Xenharmonic Wiki talk:Things to do: Difference between revisions
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Mousemambo (talk | contribs) →Plain-language writing: added to list of tags, added replies from Discord discussion |
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===Plain-language writing=== | ===Plain-language writing=== | ||
I'm trying to understand and document the tools that already exist both to mark beginner articles for readers and steer beginners to them, and to tag articles that are in need of improved accessibility to beginners. So far I have these, but are there others?... | I'm trying to understand and document the tools that already exist both to mark beginner articles for readers and steer beginners to them, and to tag articles that are in need of improved accessibility to beginners. So far I have these, but are there others? ... | ||
*Categories | *Categories | Add category tags at the bottom of the page (must use "Edit source") after a blank line. | ||
**[[:Category:Stubs]] | **[[:Category:Stubs]] | ||
**[[:Category:Todo]] | **[[:Category:Todo]] | ||
***[[:Category:Todo:expand|Todo:expand]] | ***[[:Category:Todo:expand|Todo:expand]] | ||
***[[:Category:Todo:explain its xenharmonic value|Todo:explain its xenharmonic value]] | ***[[:Category:Todo:explain its xenharmonic value|Todo:explain its xenharmonic value]] | As of 2023-Sep-07 the only articles with this tag are bios, but the [[:Category:Todo:explain_its_xenharmonic_value|category page itself]] describes other helpful usages. Examples: explain its value for ''composing xenharmonic music'', or for ''xenharmonic music theoretical analysis'' , which are of course closely related. | ||
***[[:Category:Todo:add_introduction|Todo:add introduction]] | ***[[:Category:Todo:add_introduction|Todo:add introduction]] | ||
***[[:Category:Todo:intro|Todo:intro]] | ***[[:Category:Todo:intro|Todo:intro]] | Use [[:Category:Todo:add_introduction|Todo:add introduction]] instead, for more clarity. | ||
***[[:Category:Todo:improve synopsis|Todo:improve synopsis]] | This means "improve intro." | |||
***[[:Category:Todo:simplify|Todo:simplify]] | |||
***[[:Category:Todo:improve readability|Todo:improve readability]] | ***[[:Category:Todo:improve readability|Todo:improve readability]] | ||
***[[:Category:Todo: | ***[[:Category:Todo:reduce_mathslang|Todo:reduce mathslang]] | ||
**[[:Category:Inaccessible pages|Category:Inaccessible pages]] | [[Template:Inaccessible]] is preferable. This flag is related to [[:Category:Todo:reduce_mathslang|Todo:reduce mathslang]]. | |||
**[[:Category:Beginner pages|Category:Beginner pages]] | [[Template:Beginner]] is preferable. | |||
**[[:Category:Beginner pages|Category:Beginner pages]] | **[[:Category:Expert pages|Category:Expert pages]] | [[Template:Expert]] is preferable. | ||
**[[:Category:Expert pages|Category:Expert pages]] | *Templates | In practice, these function like categories but also add a message box for readers to alert them. Add these at the top of the article (must use "Edit source"). | ||
*Templates | **[[Template:Beginner]] | Adds an article to [[:Category:Beginner pages]] plus a message box that can point them to the corresponding Expert page. | ||
**[[Template:Beginner]] | **[[Template:Expert]] | Adds an article to [[:Category:Expert pages]] plus a message box that can point them to the corresponding Beginner page. | ||
**[[Template:Expert]] | **[[Template:Inaccessible]] | Adds an article to [[:Category:Inaccessible pages]] and also adds a "math ahead" warning message box to the article's head. | ||
**[[Template:Inaccessible]] | **[[Template:Wikipedia]] | Use <code><nowiki>{{Wikipedia}}</nowiki></code> when the article titles exactly match, else<code><nowiki>{{Wikipedia|page title on Wikipedia}}</nowiki></code> | ||
**[[Template:Stub]] | **[[Template:Stub]] | ||
Once these are clarified and documented here, and maybe expanded or modified, this listing might be added to the corresponding section of the main | I'm updating the above list when I get new suggestions. Once these are clarified and documented here, and maybe expanded or modified, this listing might be added to the corresponding section of the main "Things to do" page, since categorizing and tagging appropriately does fit that imperative. | ||
"Things to do" page, since categorizing and tagging appropriately fit that imperative. | |||
[[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 09:16, 7 September 2023 (UTC) | [[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 09:16, 7 September 2023 (UTC) | ||
: From the Discord channel... | Replies from discussion on the #wiki channel of the [[Links#Discord_server | Xen Discord server]]: | ||
: From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149297751482437743 Discord channel]... Fumica (41et) — 2023-Sep-07 at 6:58 AM. "There's no difference between category: todo: add introduction and category: todo: intro" [[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 17:03, 7 September 2023 (UTC) | |||
:From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149428486700814416 Discord channel]... fredg999 — 2023-Sep-07 at 3:38 PM. "There are several older category names inherited from older versions of the wiki, before it was run with MediaWiki among other things, so that explains why some categories aren't always coherent. There's definitely a little cleanup to be done in this regard at some point." | |||
:From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149436649252597790 Discord channel]... fredg999 — 2023-Sep-07at 4:10 PM. "Btw, synopsis = introduction = lead section (I use "lead section" personally, as Wikipedia does)" | |||
:From the Discord channel... | :From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149437122340732929 Discord channel]... fredg999 — 2023-Sep-07 at 4:12 PM. "I also lean towards single pages, the current issue is page protection enforced on some expert pages." | ||
Perhaps there needs to be a Todo for a specific problem I frequently encounter in the Xen Wiki, even for critical foundational terminology articles: The very first paragraph, even the very first line, is written with math-speak and it's not rare for it to include math theory beyond high-school/algebra level. I offer the article for [[Harmonic limit]] as an example: "In just intonation, the p-limit or p-prime-limit consists of the ratios of p-smooth numbers, where a p-smooth number is an integer with prime factors no larger than p." I don't think it's a horrible article. But 1) The first line refers to "p-smooth numbers" which is higher-math-speak (regardless of it being a link, I shouldn't need to know what number theory is) and the majority of people are math-phobic and will walk away right there; (2) The article is called "Harmonic limit" and there's no use of that term in the article or explanation of what's "harmonic" about the p-limit. | Perhaps there needs to be a Todo for a specific problem I frequently encounter in the Xen Wiki, even for critical foundational terminology articles: The very first paragraph, even the very first line, is written with math-speak and it's not rare for it to include math theory beyond high-school/algebra level. I offer the article for [[Harmonic limit]] as an example: "In just intonation, the p-limit or p-prime-limit consists of the ratios of p-smooth numbers, where a p-smooth number is an integer with prime factors no larger than p." I don't think it's a horrible article. But 1) The first line refers to "p-smooth numbers" which is higher-math-speak (regardless of it being a link, I shouldn't need to know what number theory is) and the majority of people are math-phobic and will walk away right there; (2) The article is called "Harmonic limit" and there's no use of that term in the article or explanation of what's "harmonic" about the p-limit. | ||
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I am thinking out loud here to illustrate my perspective. I note that the plain-language text will probably (maybe ideally) duplicate or paraphrase some text from any corresponding Wikipedia article, e.g. Wikipedia:Limit (music). But I suggest that this level of explanation is going to frequently be necessary to provide basic introductions that don't frighten people off with immediate complexity. I feel that a limited amount of duplicating Wikipedia should not be discouraged within a plain-language section or summary. Especially because one of the functions of beginner terminology articles is to encourage understanding from a xenharmonic rather than a conventional musicology perspective, and the Xen Wiki analogous article can do that. | I am thinking out loud here to illustrate my perspective. I note that the plain-language text will probably (maybe ideally) duplicate or paraphrase some text from any corresponding Wikipedia article, e.g. Wikipedia:Limit (music). But I suggest that this level of explanation is going to frequently be necessary to provide basic introductions that don't frighten people off with immediate complexity. I feel that a limited amount of duplicating Wikipedia should not be discouraged within a plain-language section or summary. Especially because one of the functions of beginner terminology articles is to encourage understanding from a xenharmonic rather than a conventional musicology perspective, and the Xen Wiki analogous article can do that. | ||
[[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 17:03, 7 September 2023 (UTC) | [[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 17:03, 7 September 2023 (UTC) | ||
:From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149435515821633586 Discord channel]... fredg999 — 2023-Sep-07 at 4:06 PM. "I'm personally a fan of message boxes, because it combines categories and visibility for both readers and editors. Readers are warned of known issues on a page, while editors are reminded of work to do on a page. Here's what I would use instead of "todo:add plain-language": [[Template:Inaccessible]]" | |||
:From the [https://discord.com/channels/332357996569034752/780300193110818826/1149443429818966118 Discord channel]... fredg999 — 2023-Sep-07 at 4:37 PM. "I think the lead section is one of the places where Wikipedia and the Xen Wiki can duplicate each other, especially if it fits adequately in both contexts. As you said earlier, some articles benefit from being adapted to the Xen Wiki's context." | |||
I will throw in here that I am compiling my personal thoughts about writing accessible Xen wiki articles into a [User:Mousemambo/Workbench#Elements_of_good_Xenharmonic_Wiki_article_writing Elements of good Xenharmonic Wiki article writing] section of my workbench page. [[User:Mousemambo|Mousemambo]] ([[User talk:Mousemambo|talk]]) 19:28, 8 September 2023 (UTC) | |||
=== Reorganize temperament pages === | === Reorganize temperament pages === | ||