Memory Alpha
Advertisement
Memory Alpha
Forums ForumsTen Forward → Decade pages and "intro" blurbs (replywatch)
This forum discussion has been archived
This forum discussion has been archived and should not be added to. Please visit the Forums to begin a new topic in the relevant location.

I've noticed that a number of our decade pages have blurbs at the top that are completely uncited and, in some cases, almost duplicate the "events" sections found at the bottom.

I'm not convinced that the duplication is necessary, nor do I like the fact that a lot of these "facts" are simply based on real world information with no specific references to a Trek episode or film.

I would propose that we

  • eliminate the intro bits completely, allowing the pages to begin with the list of years,
  • cite the information in the introductions, and remove any duplication with the events section below, or
  • remove the events section entirely, and merge it into the introduction, fully and properly cited.

Thoughts? -- sulfur (talk) 13:55, January 23, 2013 (UTC)

I like the third option for reasons of tidying up as well as it is necessary as various events cannot be tied to specific years, and then followed by the list of years..--Sennim (talk) 14:13, January 23, 2013 (UTC)
Could you maybe provide one or more examples of pages which you think are problematic? -- Capricorn (talk) 11:12, January 26, 2013 (UTC)

1950s, 1960s, 1970s, etc. Just choose any of them that has a blurb on the top too. -- sulfur (talk) 13:06, January 26, 2013 (UTC)

I think the problem is the wide variance in available information between different decades. The format we have now works gloriously for pages like 2370s, but I suspect the low quality of those other pages comes from trying to emulate such examples even though there isn't actually enough material to pull it off well. I think pretty much everyone can stand behind your second proposal, but I think the trouble with the both the first and the third proposal is that while it would improve the bad pages, the good pages would lose something.
Of the two, I'd think the first option would be better then the third though, as with the third you'll turn some decently ordered pages in nebulous cloud of random factoids on some pages. What about this:
  • Lose everything that's real word, uncitable or otherwise doesn't belong. Also move everything that can be tied to a specific year to that year, unless maybe if its an era-defining event.
  • Keep the intro bit (if possible, decades of which we know very little already don't have them), but slim it down to one or two citable sentences introducing the era in terms of the one or two things that define it. For example, for the 1960s just mention that it saw the space race and the brush wars. Or heck, I'm pretty ok with 1980s provided that the intro gets cited (for the record that's Future's End and Voyage Home), that "I hate you" is removed as too trivial, and that transparant alluminium is removed, being a minor event and in any case tie-able to a single year.
  • Move everything else to the events section.
Just a thought, I've restarted writing this post five times now and I may be overthinking things at this point :-D -- Capricorn (talk) 15:50, January 26, 2013 (UTC)
Advertisement