Any chance we (all five of us) can get a set of basic policies drawn up? I'm not suggesting anything on the scale that Wookieepedia has but some basics I think we need to set down so we're not contradicting each and ending up with one set of pages looking different to another set.
I know we have a Manual of Style but it's in a category that (as yet) doesn't exist on the IJW. I just think we need to set down things like which infobox to use.
For example I've been using the black, red and yellow Template:Infobox_Character but Mr. Adamwankenobi seems to have a preference of using Wookieepedia's style of infobox Template:Person infobox. So which one does the community (all five of us) think is better to use?
I personally think the Template:Recontra of Icybro should be obliterated as I see it as reduntant. On the other hand he sees [[Category:Characters deceased after 1930]] (created by an IP of all things but it's being used) as an arbitrary category.
And I've been following Wookieepedia's way of putting comics in issue, TPB and story arcs pages which have been changed but there's nowhere on here to say it shouldn't be except on the next guy's opinion.
We need to know where images should be from eg Last time character was seen (with exception of Jones) and title of pages eg. Real name over nickname (with exception of Jones).
We need to know how much of known historical characters should be put in the main body of an article. eg. Should Hitler's death be listed unless it's stated in an in universe source or do we go by common knowledge?
I mean I've been adopting Wookieepedia templates for use on articles but are people actually fine with me doing that?
Etc. etc.
So can we get some policies drawn up to vote on or something? Vetinari (Appointment) 21:07, 8 April 2008 (UTC)
Good questions. I'm not sure exactly what your proposed policies would look like, but I'll be happy to comment on anything you write up. Or, all of us can discuss the issues you raised more informally, and hopefully arrive at some standards that will be made apparent through precedent. (Example: I changed your Young Indy comic entries simply because every other comic book entry was listed by story arc. There may be a compelling reason to change how we list comics, but in the absence of any such argument, the precedent has authority.)
Icybro 23:40, 8 April 2008 (UTC)
The way I've been doing things is:
- List Young Indy movies eg. My First Adventure with episodes (in this case Curse of the Jackal) in appearances as new material added and bookends removed makes them new sources more than any adaptation is. Especially with the chronological change.
- I think we've all settled on a source being placed chronologically by the date of the main body of the story. So Last Crusade isn't placed before Temple of Doom because it starts in 1912 and Young Indy isn't put in 1992.
- Character Infobox picture should be of characters last appearance but live action photo takes precdence. So Henry Jones from Last Crusade not an image from the comics. But I think an exception to this should be Indiana Jones in his 1930s attire because that's what people recognise and it should be Harrison Ford.
- The red/black/yellow infoboxs. They seperate the place from just looking like Wookieepedia. (Yes I'm aware the template I hijacked are from Wookieepedia but they can change when someone with better knowledge of the code comes along)
- Comic pages listed by issue, story arc and (where applicable) TPB because it better credits different authors/artists plus each comic has its own synopsis, release date and appearances/mentions.
- Only include information that is known in an in-universe source with any extra information put in "Behind the scenes". Patan for example.
Vetinari (Appointment) 12:44, 9 April 2008 (UTC)
We need to know how much of known historical characters should be put in the main body of an article. eg. Should Hitler's death be listed unless it's stated in an in universe source or do we go by common knowledge?
- for historical characters, i generally have put perhaps a sentence or two about their general role in history in the top, and then focus on their role in Indy's world. any additional historical info, i save for the "behind the scenes" - see Barthelemy Boganda - and if their birth and death years are known as historical, i add them to the infobox (and assume that they were born and died in the indyverse on the same dates).
We need to know where images should be from eg Last time character was seen
- i have no problem with listing where the image is taken... but i think trying to use "last time character is seen" shots is silly for minor characters who we see die or dying. for most minor characters, finding a good image that helps identify their face and captures something of their essence (like Boucher and Barthelemy) is better than a last time on screen
and i think the Categorization of characters based on when they died is not terribly useful. Jawajames 05:32, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
- i have no problem with listing where the image is taken... but i think trying to use "last time character is seen" shots is silly for minor characters who we see die or dying. for most minor characters, finding a good image that helps identify their face and captures something of their essence (like Boucher and Barthelemy) is better than a last time on screen
That's what I meant, the last source they appeared in not the last scene. I don't think it would help to have Belloq missing a head. ;) Vetinari (Appointment) 11:55, 10 April 2008 (UTC)
Additional policies in need of discussion[]
Hope no one minds me tacking on a bunch of thoughts to this thread, but it seemed the right place . . .
- The extent of real-world info in the in-universe sections. Basically, as discussed here, how strict should we be about the inclusion of real-world details into the main text of articles? Unlike Star Wars, Indy draws heavily upon the real world, since on some level it's supposed to be, as opposed to a galaxy far, far away.
- The strictness of articles from in-universe perspective. Wookieepedia is particularly strict about this. Does Indypedia want to be just as strict? The recent creation and population of Category:Heroes and Category:Villains goes against a strict IU perspective (not to mention the problems it has with POV).
- Image sourcing. Currently, almost no images have any information at all about them, not even where they come from. I think some sort of policy on this is needed.
Those are the big three that are currently on my mind. Thoughts on how we should tackle these? jSarek 02:30, 5 June 2008 (UTC)
- for #1 - i see no problem in including real-world information as long as it is there to help set the stage for the fictional information. information about historical figures, events, and places is useful for knowing more about Indy's world.
- #2. i'm not a fan of the Heroes and Villains categories. i guess i tend to write from an in-universe perspective (as documenting history and not plot), but i'm not really sure.
- #3. good idea. i tend to put descriptions with my images. i will also list the source from now on.
- btw, how does one delete/rename a category. i saw the "Characters by nationality" needed to be renamed to "Characters by Nationality" but since i didn't know how to rename the category, i created a new one with the proper uppercase N, and simply changed all the links to use the new category... but the old one remains (and is now empty). someone want to delete it?
- Jawajames 21:07, 8 June 2008 (UTC)
Videos[]
- Any idea on what our stance should be on videos? In theory the Staff of Kings trailer is fine because it's plugging the game but is it legally? I've been deleting videos for copyright issues, basically the DVD menus and entire music clips so maybe we should only put up videos that LFL is providing themselves... If the SoK trailer(s) came from an official LucasArts channel for example. Vetinari (Appointment) 17:09, 11 June 2009 (UTC)