[WikiEN-l] My irrelevant hatnote disambiguation policy

[Sam Korn]

On 9/1/06, stevertigo <vertigosteve at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hm. So edit this page" and "what links here" are common jargon?

I think most people with a modicum of sense would understand "edit
this page".  They might think we're a bunch of raving loonies (let's
face it -- we probably are) but they would probably understand the
message.  Hence most OTRS messages go "OMG yuv bin hacked!" rather
than "I don't understand what you mean by "edit this page"."

OTOH, "what links here" is not obvious.  However, let's look at
audiences.  What links here is useful for editors only.  No-one else.
"Edit this page" is for bridging the gap between readers and editors.
"Disambiguation" is for the use of readers[1] *alone*, i.e. people who
may have *no* other experience of Wikipedia, editing or reading.

Now ask which is the clearer disambiguation system: the current one or
your proposed one.  I am quite willing to concede that the current
system can be downright peculiar and mock serious subjects, but I very
much doubt this is the solution.

[1] editors of Wikipedia are not excluded from being "readers".

-- 
Sam