User:Archivist Toadette/Draft proposals
Not too long ago, a proposal was implemented to change the name of Category:Outer Space Locations to Category:Cosmic Locations. Such proposal was opposed to on the grounds that the term "is synonymous" and "it's a nice umbrella term".
But I argue...not really. The proposer's request was perfectly rational, the rationales provided for the opposition were bad or otherwise not sufficient enough (no offense), and the proposal was overlooked. Here's why:
- It may not be entirely inaccurate, but it's not entirely accurate either. As Super Radio (talk) (the original proposer) pointed out, the term "outer space" is specifically used to refer to the open, near-empty space outside the gravitational sphere of any celestial body. As far as I can tell, Outer Space from Super Paper Mario, the locations in Super Mario Galaxy (including the Comet Observatory itself), the worlds of Super Mario Galaxy 2, the last four worlds of Super Mario 3D World, and two incarnations of Rainbow Road are the only unambiguous examples. That's literally all. The majority of locations that are purported to be in outer space are heavily implied to be otherwise. Cosmic Adventure, for example, is "said" to be in outer space despite specifically being defined as just a Mini-Land attraction; the "outer space" backdrop is just a backdrop, more or less. Some locations are also only temporarily in outer space, too. Peach's Castle, for example, is pulled into outer space by Bowser and his minions in both Paper Mario and Super Mario Galaxy. In the case of the former, Bowser's Castle is also temporarily in outer space! As Glowsquid (talk) once said, "Furthermore, why would you use an inaccurate and potentially misleading term when dozens of accurate, non-misleading alternatives exist?"
- It's vague and scientifically incorrect. It boggles the information, without any real benefit to show for it. For example, "Superstar Road is accessed via a portal as this world is in deep space." Ignoring the thumbnail, what does "deep space" mean in this context anyway? Is it really in outer space? Or is it underground? Or does it merely have a cosmic backdrop? Example aside, what about the Mushroom World itself? Isn't it technically in outer space as well?! Restricting the term "outer space" (and "deep space" for that matter) in favor of the more specific term "cosmic" helps improve the sheer ambiguity and quality of the information.
- As has been argued before and what will be argued again, the grandfather clause is never a good excuse, anywhere, ever. As you can see, "outer space" is just as questionable as other terms that used to be prevalent on the wiki, such as "beta" or "subspecies" (until they were banned for their own inaccuracies). It feels like yet another wishy-washy stance of "we know it's bad, but we use it anyways because...stuff and things...I think", which should never ever be considered in professional writing circles.
Basically, I'm proposing that we overturn the decision of the aforementioned proposal, restrict the term "outer space" in favor of "cosmic", and also add "outer space" to the list of frequently misused terms. "Cosmic" refers to something that merely appears to be in outer space but isn't always in outer space, and thus is more well-defined, clear-cut, and appropriate enough for any case. Yes, "cosmic" is clearly not THE perfect alternative, but I have yet to find an even more suitable term that addresses the issues above.
Proposer: Toadette the Achiever (talk)
Deadline: TBA
Support
- Toadette the Achiever (talk) Per proposal.
Oppose
Comments
If you're wondering, "outer space" won't be restricted in places where it is legitimately referred to, as per the examples I mentioned above (and same as the other misused terms).
Also, I'm going to respectfully go through the flaws of each counterargument in the previous proposal:
- @Tucayo, TheFlameChomp, and Alex95: From what I can make out of the Wiktionary entries, the two terms are related, but they're certainly not synonymous.
- @MrConcreteDonkey: I'm trying to understand your vote...so are you saying that every location purported to be outer space is in outer space? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but to me, that sounds a bit...misleading, no?
- @Doc von Schmeltwick: That's actually because it technically is a snowscape, as the platforms are covered in snow. (To be honest, your vote wasn't half bad, it's just the example doesn't work for the reasons provided here.)
- @All five: Please try to keep these counterarguments in mind when voting here.
