Wikipedia:WikiProject Ireland Collaboration/statementbyRed King (Problem 1)
This page is simply a reconfiguration of the original statement by Red King.
Commentary on Problem 1
[edit]- Solution (A) (Page contains "the island of Ireland) is not satisfactory because it addresses just one aspect of the subject (the physical geography, geology and natural history). This is not satisfactory: the political, cultural and economic geographies have equal standing. Further, this 'solution' is not acceptable to a large number of editors.
- Solution (B) (Page contains "the state, Ireland) is not satisfactory because it addresses just one aspect of the subject . This is not satisfactory: (the political, cultural and economic geography of one part of Ireland) (the physical geography, geology and natural history) have equal standing. In particular, it fails to acknowlege the separate existence of Northern Ireland which shares the same island. Further, this 'solution' is not acceptable to a large number of editors.
- Solution (C) (Page contains a simple (short) disambiguation page for Ireland) is not satisfactory because Wikipedia is aimed at an international audience that is unlikely to appreciate the nuances of such a complicated subject. The "Manual of Style" says that such disambiguation articles must be very terse. The name has too many contradictory meanings that are time dependent. (Compare Ireland in 1000 CE, 1250CE, 1500CE, 2000CE. The last 80 years are anomalous). Further, this 'solution' is not acceptable to a large number of editors.
- Solution (D) (Page contains content that combines both state and island information for Ireland in summary style, while having more detailed child articles [the "MickMacNee solution"]) is the most satisfactory because it provides "naïve" readers with sufficient information to make an informed choice of article that meets their specific needs, while at the same time indicating that there are other equally valid meanings and associations. It also helps to clarify that terms have different meanings depending on the point in history, or in culture, or in sport, that is being considered.
The only serious reservation about Solution (D) is that it will be difficult to set a limit on its size. It would be intolerable if a summary article grew to be a giant article that was the sum of all the current articles.
Red King (talk) 20:43, 23 February 2009 (UTC)