[WikiEN-l] Opinions sought: linking source-access dates per MoS?

[David Ashby]

On 1/1/07, Christopher Thieme <cdthieme at gmail.com> wrote:
> Howdy y'all
>
> Right now an article I'm working on getting FA-status for is at a point of
> complying with ambiguous and contradictory MoS provisions.  A user who
> objects to an article undergoing an FA-candidacy does so on the grounds that
> dates in citations stating when internet sources are accessed by an article
> contributor should be wikilinked.
>
> The two completing MOS provisions are:
>
> 1.) That dates consisting of a day and month should be wikilinked to
> interface with user preferences.
>  (per:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_%28dates_and_numbers%29
> )
>
> 2.) That things should only be linked if they're relevant to the context (of
> the article).
>  (per:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Only_make_links_that_are_relevant_to_the_context
> )
>
> I think it's ridiculous to link source-access dates as it's just too much
> (linking, that is), it adds no understanding to the article, and I don't
> think it's relevant to the context of the article.  While I understand the
> need to deal with user preferences (which doesn't really add or subtract
> information or make it easier to convey or comprehend by transforming 17
> August to August 17) Do we really expect a user to sit back and say "Let's
> see what happened on the day so-and-so accessed this source he's citing?"
>
> I would appreciate it greatly if you could help resolve this issue and
> give your comments on which guideline should win out on the talk pages of
> the MoS articles I cited above, or here via e-mail.
>
> While I'm at it, I extend my best wishes to all of you for a happy "Feast of
> the Circumcision of Our Lord"...the only reason we celebrate the new year on
> January 1st, and hoping that 2007 is better than 2006.

IMHO, linking the *access dates* for sources is 100% worthless.
Adds nothing to the content, and could conceivably confuse a user.

-David