Category talk:Sidebar templates by topic

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Are sidebar links one-to-one with article transclusions?

Should the number of articles linked on a PoaS sidebar, be identical to the number of articles transcluding the sidebar, and be the same ones back and forth? Putting the question another way: is it all right for articles to transclude the sidebar that are not linked from it?

I've seen this come up at least a couple of times, can't remember where exactly, causing small kerfuffles among a few editors who had opinions on opposite sides of the issue. Here's how I imagine the pros and cons of this question:

Yes – That's what "part of a series" means; if it's part of the series, then it's linked, and if it isn't part of the series, then it isn't. Otherwise, how do you even know what "the series" is? If anything can be part of the series without being listed there, then it's a free-for-all, and the series lacks any meaning or coherence. If they're part of it, they should appear on the template.
No – That's all well and good for {{Genetics sidebar}} or {{History of Kashmir}} with a reasonable number of links, but what if I want to create {{Organic molecules sidebar}}? Or for that matter, what about existing templates like {{Greeks}}, {{Belarusians}}, or {{English people}}? Surely we can't just link everyone from there. If we leave off some Greeks, are they not "part of the series"? Are articles about some Greek or English person of lesser rank in fame or Notability and not rising to the level of importance to be linked from the sidebar, to be excluded from transcluding the sidebar?

I was looking for a central place to discuss this, rather than on an individual sidebar template, and this was the best I could find, but feel free to move the discussion if there's a better venue. Adding @Guy Macon and Alexbrn:. Mathglot (talk) 07:04, 5 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Listed at WP:VPP. Mathglot (talk) 07:20, 5 December 2019 (UTC) [reply]
No – last thing we need is more template spam by non content editors ....dont want a rule like WP:BIDIRECTIONAL that causes things like Meryl Streep#External links that was the example that convinced Wikipedia to omit navboxes from mobile view.....no double or triple stacking of sideboxes on one page. WP:BIDIRECTIONAL has caused countless editwars over what links to include and spam transclusions that 60% of our readers dont even see,--Moxy 🍁 07:32, 5 December 2019 (UTC)[reply]