Charles Matthews wrote:
Magnus Manske wrote
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_astronomical_topics]], as an example) can be restructured into the category system, while leaving unwritten topics.
I think saying that the category system can carry the burden of lists is dangerous talk. There is quite a gap in functionality:
- lists can be annotated in various ways
- lists have flexibility of format
- lists can be arranged in ways other than strictly alphabetical
None of which is done on the astronomy list I mentioned as an example.
- lists can carry suggestive red links, to promote the writing of new
articles
See your quote of mine.
- lists can be linked to in text
Doesn't [[:Category:Stuff]] work?
- lists are conventional pages that will appear in search engines on the
same basis as any other.
If I have a list of links, then each of the linked pages will appear on the search engine anyway.
And so on. If the astronomy list is too long as it is, it should be subdivided alphabetically, as has happened in the past to mathematics, physics (to take allied subjects).
I wish we had some way to automatically subdivide them alphabetically - oh wait, category pages... :-)
Magnus