Wikipedia:Templates for discussion/Log/2015 February 12

February 12

Template:USA-MA

Template:USA-MA (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Template:USA (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

This template appears to be redundant to {{flag|Massachusetts}}, which it wraps. There are no similar templates for other states, though this appears to be an extension of {{USA}} and this state's name is one of the long ones... —PC-XT+ 10:41, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

• I have changed to Propose a merge, where a parameter would be added to {{USA}} for states. Instead of {{USA-MA}}, it would be {{USA|MA}}. Thoughts? —PC-XT+ 10:45, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
  • And, I'm not sure about tagging {{USA}}. It might just be confusing. I put in an edit request, but it might be better to go back to a deletion discussion or withdraw, and meanwhile put in an edit request for {{USA}} to incorporate this feature. I would like some discussion, though. Any thoughts? —PC-XT+ 11:58, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
    • I found {{User US postal}}, which I think was actually created for userboxes, but I added it to {{USA/sandbox}} to make it support states: {{USA/sandbox|MA}} → Massachusetts, {{USA/sandbox|MI}} → Michigan, {{USA/sandbox}} → United States There might be a better helper template to use, but this illustrates the concept. —PC-XT+ 12:26, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
      • I find this template {{USA-MA}}, or if we change it to {{USA|MA}}, easier to use than the current state flag and name templates. --Aidan721 (talk) 14:04, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
        • I also think this has its use, which is why I changed to propose the merge instead of deletion. —PC-XT+ 13:31, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
• Query for @PC-XT: Do any of these proposed new or merged formats exist for flag icons of other states of the United States, or, for that matter, the states or provinces of countries other than the United States? Do templates or redirects for flag icons of other states employ U.S. postal code abbreviations, as this one does? Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 21:10, 4 February 2015 (UTC)
  • That's part of the reason I wanted discussion. I haven't checked all the country codes on all 3 lists, but {{USA-MA}} is the only template I know of its kind, though {{US-MA-stub}} is a redirect to {{Massachusetts-stub}}. (US-MA is a ISO 3166-2:US code. There are codes for other country divisions, as well, based on 2-letter ISO for the country part. {{US}} redirects to {{USA}}. Canada would be {{CA}}, which has been deleted multiple times, so I am not sure it is related. {{DE}} is unrelated. Massachusetts is the only US state with templates named this way, that I know of.) {{GER/Nazi}} displays a variant, so may be considered close, but the loop error in the documentation makes me think it is nonstandard. (The way to fix the loop would probably be to either merge it to {{GER}} or rename it to {{GER-Nazi}}, but if renamed, it would still have problems with the code. I added documentation to {{USA-MA}}, which works except for calling the state a country and the code ISO. If you take out the code parameter, it gives {{?}} as the usage.) Germany has two templates: {{DEU}} (3-letter ISO and FIFA) and {{GER}} (IOC) but its documentation says FIFA uses GER. {{GER/Nazi}} has no {{DEU/Nazi}} counterpart. Template talk:USA has a suggestion to show variants, which could still be done, though {{flag}} already provides this feature. Otherwise, I don't know of a Wikipedia standard in this area. —PC-XT+ 13:31, 5 February 2015 (UTC) I asked at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Flag Template#Template names for principal subdivisions of countries —PC-XT+ 13:40, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
    • Of course, custom documentation would need to be created in any case of variance from the current standard, so I'm mostly wondering how these subdivisions should be handled, or if they should be handled. {{USA}} would need custom documentation, for instance. That would also fix doc problems for the Nazi flag, the MA flag discussed here, and any other variants. If we can decide on a standard way to support them, the documentation template could be changed to allow them, instead. —PC-XT+ 15:21, 5 February 2015 (UTC)
• Delete {{USA-MA}} and do not create any other templates of this form. Templates such as {{USA}} were created about 10 years ago and led to the creation of WP:WikiProject Flag Template soon afterwards to accommodate more than just country flags. The consensus was that templates such as {{flag}}, {{flagicon}} etc. ought to use full names (i.e. {{flag|Massachusetts}} instead of using codes, to improve the readability of wiki markup for subsequent editors. The "country code template set" was retained since many of those codes are well-known by many editors (USA, RUS, CHN, etc.) but I assert that in many cases it is still preferable to use the complete country name to avoid confusion. (Quick, what's the country code for Malaysia?) Furthering that thought, if we created "shorthand" templates for country subdivisions, it would be logical to use the ISO 3166-2 code, but that dramatically increases the complexity of wiki markup. Is there any benefit whatsoever in using {{DE-BY}} instead of {{flag|Bavaria}}? I think it's a very bad idea to develop a full set of code-based flag templates for country subdivisions. — Andrwsc (talk · contribs) 02:25, 6 February 2015 (UTC)
  • I certainly don't want to have a bunch of new templates for subdivisions. Also, it might be good to make these shorthand templates subst-only. —PC-XT+ 08:33, 6 February 2015 (UTC)

Relisted to generate a more thorough discussion so a clearer consensus may be reached.
Please add new comments below this notice. Thanks, Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 21:41, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

@PC-XT: Thank you for notifying WikiProject Flag Template of this TfD/TfM discussion: [1]; hopefully, your notice on the WikiProject talk page will elicit some helpful feedback from editors who create and maintain this entire family of flag icons on a regular basis. I would also urge that you notify the template creator of Template:USA (even though he appears to be minimally active these days), as well as the major contributors to that template. This is a TfD discussion that I believe could genuinely benefit from the input of the people who created and maintained these animals, and we should not be shy about requesting their input in this discussion on their user talk pages per the notice suggestions of the TfD/TfM instructions. If you need help posting these notices, please let me know and I will be happy to share the responsibility for notifying a wider group of potential discussion participants of this discussion. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 01:07, 13 February 2015 (UTC)

Template:PragerU

Template:PragerU (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Orphaned after ELN discussion. Alakzi (talk) 18:42, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

• @Alakzi: Can you link to the previous ELN (ELNO?) discussion? Thanks. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 18:47, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • Here. Alakzi (talk) 18:50, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• While I agree with Alakzi that this template serves no useful purpose and should be deleted, I think this discussion should be closed as the previous TfD was closed a mere 18 days ago with no consensus, and as far as I can tell nothing has changed since then. If the purpose of this new discussion is to challenge the closing of the previous one, we have a procedure for that. --Dr. Fleischman (talk) 18:53, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • The previous TfD was initiated before the ELN discussion, while the template was still in use. I do not wish to contest the previous close, which I believe to have been correct under the circumstances. I'm baffled by your assertion that "nothing has changed". Alakzi (talk) 18:58, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
    • Can you please explain what has happened since the previous TfD was closed? (I haven't been following closely since then.) --Dr. Fleischman (talk) 21:11, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
      • I misread that. Yes, nothing has changed since the close itself, but I'm sure that you can appreciate how the changing circumstances throughout the discussion couldn't have led to a consensus. Alakzi (talk) 21:31, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
        • I don't think that's a proper basis for a new TfD. The changing circumstances were discussed in the old one. There was ample opportunity for editors to change their positions or otherwise weigh in after the discussion at ELN had run its course. --Dr. Fleischman (talk) 22:11, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
          • Perhaps there was, but editors not involved in the dispute would've been unlikely to revisit what became a very lengthy discussion. A clean slate, where deletion policy-based rationale has been provided, will reveal whether consensus exists for the deletion of this template. Alakzi (talk) 22:30, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

Template:Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Template:Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Template:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topics (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Propose merging Template:Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Template:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topics.
Geography of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topics can cover its districts. Redtigerxyz ^Talk 16:20, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

• @Redtigerxyz: I have notified the creator of Template:Kyber Pakhtunkwha topics of this pending TfD merge discussion. In the future, please notify the creators of both templates to any proposed merge. Template creators are often among the best sources of background information regarding the architecture, background history, purposes and uses of templates, and my add to the understanding of other TfD participants. Thanks. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 18:59, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose, not really a good idea since we have these district templates for all provinces. The template can exist by itself as it is useful in its own right and is easier for navigation of district articles. Besides, there's no real need to further clutter Template:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topics. Mar4d (talk) 19:23, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

Template:Villages of Battagram

Template:Villages of Battagram (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

{{Battagram-Union-Councils}} has same links. Redtigerxyz ^Talk 16:17, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

Template:Archive list long

Template:Archive list long (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Template:Archive list (talk · history · transclusions · logs · subpages)

Propose merging Template:Archive list long with Template:Archive list.
The two templates serve the same purpose: creating a list of links to archive pages, but use two different Lua modules (this, by the way, is my fault, I created a new module without checking what already existed). Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 09:05, 12 February 2015 (UTC)

• Merge per rationale of nominator, the template creator a significant contributor to the first template. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 11:50, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • Quick note: I'm not the creator of Archive list long, I just recently converted it to a Lua template, which I am the creator of. Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 12:08, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
    • I see that now, Martijn. Please note that I have notified the creator of Template:Archive list of this pending TfD/TfM: [2]. While it's probably a moot point since Gurch has not edited in the last year and a half, such TfD/TfM notices should be consistently provided -- even if this particular proposed "merge" is really more in the nature of a deletion. Dirtlawyer1 (talk) 14:53, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• merge--Ozzie10aaaa (talk) 13:23, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Merge per nom. APerson (talk!) 14:16, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Merge per nom, it seems a bit redundant to have both of them if they do the same thing then.--Lerdthenerd wiki defender 14:34, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • As a note, currently they don't do exactly the same thing, but I do believe they should. Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 14:56, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Sure, just make it snappy: the TfD notification is totally defacing my beautiful talk page, Hoekstra. Also, it was suggested to me that I should have an archive for my archive. Any thoughts? Drmies (talk) 17:48, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • This entire nomination is but a well disguised ruse to make more administrators aware of the backlog on TfD. As for archiving your archives, Jimbo has User talk:Jimbo Wales/Archive index. Maybe demonstrate your superiority by publicly saying you want a better archival solution than Jimbo has, sit back, and enjoy the view of our natural tendency of one-upmanship (if that isn't a word, it should be). Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 18:57, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Please make sure that this does not break Template:MonthlyArchive, which is based on Template:Archives, which is based on Template:Archive list long. Tony Tan⁹⁸ · talk 17:59, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
  • I just checked, and I don't think it does. Are you sure? Where? Martijn Hoekstra (talk) 19:36, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Oppose I'm not really sure it is necessary to merge them. I think that it is always better to have multiple choices for templates, and the slight differences are still reasonable to keep. PointsofNoReturn (talk) 21:33, 12 February 2015 (UTC)
• Just after we got that TfD notice off our infoboxes, this discussion shows up and just about doubles the length of USRD's talk page. Haha, oh well. Personally, I think if the templates don't currently do the same thing, but the intention is that they should, the merger should wait until after that intention becomes reality. This is the same kind of discussion we were having about {{infobox road}} and {{infobox Australian road}}. TCN7JM 22:24, 12 February 2015 (UTC)