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

[charles.r.matthews at ntlworld.com]

"Steve Bennett" wrote

> Let me ask you, what do you see as the basic model for readers finding
> a given article? Are you focussing primarily on a reader coming to
> Wikipedia to find information on a very specific topic? What if he
> just wants to browse? What if he doesn't know what he wants?

There are half-a-dozen major ways. 
 
> Let's take an example, [[Template:Energy Conversion]]. Do you consider
> this intrusive? Do you not think there is value in raising the
> visibility of all these topics? Do you not think there is value in
> showing how many different solar power topics there are compared to
> only three wind power topics? Had you heard of "blue energy"? Does it
> make you wonder what "Anaerobic digestion" is doing in amongst energy
> conversion topics?
> 
> I think navigation boxes serve to stimulate interest and lead readers
> to other, related topics. And if we can stimulate the reader's
> interest, we can stimulate him to help us, don't you think?

Another way to put it: they are tendentious and can even be considered a type of advertising. We have debated this recently at the mathematics WikiProject, and apart from calculus, where students may well want to get from one calculus article to another via a menu of suggestions, and a few limited list like exceptional Lie groups, there is no enthusiasm at all.

Charles

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