Talk:Ralambo/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: – VisionHolder « talk » 07:34, 23 February 2011 (UTC)

I am claiming this review. I will try to leave comments in a day or two.

Comments: The article looks pretty good. Here are my starting comments:

• "Ralambo is considered one of the greatest ancient rulers of Imerina..." — by whom?

Since this doesn't add much and the sources are not especially authoritative, I rephrased it.

The rephrasing didn't address the question. He was one of the greatest ancient rulers of Imerina according to whom? – VisionHolder « talk » 04:31, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

I overlooked the second occurrence of this statement. It's been changed now. -- Lemurbaby (talk) 16:34, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

• "It is said..." — We need to be careful with this. It's best to attribute statements to their source, if possible... even if it is just oral tradition.

I removed each instance of the phrase and replaced with the source.

• "The egg was thrown and hit a warrior in the head, killing him on contact..." — Although it's obvious, it might be worthwhile to start off by saying that this is according to legend.

The fact that this is a legend has been made explicit now.

• How many sampy were there? Should they all be listed?

There's no way to know how many sampy there were since they were being made by commoners in many communities throughout the island. I'm intending to write an article dedicated to the sampy before too long here where I will list all of the royal sampy, their reputed powers and origins and all of that good stuff.

I will revise this section to better introduce the concept of sampy for readers who aren't familiar with them. -- Lemurbaby (talk) 17:43, 2 March 2011 (UTC)

• The very last sentence requires a citation.

Got it.

Two more needed citations have now popped up. – VisionHolder « talk » 04:31, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Fixed. -- Lemurbaby (talk) 16:34, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

• Citations 10 & 11 should be handled as footnotes. Would you like to me to demonstrate how to use {{Sfn}}, and possibly convert the article to use list defined references while I'm at it?

Please feel free - I'm eager to learn.

I will work on that next. – VisionHolder « talk » 04:31, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Thank you Alex - this looks great. -- Lemurbaby (talk) 16:34, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

• If you want it, I uploaded an alternative photo of some zebu to Commons. And on a completely unrelated note, I also have pictures from the same Malagasy village where a zebu is being treated for a hole in its abdomen using a green paste and a raw egg. It was very interesting to watch. If the photos would be of use to you, just say something on my talk page.

Ouch, that sounds painful - poor animal! Those zebu are awfully thin... life certainly is tough for them in the south! That's a great shot, although with the overcast sky the contrast and colors are muted (whereas the pic I'm using now has contrast that's too strong). I'll give it a try and see if it works better here than what I have. Thanks for uploading the photo.

• "Due to the enduring cultural legacy left by this king, Ralambo is often considered a key figure in the development of Merina cultural identity." — Maybe I missed it, but this sentence in the lead is not supported in the body text. – VisionHolder « talk » 23:35, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Got it. - Lemurbaby (talk) 14:48, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

• "Ramaitsoanala took the name Rasolobe" ... is there no information about the transition from the name "Rasolobe" to "Queen Randapavola"? – VisionHolder « talk » 23:55, 3 March 2011 (UTC)

Fixed - Lemurbaby (talk) 14:48, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

• "at Androkaroka, north of Alasora" — Since articles for these locations don't exist, it might help to redlink them and briefly say where in Madagascar they are located (i.e. "near Antananarivo"). – VisionHolder « talk » 00:05, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

I'd prefer not to redlink since I don't expect these articles will be written. Many of these small villages don't exist anymore. Instead I indicated that these are all villages in Imerina, and mentioned the general location where my sources provided the information. - Lemurbaby (talk) 14:48, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

• With the addition of more spouse and children to the infobox, these will need to be discussed and referenced in the text, even if just a brief mention or listing. – VisionHolder « talk » 23:04, 5 March 2011 (UTC)

It appears that you have fixed this. – VisionHolder « talk » 01:24, 8 March 2011 (UTC)

Otherwise, very interesting article. Good job! – VisionHolder « talk » 18:31, 1 March 2011 (UTC)

GA review (see here for criteria)

1. It is reasonably well written.

   a (prose): b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists):

2. It is factually accurate and verifiable.

   a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR):

3. It is broad in its coverage.

   a (major aspects): b (focused):

4. It follows the neutral point of view policy.

   Fair representation without bias:

5. It is stable.

   No edit wars, etc.:

6. It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate.

   a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):

7. Overall:

   Pass/Fail:

This article merits GA status. Good job! – VisionHolder « talk » 01:24, 8 March 2011 (UTC)