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Non-Libyan URL Shortener

gadaf.fi

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Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#31

Post by 5l »

sid0 wrote: post #25
5l wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes well. Looking at that list there seems to be something of a consensus on the -afi. Also just because 112 different spellings have been used, doesn't mean all 112 spellings are correct. Anyway it's a fun idea and I'm just nit picking.

Define correctness in this context.

Well, I'm not really up for a tedious discussion over semantics; my initial post was actually a genuine query because I have never seen it spelt otherwise than Gaddafi or Qaddafi. Evidently it's actually a linguistic can of worms.

If I had to say, I guess correct would be the closest phonetic spelling to the Arabic, and as I understand that would be Gaddafi (in Libya) or Qaddafi (more generally). Or you could use what he has used himself in the past, which I have just discovered is: Gadhafi [0].

So without even nailing your colours to the mast over the correct definition of 'correct' in this context perhaps you might agree that Gadaffi is probably incorrect for any sensible definition of 'correct' in this context.

Or perhaps we could all agree to just call him 'that evil motherfucker from Libya'.

[0] http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/513/how-are-you-sup...

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#32

Post by [deleted] »

sid0 wrote: post #25
5l wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes well. Looking at that list there seems to be something of a consensus on the -afi. Also just because 112 different spellings have been used, doesn't mean all 112 spellings are correct. Anyway it's a fun idea and I'm just nit picking.

Define correctness in this context.

[deleted]

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#33

Post by prawn »

soult wrote: post #16

While it is a funny play on all those .ly domains and the fact that vb.ly got seized by the Libyan government, it is my opinion that yet another URL shortener is a stupid way of protest. Let me explain: I work with the Urlteam, a group of people that saves shorturl->longurl mappings for a bunch of shorteners. The typical life cycle of small shorteners is this: - URL shortener opens, gets some praise for weird feature…

I created a shortener (for personal control, tracking, etc) and can really, really identify with #3 and #4. I was blocking loads of nonsensical domains each day for weeks before the hosting company pulled the pin and I just gave up and pointed my domain to bit.ly.

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#34

Post by jschuur »

Slightly unrelated, but given the current sanctions, you can't renew a .ly domain name right now as a US business, correct? Bit.ly's domain name expires early next year, last time I checked.

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#35

Post by andywhite37 »

bcrescimanno wrote: post #12
5l wrote: post #5

Hate to nit pick but isn't it Gaddafi, or Qaddafi? Edit: So it is, although the correct spelling is already taken.

Cringely mentioned in a column a while back that Qaddafi didn't particularly care: “Spell it any way you like, ” he said (in pretty fair English, by the way — something else that seems to have strategically disappeared over the years). “All that matters is spelling it correctly in Arabic.” http://www.cringely.com/2011/02/major-jolloud/

That site would be better if it was "cringe.ly"

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#36

Post by zackattack »

soult wrote: post #16

While it is a funny play on all those .ly domains and the fact that vb.ly got seized by the Libyan government, it is my opinion that yet another URL shortener is a stupid way of protest. Let me explain: I work with the Urlteam, a group of people that saves shorturl->longurl mappings for a bunch of shorteners. The typical life cycle of small shorteners is this: - URL shortener opens, gets some praise for weird feature…

How do spammers successfully abuse shorteners?

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#37

Post by uxp »

sid0 wrote: post #25
5l wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes well. Looking at that list there seems to be something of a consensus on the -afi. Also just because 112 different spellings have been used, doesn't mean all 112 spellings are correct. Anyway it's a fun idea and I'm just nit picking.

Define correctness in this context.

Any translation into english is going to be "wrong" in some aspect. If I were to define correctness, Gaddafi's name is spelt: قَذَّافِيّ‎

Anything else is just a translation and it all means the same, despite being different.

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#38

Post by biot »

joshfinnie wrote: post #8
hendavid wrote: post #2

First post!

Karma is currently at -18... lesson learned. Touchy tonight are we? I was just pointing out that it might not be in the best interest to downvote someone into oblivion on one of their first posts to Hacker News. With the green names indicating new people, we have the ability to show them the right way without killing his karma and motivation to post here. Random42 pointed him in the right direction...

  > it might not be in the best interest to downvote someone
  > into oblivion on one of their first posts to Hacker News
I disagree. If someone doesn't have the courtesy to try and understand the community they are participating in before they participate, lowering an arbitrary number associated with their username is hardly any kind of punishment. The only impact it has on the user is that they now have to earn back points on their arbitrary number. If it also bans them from posting for a while, even better.

Re: Non-Libyan URL Shortener

#40

Post by lutorm »

5l wrote: post #31
sid0 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Define correctness in this context.

Well, I'm not really up for a tedious discussion over semantics; my initial post was actually a genuine query because I have never seen it spelt otherwise than Gaddafi or Qaddafi. Evidently it's actually a linguistic can of worms. If I had to say, I guess correct would be the closest phonetic spelling to the Arabic, and as I understand that would be Gaddafi (in Libya) or Qaddafi (more generally). Or you could use wha…

Since it is phonetic, it will differ from country to country since different languages map differently to phonemes.
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