User:Archivist Toadette/Draft proposals: Difference between revisions

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(Deleting what I've already completed; will draft the massive Mario Kart course identifier proposal later.)
 
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==Real World Subjects vs. Real World Terms==
===Completely do away with console abbreviations in titles for ''Mario Kart'' course articles===
A recurring trend on this wiki is to create articles on real-world terms, such as [[Genre]], [[Level]], and [[Pre-release and unused content]]. I know we've said something like this in [[MarioWiki:Proposals/Archive 27#Reality vs. Fiction|the first proposal aimed at reducing ''generic'' subjects]], but allowing these articles as precedents would lead to further unnecessary articles, such as {{fake link|Episode}}, {{fake link|Map}}, {{fake link|Cutscene}}...the list goes on. {{wp|Wikipedia:Wikipedia is not a dictionary|Keep in mind that wikis are not dictionaries}}, and we don't necessarily ''need'' articles on those subjects, same as the generic subjects. Therefore, in a similar vein to the generic subjects proposal I linked to, I propose that we allow articles on real-world terms '''only if they have a function or purpose that makes them unique and discernible from the way the term is applied elsewhere'''.
Policy right now dictates that console abbreviations be used for every single title in ''Mario Kart'' course articles that have made at least one "classic" appearence. While I fully understand the logic behind said policy, I don't see how this would work in the long term. In fact, I would even say that it's '''counterintuitive''' to MarioWiki's goals, and here's why:
 
#'''It looks ugly and hurts our professionalism.''' Just think about it for a bit. Those console abbreviations are just Nintendo's way of disambiguating which game each course originates from, and "the game company itself does it" is not a valid enough reason for us to bend backwards in this way.
The following are examples of real-world terms that would be '''allowed''':
#'''It's blatantly inconsistent.''' Barring the supposed "logic" used, how come none of the other pre-''Mario Kart 8'' courses have console abbreviations in their titles? I'd half expect, say, the ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'' variant of Rainbow Road to be titled under "DS Rainbow Road".
*[[Cheat code]] – The cheat codes and their effects vary per game; ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''{{'}}s is a simple button hold that allows [[Luigi]] as a playable character, whereas ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''{{'}}s has a cheats section where the player can enter five-letter code words to drastically change the gameplay (for example, typing "COLOR" in the SNES version gives Dixie and Kiddy a palette swap).
#'''It hurts navigation.''' Let's say a random reader familiar only with ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' wanted to search for [[Maple Treeway]] and started with "maple". There are plenty of articles whose names start with "Maple", but Maple Treeway is nowhere to be found due to the system rarely prioritizing redirects. No, the reader would have to type out almost the full title to get the actual redirect. I even tried searching a few other titles from, but they're all shoved at the bottom of the search below articles on subjects that are far less well known. And keep in mind, Maple Treeway isn't the only title with this kind of problem.
*[[Game Over]] – The Game Over screens are entirely unique for each game, and Game Overs aren't just achievable by "losing". ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', for example, has a Game Over that occurs by making the mistake of reading [[Ghost T.]]'s [[Ragged Diary|diary]].
#'''Not even the Nintendo developers themselves use the system properly.''' I mean, just look at the [[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]] and how they handle [[Ninja Hideaway]] and [[Sky-High Sundae]]. You'd expect them to be known as "Tour Ninja Hideaway" and "Tour Sky-High Sundae", but nothing even remotely resembling that is used.
*[[Easter egg]] – Same as cheat code.
All in all, I firmly believe that this part of the policy is a detriment to the wiki long-term, and call for its immediate repeal. Keep in mind that this will '''NOT''' affect console abbreviations as they are used within articles, just within article titles.
*[[Fourth wall]] – Fourth wall breaks occur very often in the ''Mario'' universe, such as how in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', [[Starlow]] references the [[Year of Luigi]] when [[Luigi]] is otherwise alone in west [[Gloomy Woods]] thanks to [[King Boo]] (''"You had, like, a whole YEAR named after you!"''), or how in ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', [[Huey]] makes a remark when he sees the final memory revealing that [[Bowser]] had accidentally created his [[black paint]] [[Black Bowser|alter-ego]], ''"You're telling me we could have avoided this entire game if we just installed a "Don't Mix the Paint" sign?!"''.
*[[Unrevisitable area]] – Same as fourth wall.
 
The following are examples of real-world terms that would be '''forbidden''':
*[[Glitch]] – They are recurring, but they don't differentiate enough in concept from glitches in other franchises.
*[[Level]] – There's nothing different about the concept of levels in the ''Mario'' franchise. You play them, you beat them, you move on to the next level. It's the same thing.
*[[Genre]] – Genres in the ''Mario'' franchise are conceptually no different from genres elsewhere.
*[[World]] – Same as above.
*[[Minigame]] – Same as above.
 
Whatever happens to the targeted pages in the aftermath (i.e. merging into the [[MarioWiki:Glossary|glossary]] or converting into a list) has no bearing on this proposal.
 
If this proposal passes, I will begin drafting some text to add to the [[MarioWiki:Generic subjects|generic subjects policy]], which I will propose later on.
 
'''Proposer:''' {{user|Toadette the Achiever}}<br>
'''Deadline:''' TBA 2018, 23:59 GMT
 
====Support====
#{{User|Toadette the Achiever}} Per proposal.
 
====Oppose====
 
====Comments====

Latest revision as of 15:50, September 20, 2022

Completely do away with console abbreviations in titles for Mario Kart course articles

Policy right now dictates that console abbreviations be used for every single title in Mario Kart course articles that have made at least one "classic" appearence. While I fully understand the logic behind said policy, I don't see how this would work in the long term. In fact, I would even say that it's counterintuitive to MarioWiki's goals, and here's why:

  1. It looks ugly and hurts our professionalism. Just think about it for a bit. Those console abbreviations are just Nintendo's way of disambiguating which game each course originates from, and "the game company itself does it" is not a valid enough reason for us to bend backwards in this way.
  2. It's blatantly inconsistent. Barring the supposed "logic" used, how come none of the other pre-Mario Kart 8 courses have console abbreviations in their titles? I'd half expect, say, the Mario Kart DS variant of Rainbow Road to be titled under "DS Rainbow Road".
  3. It hurts navigation. Let's say a random reader familiar only with Mario Kart Wii wanted to search for Maple Treeway and started with "maple". There are plenty of articles whose names start with "Maple", but Maple Treeway is nowhere to be found due to the system rarely prioritizing redirects. No, the reader would have to type out almost the full title to get the actual redirect. I even tried searching a few other titles from, but they're all shoved at the bottom of the search below articles on subjects that are far less well known. And keep in mind, Maple Treeway isn't the only title with this kind of problem.
  4. Not even the Nintendo developers themselves use the system properly. I mean, just look at the Booster Course Pass and how they handle Ninja Hideaway and Sky-High Sundae. You'd expect them to be known as "Tour Ninja Hideaway" and "Tour Sky-High Sundae", but nothing even remotely resembling that is used.

All in all, I firmly believe that this part of the policy is a detriment to the wiki long-term, and call for its immediate repeal. Keep in mind that this will NOT affect console abbreviations as they are used within articles, just within article titles.

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