User:Mike Cline/Conquering the Dilemma-Creating a Better List

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Dilemma

The List

WP:CLN provides some clues here, but here’s a short list. Navigation Templates such as: Template:Lake (Yellowstone)
are a specialized form of embedded list that is extremely functional when applied to a large number of articles related to an expansive subject.

The above purposes create a dilemma for editors in that all the guidelines in WP:Lists and its associated guidelines and Manuals of Style don’t apply equally to all the different list purposes. Additionally, those purposes are not necessarily an either/or condition for any given list article and a list article might be fulfilling all the above purposes in some way or the other. That’s the dilemma of lists—multiple purposes with guidelines that aren’t necessarily specific to any one of the purposes.

Now, many editors in WP don’t like lists, some editors want to eliminate the whole List methodology all together, while many editors create exceptionally fine, encyclopedic lists that have no difficulty meeting WP policies and guidelines. Many poorly written lists don’t avoid first or later survive deletion debates, yet a great many good encyclopedic lists exist in WP. How can editors deal with this dilemma and create a better list?

Creating a better list

Here’s a short embedded list of tips for creating a better list. Lists that will avoid first and if that fails, survive deletion debates. These tips are in order of priority and precedence.

Conquer the Dilemma-Create a better List

  • Give the list a clear context with a good title and lead-in
  • Source the list and entries appropriately
  • Create a list organization that enhances understanding of context
  • Don't sweat completeness!