[WikiEN-l] Proposed handling of cumbersome "disambiguation"

Tue Sep 13 22:33:42 UTC 2005

Well, think of it like alternate handling. Consider
also the fact that disambiguations (and redirects) are
often anomalies in the encyclopedia model: They arent
entirely encyclopedic (though they are close) nor
Wikipedia pages. Theres the other issue that
disambiguations are in essence "choice redirects", and
have the potential to someday be integrated into
metadata article organization.

In that sense, having Disambiguation sections might be
a hindrance, but its at least more definitive and
organized than hatnotes, which just obstruct from the
article.

SV

--- MacGyverMagic/Mgm <macgyvermagic at gmail.com> wrote:

> The problem is that in case of say for example a
> name disambiguation
> for John Smith. This section would need to be
> duplicated for all
> articles and if edited, again edited on all the
> pages having the dab
> section. Having it seperate makes editing it easier.
> Adding it as a
> transcluded section could perhaps cut on the number
> of clicks someone
> needs to get somewhere, but it's little gain for a
> major change like
> that IMO.
> 
> On 9/13/05, steve v <vertigosteve at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > In some cases, I have used the same disambiguation
> > link at top, only it links to a Disambiguation
> section
> > at bottom, rather than on a separate page. The
> link
> > looks the same. In other cases, where the
> > "disambiguation" is misused for overly specific
> links,
> > I will used the {{fn|1}} footnote tag. Thats for
> > linking to a Notes section, put before External
> links.
> > [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]] now has this, and I
> note
> > that people are using these more consistently.
> > Disambiguation could benefit from the same thing.
> > Whoever said that disambiguations needed to be
> > exclusively pages, and not sections? In cases
> where 98
> > percent of traffic links to a main article, or
> where
> > only one separate entry (which people try to stick
> at
> > the top) a simple disambiguation section seems
> > justified.
> > 
> > SV
> > 
> > --- MacGyverMagic/Mgm <macgyvermagic at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > 
> > > Disambiguations are there to make it easier for
> > > people to find the
> > > article they're looking for and have a similar
> name
> > > to the article
> > > they end up at. Shortening to a regular "For
> other
> > > uses see Foo
> > > (disambiguation)" seems better than hiding them
> at
> > > the bottom, which
> > > defies the entire point of having them.
> > >
> > > Only expand such top dab notices for stuff
> that's
> > > searched for really often.
> > >
> > > --Mgm
> > >
> > > On 9/13/05, steve v <vertigosteve at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
> > > > There has been a dislikable tendency to use
> large
> > > > notes -- often dealing with superficial
> aspects of
> > > the
> > > > name -- as disambiguation headers.
> > > >
> > > > As a solution, I suggest using the footnote
> tags
> > > > {{fn|1}} (top) {{fnb|1}} (bottom), under a ==
> > > Notes ==
> > > > section, to move such things down as footnotes
> > > rather
> > > > than hatnotes. Hatnotes should be substantial
> and
> > > as
> > > > brief as possible, not links to punk bands, or
> any
> > > > other thing other than disambiguation, or
> exactly
> > > > similar titles.
> > > >
> > > > In some cases, using a Disambiguation section
> > > (after
> > > > links) seems a better compromise than even
> > > creating a
> > > > disambiguation page.
> > > >
> > > > SV
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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