[WikiEN-l] Categories vs lists vs navboxes (was Re: Deletions, lists, etc?)

[Steve Bennett]

On 12/1/06, MacGyverMagic/Mgm <macgyvermagic at gmail.com> wrote:
> Unfortunately, there are people who think categories are superior to lists
> in all regards. I like to think there are exceptions.

Cats are superior? Since when??

One of the interesting differences is their role in the actual process
of organising information (as opposed to the end result). Categories
are good when you spot a similarity between a number of articles and
want to start formalising that link. Lists are good when you see a
need for a set of related articles that don't yet exist.

Both are ok for allowing navigation through sets of related articles,
but IMHO navigation boxes are much, much better.

Incidentally, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2004 edition on CD) seems to
use hierarchical lists as its preferred method: At the bottom of an
article, you get a list with varying levels of indentation. Clicking
on an item takes you to another article guaranteed to have that same
list. It works pretty well!

Steve