio Turbo on 2012-10-18 20:16:00 UTC Reply

I have a reason to do that! Stylistic choice to put an emphasis on PPC Agent!

(Basically, if it's capitalized, PPC Agent. If it isn't, it's something else. But I think I already said that...)

I... I... It's a conspiracy by the Black Cats to lower the self-esteem of Agents!
*tries to find another weak excuse, and fails spectacularly*

On a more serious note, I acknowledge the proper grammar rule (and obviously the importance of proper gramma, otherwise I wouldn't be here), but I think I'll make an exception here, if that doesn't offend any of you.

Well, maybe. by Neshomeh on 2012-10-18 20:52:00 UTC Reply

My counter-argument would be that in the context of a PPC mission, 99% of the time you say "agent" you're probably talking about a PPC agent, and so it would make more sense to distinguish the times you aren't. Most likely you'd do that through an additional descriptor, though: "the FBI agent" or "the viral agent" or whatever.

That said, there IS an argument for Important Words. For instance, you won't catch me trying to tell anyone they shouldn't capitalize "Flower" when talking about the SO and his ilk, because they're giant, sentient, telepathic Flowers rather than the kind of flower you could grow in your garden. So, if you think PPC agents are that important, that's a thing.

I'll still correct for it on the wiki, though. {= P

~Neshomeh

Re: Well, maybe. by Ellipsis Flood on 2012-10-19 08:08:00 UTC Reply

I'll agree on that. Flower, capitalized, is a proper noun. You can go and say giant, sentient, telepathic flower, which is in itself more of a description, but it's more convenient to just call it by its name, Flower.

An agent, however, is an agent. *shrug* Hope I'm making sense here.

Re: Some time ago... by desdendelle on 2012-10-18 14:46:00 UTC Reply

Yeah, I probably capitalised it after reading Sergio's missions, which I have greatly enjoyed.

Re: Neat. by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 17:34:00 UTC Reply
Thanks for the compliment.
- My next mission won't have this much minis. Hopefully.
- I see. Well, depends on my next mission, but I'll do try to mind this.
- Thanks.
- This isn't the full charge list. The full charge list is seven pages long.

Still, I hope you see the points I made. by Ellipsis Flood on 2012-10-17 19:40:00 UTC Reply

Especially with the minis.

Re: Still, I hope you see the points I made. by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 21:33:00 UTC Reply

I already modified the mission a bit. Now some of the minis are a little more colourful.

Wonderful! by Cyba Zero on 2012-10-17 10:28:00 UTC Reply

Brilliant first mission; well done!

I must say, that is an awful lot of minis - and here was I thinking that the fourteen (in only three-hundred and fifty-seven words) mini-Colossi that I found on my first mission was a lot. Have some Bleepolate - I think your agents are going to need it after that fic.

Re: Wonderful! by Desdendelle on 2012-10-17 11:26:00 UTC Reply

Thanks for the Bleepolate. Agent!Des would probably offer some Bleeptea in return, but he'll need all the Bleeproducts he can get his hands on for the co-write. I cannot stress how awful that 'fic (TSAB DONWFALL: Halo War which Firemagic reported a few days ago) is. It actually made me cry because the Canons are so OOC.
As to your question... I don't know, really. I assume that since 'assimilation' in the Borg sense of the word isn't capitalised, capitalising it counts as miscapitalisation (like, say, capitalising 'kleptomaniac'), and misspelling it is, well, a misspelling. The closest thing I can think of is 'midnight', but I'm not sure how close that is to what you're talking about.
PS: You're more than welcome to adopt one or more minis (not including those already claimed); I need something to do with them, and keeping them all in RC log e would make a mess of the place.

Re: Wonderful! by Cyba Zero on 2012-10-17 17:49:00 UTC Reply

Well, there are three minis in my agents' RC already, and I don't think Eagrus would be able to cope with any more.

However, there is a mini adoption centre in HQ, and there is an OFU for Artemis Fowl.

The list of OFUs can also be found here:

http://www.misssandman.com/LOTR/ofum.html

Also a question about minis... by Cyba Zero on 2012-10-17 10:33:00 UTC Reply

Do words from ordinary English, but which have a canon-specific use, also create minis when misspelled? Most notably, 'assimilate' and the conjugations thereof with regard to Star Trek - if so, there will be four mini-Tribbles in addition to those already found so far during the mission I am currently writing.

... the heck happened there? by Sevenswans on 2012-10-17 03:49:00 UTC Reply

There are so many different minis from Artemis Fowl... which is not hard to spell...

I would think (though I don't know,) that holly, frond, and grub would be represented as their natural counterparts (a bush, a leaf, and a bug,) due to the fact that they are now common nouns.

Re: ... the heck happened there? by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 09:17:00 UTC Reply

That is plausible. However, due to the amount of minis in that fic I have to gloss over quite a lot of them.
You are free to adopt one or more of them, or to adopt other minis which aren't claimed already.

Holy mother of Ra. by IntelligentAirhead on 2012-10-17 01:09:00 UTC Reply

Mind if I take Artemis Fowlor? I am extremely saddened that I didn't get tinky-winky. You better take good care of that Noo-noo! //sobs

Re: Holy mother of Ra. by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 01:48:00 UTC Reply

Sure, Artemis Fowlor is all yours.
Regarding the mini-Noo-noos: I wanted one, and Lielac called dibs on the other. Sorry.

Potential Root Adopter here. by SpecstacularSC on 2012-10-16 23:35:00 UTC Reply

Mind if I nab Gnomish? (or is it already taken?)

Sure. by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 00:14:00 UTC Reply

Just note that he's orange and has excessively large feet.

Kay. by SpecstacularSC on 2012-10-17 00:17:00 UTC Reply

I'll knit my socks together, or something.

Does the PPC have a tailor for excessively large shoes?

I like the way this turned out. Nice job, mate. (nm) by Riese on 2012-10-16 22:57:00 UTC Reply
. . . by KittyNoodles on 2012-10-16 20:47:00 UTC Reply

That was probably one of the silliest (in a good way, like ha-ha silly, not what-is-this-I-don't-even silly) missions I've ever read - and being unfamiliar with Artemis Fowl and Doctor Who didn't help.

I will say that I rather enjoyed Anebrin's initial reaction to the minis, though. I found it kind of adorable~

Ooh, and about the 'ending a quote with a period rather than a comma' charge: I might be wrong, but I think it's okay to do that if you don't follow the quote up with sommat like 'she said' or 'he chided'.

Example: "I'm giving you an example," he explained.
"I'm giving you a different example." The second speaker's eyes twinkled with mirth.

All in all, though, great job on your first mission, des!

Re: . . . by desdendelle on 2012-10-17 00:36:00 UTC Reply

Thanks. I'm really happy I managed to write something silly - comic writing isn't my forte.
Regarding that charge: you're right, but what happened was that the Suethor used quotes and periods, which is wrong - as I've charged, you're supposed to use commas in this case.

Ah, okay then. :D (nm) by KittyNoodles on 2012-10-17 03:39:00 UTC Reply

Yay by firemagic on 2012-10-16 13:45:00 UTC Reply

Good mission. I already said my part while betaing, so, uh, yeah.

Are you going to do that Artemis Fowl/Nanoha crossover next?

Possibly by desdendelle on 2012-10-16 14:21:00 UTC Reply

Though I'd prefer to do the co-write first.

We should probably figure out the timing through email by firemagic on 2012-10-16 15:59:00 UTC Reply

Do you have Maslab's email?

Re: We should probably figure out the timing through email by desdendelle on 2012-10-16 21:19:00 UTC Reply

No, so I'll ask him next time I'll bump into him in the IRC, then send you and him a mail.