Changes: Memory Alpha:Category tree

Revision as of 16:14, 21 October 2013

About → Policies and guidelines → Category tree

This page describes one of Memory Alpha's policies and guidelines.
Please read through the policy below to familiarize yourself with our common practices and rules.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or complaints, please post them on the talk page.

With the MediaWiki software, it's possible to sort articles into categories. In order to ensure that these categories will be useful to users of the wiki, categories should be suggested and discussed before creation so that a clear category tree can be maintained and the correct sort keys can be added.

Policy

Because it is a labor-intensive process to remove or alter a category name once it exists, categories must be orphaned to be deleted as they cannot be redirected, all categories must be suggested and approved by a user consensus. The process is pretty straightforward:

Category suggestions should be listed on Memory Alpha:Category suggestions before being created.
Suggestions without any opposition after at least 7 days are considered approved and can be created. The suggestion discussion should then be moved to the new category's talk page.
Suggestions with supporting votes after at least 4 days are considered approved and can be created. The suggestion discussion should then be moved to the new category's talk page.
Suggestions with opposition will be removed to the archive after at least 2 weeks of inactivity.
After a suggested category has been approved, don't expect anyone else to actually create it for you! Anyone can create an approved category, and while someone is bound to come along eventually, it won't happen as quickly as it would if you did it yourself.

Before suggesting a new category, you should browse our existing categories and the discussions related to them. Remember that we also want to categorize the article with the correct sort keys.

Categories

There are two general types of categories, a list category and a locational category. List categories generally just list articles that are the name of the category, while locational categories generally contain articles that are related to the name of the category.

While the overall category structure is a work in progress, these categories are a good place to start browsing.

Note that this is just a small sample of the categories that are currently in use. For a complete list, see the full category listing.

In-universe categories

These categories are used on in-universe articles, and are named to maintain Memory Alpha's point of view.

Category:Planets: This is a list category (a category for instances of planets). This means that every planet may, and should, be included in this category. Don't include moons, planetoids, asteroids or other celestial bodies, colonies, cities, lists of planets or other articles related to planets. If the name of the planet contains a roman numeral, use a sort key in which this numeral is replaced by a double-digit (Example: [[Category:Planets|Rigel 07]] for Rigel VII).

Category:Qo'noS: This is a locational category. Anything (species items, terms) relating to Qo'noS or Klingons, who are native to Qo'noS, should be listed here.

Category:Delphic Expanse: This is a locational category. Anything (species, planets, terms) relating to the Delphic Expanse area should be listed here.

Category:Mirror universe: This is a locational category for anything relating to the mirror universe. Only articles directly talking about "mirror universe items" should be listed here.

Category:Sectors: This is another list category. Include all sectors, but nothing else - no quadrants, zones, areas, regions, systems, no lists of sectors or other articles related to sectors.

Category:Starships: List category for individual starships.

Category:Starship classes: List category for all starship classes.

Production POV categories

These categories are used on production articles, which are written from the real world POV.

Episodes: List categories for episodes of all the series and films.

Performers: List categories for all performers in the series and films.

Maintenance categories

We also use categories to help with the regular maintenance task of listing specific articles somewhere ("attention needed", "featured article" etc.) by creating a category and adding it to the relevant template. The prefix "Memory Alpha" is used for all maintenance categories that are included via a template.

Category:Memory Alpha images: main category for "images" uploaded on this site.
Category:Memory Alpha audio files: main category for "audio files" uploaded on this site.
Category:Memory Alpha orphaned categories: maintenance category for all "uncategorized categories".
Category:Memory Alpha featured articles: category for all featured articles. Use via template {{featured}} only.
Category:Memory Alpha pages needing attention: supercategory for "special" PNA categories - also category for PNAs that don't belong on those subcategories. Use via template {{pna}} only.
Category:Memory Alpha inaccurate articles: category for "inaccurate" PNAs. Use via template {{pna-inaccurate}} only.
Category:Memory Alpha incomplete articles: category for "incomplete" PNAs. Use via template {{pna-incomplete}} only.
Category:Memory Alpha unformatted articles: category for "unformatted" PNAs. Use via template {{pna-unformatted}} only.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{ma nav|Policies and guidelines}}
-''(This page is a placeholder for an informational article on how the [[Help:category|categories]] are to be organized given our existing wiki structure. -- [[User:MinutiaeMan|Dan Carlson]] | [[User talk:MinutiaeMan|Talk]] 02:38, Sep 3, 2004 (CEST))''
+{{policy}}
+With the [[Memory Alpha:MediaWiki|MediaWiki]] software, it's possible to sort articles into [[Help:Category|categories]]. In order to ensure that these categories will be useful to users of the wiki, categories should be [[MA:CS|suggested]] and discussed before creation so that a clear '''category tree''' can be maintained and the correct [[Memory Alpha:Category sort keys|sort keys]] can be added.
+== Policy ==
-----
+Because it is a labor-intensive process to remove or alter a category name once it exists, categories must be orphaned to be deleted as they cannot be redirected, '''all categories must be suggested and approved by a user consensus'''. The process is pretty straightforward:
+*Category suggestions should be listed on [[Memory Alpha:Category suggestions]] ''before'' being created.
+*Suggestions without any opposition after at least '''7 days''' are considered approved and can be created. The suggestion discussion should then be moved to the new category's talk page.
+*Suggestions with supporting votes after at least '''4 days''' are considered approved and can be created. The suggestion discussion should then be moved to the new category's talk page.
+*Suggestions with opposition will be removed to the archive after at least '''2 weeks''' of inactivity.
+*After a suggested category has been approved, don't expect anyone else to actually create it for you! '''Anyone can create an approved category''', and while someone is bound to come along eventually, it won't happen as quickly as it would if you did it yourself.
+Before suggesting a new category, you should browse our existing [[Special:Categories|categories]] and the discussions related to them. Remember that we also want to categorize the article with the correct [[Memory Alpha:Category sort keys|sort keys]].
+==Categories==
-With the implementation of [[Memory Alpha:MediaWiki 1.3|MediaWiki1.3]], it is now possible to sort articles into [[Help:Category|categories]]. In order to ensure that these categories will be useful to users of the wiki, it has been decided that establishing a clear '''category tree''' prior to enabling the category system will avoid problems.
+There are two general types of categories, a ''list category'' and a ''locational category''. List categories generally just list articles that ''are'' the name of the category, while locational categories generally contain articles that are ''related'' to the name of the category.
+While the overall category structure is a work in progress, these categories are a good place to start browsing.
-Because it is a labor-intensive process to remove or alter a category name once it exists (categories must be orphaned to be deleted, and they cannot be redirected), all categories must be approved by a user consensus, similar to the [[Memory Alpha:Votes for deletion|deletion consensus]], except in this case the consensus must be reached before you should consider ''creating'' an article here on MA. There are two pages dedicated for this purpose:
-* [[Memory Alpha:Category suggestions]] - This page is dedicated to consensuses on suggestions for a single category name. You should browse our existing [[Special:Categories|categories]], and the discussions related to them.
+<big>'''Note that this is just a small sample of the categories that are currently in use.'''</big> For a complete list, see the [[Special:Categories|full category listing]].
-* [[Memory Alpha:Category tree suggestions]] -- This page is dedicated for the creation of categories which will contain ''other categories''. As single categories evolve to be contained in others, it forms a tree structure. A suggestion of a ''supercategory'' which will contain other ''subcategories'', whether they pre-exist or are to be created in conjunction with the super.
+===In-universe categories===
-As categories are approved, they will be listed here.
+These categories are used on in-universe articles, and are named to maintain Memory Alpha's [[MA:POV|point of view]].
+;[[:Category:Planets]] : This is a ''list category'' (a category for ''instances of'' planets). This means that every planet may, and should, be included in this category. Don't include moons, planetoids, asteroids or other celestial bodies, colonies, cities, lists of planets or other articles ''related to'' planets. If the name of the planet contains a roman numeral, use a ''sort key'' in which this numeral is replaced by a double-digit (Example: <nowiki>[[Category:Planets|Rigel 07]]</nowiki> for [[Rigel VII]]).
-==Existing categories==
-While a detailed category structure is still being discussed, some categories have already been accepted by the community. Articles may be added to these categories:
+;[[:Category:Qo'noS]] : This is a ''locational category''. Anything (species items, terms) relating to [[Qo'noS]] or [[Klingon]]s, who are native to Qo'noS, should be listed here.
-;[[:Category:Planets]] : This is a ''list category'' (a category for ''instances of'' planets). This means that every planet may (and should) be included in this category. Don't include moons, planetoids, asteroids or other celestial bodies, colonies, cities, lists of planets or other articles ''related to'' planets. If the name of the planet contains a roman numeral, use a ''sort key'' in which this numeral is replaced by a double-digit (Example: <nowiki>[[Category:Planets|Rigel 07]]</nowiki> for [[Rigel VII]]).
+;[[:Category:Delphic Expanse]] : This is a ''locational category''. Anything (species, planets, terms) relating to the [[Delphic Expanse]] area should be listed here.
-;[[:Category:Sectors]] : This is another ''list category''. Include all ''sectors'', but nothing else - no quadrants, zones, areas, regions, systems, no lists of sectors or other articles ''related to'' sectors. If the sector is a ''numbered sector'' (for example, [[Sector 63]]), only use the number as the sort key (Example: <nowiki>[[Category:Sectors|63]]</nowiki>)
+;[[:Category:Mirror universe]] : This is a ''locational category'' for anything relating to the [[mirror universe]]. Only articles directly talking about "mirror universe items" should be listed here.
-;[[:Category:Nebulae]] : ''List category''. Include all ''nebulae''. No specific ''sort key''.
-;[[:Category:Moons]] : ''List category''. Include all ''moons''. No specific ''sort key''.
+;[[:Category:Sectors]] : This is another ''list category''. Include all ''sectors'', but nothing else - no quadrants, zones, areas, regions, systems, no lists of sectors or other articles ''related to'' sectors.
-;[[:Category:Clusters]] : ''List category''. Include all ''clusters''. No specific ''sort key''.
+;[[:Category:Starships]] : ''List category'' for individual starships.
-;[[:Category:Titles]] : ''List category''. Include all ''titles''. No specific ''sort key''.
+;[[:Category:Starship classes]] : ''List category'' for all starship classes.
+===Production POV categories===
-;[[:Category:Delphic Expanse]] : This is a locational category. Anything (species, planets, terms) relating to the [[Delphic Expanse]] area should be listed here. While there is no specific ''sort key'' , general sorting rules apply (regarding ship prefix or last-name first for humans).
+These categories are used on production articles, which are written from the [[MA:POV|real world POV]].
+;Episodes : ''List categories'' for episodes of all the series and films.
-;[[:Category:Mirror universe]] : A category for anything relating to the [[Mirror universe]]. Only articles directly talking about "mirror universe items" should be listed here. General sorting rules apply.
-;[[:Category:Weapons]] : A ''list category'' for all forms of weapons - except hand-held weapons, which belong in the subcategory [[:Category:Hand-held weapons]]. General sorting rules.
-;[[:Category:Starships]] : ''List category'' for individual starships. Subcategories for starships of major powers will be created, others should be added directly to this category. General sorting rules apply, for example ignoring prefixes.
-;[[:Category:Starship classes]] : ''List category'' for all starship classes. General sorting rules.
-;Episodes : ''List categories'' for episodes of all series, and also movies. General sorting rules apply, regarding articles such as "The" or "A" (Example: <nowiki>[[Category:TOS episodes|Corbomite Maneuver, The]]</nowiki>)
 *[[:Category:TOS episodes]]
 *[[:Category:TAS episodes]]
@@ Line 44: / Line 46: @@
 *[[:Category:VOY episodes]]
 *[[:Category:ENT episodes]]
-*[[:Category:Movies]]
+*[[:Category:Star Trek films]]
+;Performers : ''List categories'' for all performers in the series and films.
+*[[:Category:TOS performers]]
+*[[:Category:TAS performers]]
+*[[:Category:TNG performers]]
+*[[:Category:DS9 performers]]
+*[[:Category:VOY performers]]
+*[[:Category:ENT performers]]
+*[[:Category:TOS performers]]
+*[[:Category:Film performers]]
+===Maintenance categories===
+We also use categories to help with the regular maintenance task of listing specific articles somewhere ("attention needed", "featured article" etc.) by creating a category and adding it to the relevant template. The prefix "Memory Alpha" is used for all maintenance categories that are included via a template.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha images]] : main category for "images" uploaded on this site.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha audio files]] : main category for "audio files" uploaded on this site.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha orphaned categories]] : maintenance category for all "uncategorized categories".
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha featured articles]] : category for all featured articles. Use via template {{tl|featured}} only.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha pages needing attention]] : supercategory for "special" PNA categories - also category for PNAs that don't belong on those subcategories. Use via template {{tl|pna}} only.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha inaccurate articles]] : category for "inaccurate" PNAs. Use via template {{tl|pna-inaccurate}} only.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha incomplete articles]] : category for "incomplete" PNAs. Use via template {{tl|pna-incomplete}} only.
+;[[:Category:Memory Alpha unformatted articles]] : category for "unformatted" PNAs. Use via template {{tl|pna-unformatted}} only.
+[[de:Memory Alpha:Kategorie Hierarchie]]
+[[Category:Memory Alpha guidelines|Category tree]]