| Revision as of 21:12, 25 January 2006 editMAURY (talk | contribs)603 editsm →Barnstars in Internet culture← Previous edit | Revision as of 22:54, 26 January 2006 edit undoAndyZ (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users7,875 edits rv + move stuff to talk pageNext edit → | ||
| Line 7: | Line 7: | ||
| Today, in the ] area, barnstars are known as ]s but no rods go through the center. Some hex signs still incorporate the star. | Today, in the ] area, barnstars are known as ]s but no rods go through the center. Some hex signs still incorporate the star. | ||
| ⚫ | Barnstars are very commonplace in '''pre-war Richmond''', Virginia on large buildings such as factories. | ||
| ⚫ | Barnstars are very commonplace in '''pre-war Richmond''', Virginia on large buildings such as factories. |
||
| I lived in Richmond, Virginia for six years and constantly saw them. | |||
| The explanation preceding this is accurate. I am sincerely impressed with Wilipedia! | |||
| In Charlottesville, Virginia where I was born and raised -- until Vietnam -- you can find these stars in the ruins of the old Confederate Clothing Factory. | |||
| Traveling on the interstate you can still see the tall chimney still standing, made of bricks. I enjoyed roaming the places I have lived and traveled to learn of their history and culture. | |||
| --] 21:12, 25 January 2006 (UTC) | |||
| ---- | |||
| ==Barnstars in Internet culture== | ==Barnstars in Internet culture== | ||
Revision as of 22:54, 26 January 2006
A barnstar is a decorative motif found on barn structures in the United States and Germany.
Originally a decorative form of wall anchor, barnstars were also meant to represent the mark of the builder; over time, however, they became more frequently used for aesthetic purposes. They are most popular today after the American Civil War.
Barnstars are seen not only on barns, but on many older buildings, often of brick. A long steel rod is passed entirely through the building; a star on either side is threaded onto the ends of the rod and they are tightened. This helps to keep the structure from collapsing. A heavily starred building should be examined for failure of the mortar, and may require tuckpointing or more drastic repairs.
Today, in the Pennsylvania Dutch area, barnstars are known as hex signs but no rods go through the center. Some hex signs still incorporate the star.
Barnstars are very commonplace in pre-war Richmond, Virginia on large buildings such as factories.
Barnstars in Internet culture
Some wiki communities (notably Misplaced Pages and MeatballWiki) have adopted the barnstar as a symbol of good work, specifically in relation to the metaphor of barn raising as representing collaborative effort toward a common goal. The idea is that a user can be "awarded" a barnstar by the image being placed on the page associated with that user, and thus thanked for their work toward the community.
As of November 2005, the satirical website Uncyclopedia introduced the Ninjastar award, a parody of the barnstar. In typical Uncyclopedia style, the available awards include the "Ninjastar is stuck to my hand" star (awarded for excessive awarding of ninjastars) and the "Ninjase.cx" star (a parody of the infamous Goatse.cx image, awarded for "Contributions that are so abominably distasteful they make you want to curl up in a ball and cry").
See also
External links
- BarnStar at MeatballWiki
- Ninjastars, a barnstar parody on Uncyclopedia
- Barnstars on the Homestar Runner Wiki