User:BudjarnLambeth/Notability guidelines
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Todo: discuss This is not actually Xen Wiki policy currently, it is only a hypothetical proposal by one user. |
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From May 2025 onwards, the Xenharmonic Wiki is introducing new notability guidelines.
These are less strict than Wikipedia's guidelines. The main goal of these guidelines is to stem the tide of dozens of very short new pages about topics of limited musical usefulness.
As a general rule: if you are at all unsure which of these categories your new page belongs to, make it a user page.
What are user and main space pages?
User pages are pages titled "User:YourUsername/Topic". For example "User:JohnDoe/Major scale".
Main space pages are pages without any prefix. For example "Major scale".
Banned content
Objectively false claims
Objectively false claims (e.g. "the octave is 1500 cents") do not belong anywhere on the wiki and should be deleted.
This includes false claims about existing musical traditions (e.g. "the Indonesian slendro scale is 5edo.")
What IS allowed though, are comparisons, as long as they are accurate. (So you CAN say "the Indonesian slendro scale is similar to 5edo.")
Offensive content
The following content does not belong anywhere on the wiki and should be deleted:
- Content which promotes or risks promoting hatred or discrimination against any group of people
- Content which is mean-spirited or in bad faith
- Content which is in any way obscene, lewd or scatological
- Anything which borders on, or hints at, any of the above
What to do if you see banned content
If you see banned content in a page, delete it. If the entire page falls under the umbrella of banned content, put Template:Delete at tge top of the page.
Usually USER page content
Short or unfinished pages
These should usually be user pages.
If the page is about a composer, an instrument, or a widely used concept, then it can be a main space page.
Either way, you should always include Template:Stub at the BOTTOM of the page.
Subjective opinions or essays
Subjective opinions like "5/4 sounds happy" or "19edo is more useful than 17edo" should usually be user pages.
You can put them on main space pages, but if you do, make sure to state clearly that this is a subjective opinion, and ideally, whose opinion it is.
NEW pages about intervals, commas, equal tunings, or regular temperaments
These should usually be user pages.
If the page is about an interval, comma or tuning that has been deliberately, consciously used to make music by at least 2 people, then it can be a main space page.
New music theory concepts you came up with yourself
These should usually be user pages.
If the concept is a simple, straightforward modification or extension of an already widely known concept, though, it is okay to put it in main space.
Either way, you should always include Template:Idiosyncratic terms at the top of the page.
Arbitrarily chosen music theory concepts
These are somewhat arbitrary or random-seeming topics.
For example, "10/9" and "30edt" are NOT arbitrary, but "420/69" and "101ed34" ARE arbitrary.
These should be user pages, unless they have been used to make music by multiple people, in which case they can be main space pages.
They should always include Template:Novelty at the top of the page.
Topics with limited musical usefulness
These are topics like "1edo" which are nonrandom, but which are difficult to actually make music with.
If you have little to say about such a topic, it should be a user page.
If you have a lot to say (at least 2 paragraphs), it can be a main space page.
Either way, it should always include Template:Niche at the top of the page.
Topics which are more math than music
These are topics which interest mathematicians more than they interest musicians.
If such a topic is far removed from music theory, it should be a user page.
If it is still reasonably relevant to music, it can be a main space page.
Either way, it should always include Template:Mathematical interest at the top of the page.
Worldbuilding pages
These should be user pages, unless they are a collaboration between several creators, in which case they can be main space pages.
They should always include Template:Worldbuilding at the top of the page.
MAIN space content requiring extra caution
Using words or names you invented yourself
If you ever use a word or name that you invented yourself, mark it with Template:Idiosyncratic.
If you use several such terms in one section of a page, then instead of using Template:Idiosyncratic several times, instead place Template:Idiosyncratic terms at the start of the section.
General MAIN space content
Pages that typically belong in main space include but are not limited to:
- Pages about composers, theorists or musicians
- Pages about instruments
- Pages about long-standing musical traditions
- Pages about widely used tunings or intervals
In general the wiki is suffering from a lack of citations, so if you cite your sources, that is especially appreciated and goes a long way.
Entries on list and gallery pages
Gallery of just intervals
Only include intervals which are a critical component of the structure of at least one highly musically useful scale.
Temperament family, clan or collection pages
Only include temperaments which have low badness in a sensible JI subgroup with at least some substantial musical usefulness.
Tables of commas
Only include commas which are tempered out by at least one musically useful temperament, AND which are necessary for defining that temperaments (not incidental).
Entries that don't meet the above criteria
List them on your own user page instead.