Here are some examples, my main argument and a proposal:
When I began contributing to Wikipedia, there was a Category ³Suicides². If
a person¹s article stated they committed suicide, the category, ³Suicides²
would be included. If this person had committed suicide by using a firearm,
the Category, ³Suicides by firearm² would be also be included. In this case
the Category, ³Deaths by firearm² would also be included. In this way, the
researcher can call up, individually, all persons in the encyclopedia who
had committed suicide. Then, if they chose, they could also call up separate
lists of those who committed suicide by firearm, and a separate list of all
persons who died by firearm. This was wonderful for the researcher.
Then, I began finding many of my edits being reverting by persons who stated
that only one of these Categories should be included in an article; that
both a main category and a subcategory should not be in the same article.
More and more of these articles were being diluted by this argument.
I have been in constant conflict with some who state that it is not only
redundant to enter a single Article into both Categories; it is actually
against Wikipedia policy. At present, if I enter John Doe into the Suicides
by firearm¹ Category only, he does not appear in the Deaths by firearm¹
Category list. Consequently, if I want to call up all persons in the
encyclopedia who have died by firearm, I must call up all the subcategory
lists and collate them myself.
Another example: Jane Doe dies from breast cancer. Category: ³Deaths from
breast cancer² is added to her Category box, but I do not include the
Category: ³Cancer deaths². Then, when I click on the Category: Deaths from
breast cancer¹, her name is included in this list. But, if I click on the
Category: Cancer deaths¹ she is not included.
What I am wanting by adding her name to both Categories is a separate list
of ALL persons who died from breast cancer, and a separate list of ALL
persons who died from cancer. What is the problem with including the same
Article in both a Main Category and a Subcategory?
One more example and I¹ll be shut up (for now). If I place the Categories,
³Accidental deaths² & ³road accident victims² in the same article (which I
have done) I am immediately taken into custody by the Category Police, and,
to make matters worse, nobody bothers to read me Miranda.
I believe an organized Project Group needs to take a long and quite serious
look at the whole of Wiki categorization with the goals of deciding what its
purpose is, and then to reconstruct it to accomplish that purpose.
Be healthy,
Marc
From: "Steve Bennett"
<stevagewp(a)gmail.com>
Reply-To: English Wikipedia <wikien-l(a)Wikipedia.org>
Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 14:44:20 +1100
To: "English Wikipedia" <wikien-l(a)wikipedia.org>
Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Hello
On 12/12/06, Marc Riddell <michaeldavid86(a)comcast.net> wrote:
When I came upon Wikipedia early this year I was
thrilled. Here were
countless biographies (case histories if you will) of persons who, among
other things, were categorized according to similar traits and life
experiences. I could, for instance, click on the Category ³Writers who
committed suicide² and have hours of work done for me. Now, as the
categories become more and more diluted, this is becoming more and more
unavailable.
What do you mean by "diluted"? If you can give examples, and maybe
even some tentative solutions, we would be more than happy to listen
to your bitching and moaning.[1]
Steve
[1] Well, I would anyway. I think our categories fall well short of
what they can and should do.
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