Forum:Smasher namespace

This is kind of a continuation of the "Merging Problems" Help Desk topic. First I'd like to say I'm pleased with the main page merge and the count down timer on it. It looks like people are merging templates too so thats good. But still my biggest concern is the Smasher articles. It is evident that these aren't going to be merged with user pages or become redirects. So I'd like to have a vote to decide whether we make a Smasher namespace to separate these pages from the rest of our content.

In defense of this idea the casual gamers and Wikia users will benefit by viewing articles about the smash bros. games when they click the random page button. Our article count will no longer be misleading since over 1300 articles are about Smashers. In some rare instances Smasher names take up the namespace for things in the games. For example: SmashWiki:Merge/Wario Bros. compare to Wario Bros. And lastly it was never the SSB Wiki's intent to document players at all so this would be a good compromise. Bonko24 23:33, 4 March 2008 (UTC)

For

 * 1) Bonko24 23:33, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
 * 2) Richard 00:05, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
 * 3) Logan 00:24, 5 March 2008 (UTC)
 * 4) Erik Jensen (Appreciate me here!) 20:26, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
 * 5) Charitwo 21:54, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

Against

 * 1) Randall00 21:11, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

Comments
Yeah I'd like to see the Smasher articles in their own namespace. That way they won't get in the way of content and they can still keep their category.--Richard 00:05, 5 March 2008 (UTC)

If this happens, I intend to remove my contributions, as they were written for a Smash Bros. encyclopedia, which (btw) encompasses the game, the people who play it and therefore the sporting community that the combination of those two factors makes. I imagine I'm going to have to do this anyway so the internet doesn't lose a proper repository of info about the smash community, but amidst the "competitively disconnected" players of the Wikia community, I felt it was worthwhile to have at least one comment from the opposition. It's clearer than ever that it won't make much of a difference, even coming from the guy who wrote practically half the articles in Category:Smashers. Sigh. --Randall00 21:11, 6 March 2008 (UTC)


 * For related discussion which should be linked, see SmashWiki:Pool Room, Forum:Merging problems, and User talk:Charitwo.


 * I note the wordage "never SSB Wiki's intent to document players at all". Guess what: it was SmashWiki's. This is a merge; don't turn it into a hostile takeover by saying they shouldn't be considered at all. SmashWiki's brought the content, and it obviously needs cleaning, but you need to be nice (I'm not assuming bad faith, but this annoys me that this discussion has been strewn about without links to appropriate places.). I find it strange now after being convinced by Randall that these pages have a place here that article count is being considered; it is content, whether you want it or not, and thus can not be considered misleading with regard to the page. As well, assuming Wikia users don't want to view random smasher articles is a rather convenient assumption for your argument. I could make much the same against it.


 * As for your specific instance, the in-game term should take precedence of course. Any such need for disambiguation should always default to the in-game term.


 * I cannot make a case against a separate namespace, as it does have merit. However, I would rather see something like a merge of all the lesser known into a List of smashers with a small blurb on the items in T:Smasherbeta, as well as other information such as how they've done at tournaments. Obviously, 1300 would be a great deal to merge into one list, so disambig every 3 letters of the alphabet as needed. --Sky (t | c | w) 22:07, 6 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I can't see what Randall00 is so concerned about. It's not as if the pages will be gone. However the great majority of the smasher articles I've seen do not qualify as Smasher articles at all according to the "Professionals" article "A professional gamer is one who regularly makes money off of the game and/or one who is recruited and sponsored by a notable organization, such as MLG." Now can you say that even 1/5 of those articles meet those qualifications or can be verified in any way? I can see that Randall00 is upset since you wrote many of these pages but the existence of these pages is an easy door for spammers to leave their mark permanently. Browsing through Smashers here are two examples of why I consider the article count misleading: LIBF LuisP. One is a 13 year old and another is well, LIBF. Kiddies and Crews aren't pros and ff you want me to find more examples I will. That's a real good 1300 pages, isn't it. So something must be done. Sky made a good suggestion. The point is it can't be left the way it is now so tell us what to do. Bonko24 04:37, 7 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I'd first draft up a policy (I know just what to steal from =) before starting any of this. All wikis need a strong backbone of policy to enforce decisions; that is another issue which should be settled with SmashWiki, but not right now.


 * Bonko, all smashers are listed here that have taken the time to add a page, not just of professionals. A "smasher" by definition is just somebody who plays the game, like you and me (you do play, right? :). This misunderstanding may be part of your concern =). As to 13 year olds, it's a game that all ages can play, and a lot of those at young age get good at it (they usually have a lot of time on their hands...). Of course, your point is who are these people? Which I'll respond with a rather generalized statement: Smashers. Randall does have a legit concern in that he's done a lot of work, and we don't really want to see that shoved under the table, if we can avoid it. Again, I stress the need for a policy regarding all of this, if not a guideline.


 * I think I might collate what has been said for and against in conversations prior. --Sky (t | c | w) 05:41, 7 March 2008 (UTC)


 * I guess for information's sake I should post an example of a prolific Wikia wiki that has tons of pages that are like our own Smasher articles: The Warcraft wiki. Just click this link to see that it fully gives in-game guilds of players of World of Warcraft their full article-namespace treatments, and it must not be a problem for them to have it like that. So maybe it actually doesn't matter much if we do the same by having Smasher articles in article mainspace. Erik Jensen (Appreciate me here!) 06:05, 7 March 2008 (UTC)