[WikiEN-l] specialised encyclopaedias (was Re: To: Jimmy Wales - Admin-driven death of Wikipedia)

Sun Jun 11 15:06:36 UTC 2006

On 6/11/06, Mark Gallagher <m.g.gallagher at student.canberra.edu.au> wrote:
> While still at school, I ran across a /Star Trek: The Next Generation/
> encyclopaedia (it was in the school library, believe it or not).  It
> included descriptions of all characters and their history (that is,
> their real-world history[0] ... how the show's creators went about
> recruiting actors, how they'd originally envisioned the characters[1], etc.

Ok, that's interesting, because that's even more "specialised" than I
was thinking. I was imagining a "encyclopaedia of US sitcoms" or
something. I think your example would struggle to really qualify as an
"encyclopaedia" though, as it sounds like it was really written for
fans to provide interesting "behind the scenes" info etc. As opposed
to being a comprehensive reference for researchers in the field, say.

> I think this qualifies as a specialist encyclopaedia, and I don't see a
> problem with Wikipedia including analogous content --- provided we keep
> in mind that a) it has to be relevant to people who don't already know
> heaps about TNG, and b) it has to stay neutral and not be packed with
> fan theories and other such crud.

It has to meet WP:V too, though, which I doubt most of our articles
about TV episodes do. References are few and far between. By
comparison with written literature, say, each episode would seem to me
equivalent to a chapter, meaning we shouldn't have articles on every
chapter, because there just isn't enough interesting to say. After
you've summarised the plot, what can you really say about an episode?
Its effect on mainstream popular culture? I doubt it. Its significance
outside that TV show? The history of production of the episode? Umm...

>      Compare [[Light saber]] with [[Dalek]].  Then choose any Gundam
>      article at random, and marvel at the statistics presented therein,
>      instantly forgetting any criticisms you may have had for [[Light
>      saber]].

[[Dalek]] is a shining example to all others of what a fancruft
article should be like. It constantly places the Dalek in the real
world, talking about how they were produced, what the producers were
thinking etc. As opposed to getting caught up in how Dalek 2348 got
blown up in episode XIV by Doctor Who's pet monkey.

>
> [1] There was a lot of emphasis on Captain Picard being French, and why
>      he stayed that way even after Patrick Stewart, the most British
>      British actor the Brits have produced, was cast to play him.

Sounds ok.
Steve