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Willipedia:Naming conventions

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==General Guide to Naming==
Use Try first to choose the most general title you can about that names the realm of your subject. However, when if this general name is one that you feel do not expect that a Williamsian Willipedian can write something meaningul meaningfully about the general title (ie, even if you can't)::example: you want to write about the awesome beec in the forest garden for tree climbing. start/edit "Tree climbing"::example: you want to write about cheap places to ski. start/edit "skiing" and start choose a section in it on going cheaply. hope you or someone else will write the preface on generally skiing at williams::example: you want to write about great spots to hang hammocks on campus. "Hammocking" is the most general more specific title, but is there something meaningful to write on "hammocking" besids where to do it? This is arguable. Start/edit "hammocking" with a section on places, or start/edit "hammock spots". Someone can always create "hammocking" and link to/move your content later.
'''Illustrative examples:'''''Problem:'' You want to write about how awesome the beech in the [[Forest Garden]] is for [[tree climbing]]. :''A good start:'' Even though you just want to write about that one tree, start/edit the article "Tree climbing," and place what you write in a section of it. If you want to do a really good job, go the extra mile to start a preface on the general title to help other editors get an idea of where they can work from.:''In the future:'' Even without a preface, it's a very good bet that others will expand on this subject, with more trees and perhaps a guide to history and technique of the pasttime. ''Problem:'' You want to give advice on procrastinating on a thesis. You're thinking "How to procrastinate on a thesis" might be a good title.:''A good start:'' Think about your topic in the general sense. You are talking about two things: the practice of [[procrastinating]] and the topic "[[thesis]]." Start/edit an article with either name, and include what you want to write in a well-named section, even if it is a lonely section at first. ''In the future:'' Others are likely to have something to say about "Procrastinating" or "Thesis". The articles are likely to cross-link. Over time, what you started will evolve into a rich article. ''Problem:'' You want to write about great spots to hang hammocks on campus. :''A good start:'' "Hammocking" is probably the most general name you could pick, but are Willipedians likely to write about anything more than  "Hammocking" is the most general title, but is there something meaningful to write on "hammocking" besids where to do it? This is arguable. Start/edit "hammocking" with a section on places, or start/edit "hammock spots". Someone can always create "hammocking" and link to/move your content later. ==Conventions== Effort is wasted when someone starts an article "Prank" when it really could have been added to (or already was in) "[[Pranks]]". Using naming conventions lets us use content to its fullest extent, and build on what's there already. Much of the below is adapted from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions Wikipedia's naming conventions]. ===Singular vs. Plural nouns'''===<span float:right>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions#Prefer_singular_nouns wiki link]</span>
:willi rule of thumb: when the main focus of an article will be to define or give the history of the subject, use a singular noun (broomball, Mountain Day). when listing and explaining instances of the subject -- especially when ''defining'' what the title means would be silly for willipedia -- use a plural (Pranks, Classes).
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