Talk:Parts per Billion

Requested move 16 July 2019

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: not moved - exceptions may exist to MOS:TITLECAPS in certain circumstances, but that argument hasn't been made here. (closed by non-admin page mover) Steven Crossin ^{Help resolve disputes!} 16:13, 24 July 2019 (UTC)

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Parts per Billion → Parts Per Billion – The correct title for the film capitalizes "Per", as reflected in the film's sources. Bluerules (talk) 12:34, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

This is a contested technical request (permalink). Steel1943 (talk) 20:16, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

@Bluerules: Ping proposer. Steel1943 (talk) 20:17, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

• Oppose per MOS:TITLECAPS since "per" is a preposition of less than five letters in length. Steel1943 (talk) 20:16, 16 July 2019 (UTC)
• Oppose per MOS:TITLECAPS. The capitalization of titles in Wikipedia is governed by Wikipedia's style guide, not external sources. Darkday (talk) 22:40, 16 July 2019 (UTC)

Since MOS:TITLECAPS does not provide any exceptions for prepositions of less than five letters in length, I wish to withdraw my proposal. While I maintain that the external sources are evidence of the correct title being "Parts Per Billion" and "Parts per Billion" is inaccurate, I recognize that the guidelines dictate that such prepositions must always be lowercased. I will not further pursue this proposal unless there is a change in the guidelines and I will change the lead to reflect the current title. Bluerules (talk) 00:54, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

It may not provide for exceptions, but exceptions have been made in the past. The one that I am aware of off the top of my head is Star Trek Into Darkness. Rreagan007 (talk) 02:16, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

That is correct, but as stated on MOS:TITLES, an exception was made for Star Trek Into Darkness because "it was determined that the title is a play on words, with 'Into' serving simultaneously as the start of a subtitle and as a mid-title preposition". In this case, "Per" is clearly a preposition that's less than five letters and isn't anything else, which the guidelines make no exceptions for.

If the guidelines allowed prepositions less than five letters when "a significant majority of current, reliable sources that are independent of the subject consistently capitalize" them, then a case could be made for making an exception with this article. But the guidelines only make that exception for "a word that is frequently not a preposition", which definitely is not the case with "Per". As noted above, the exception was made with Star Trek Into Darkness because "Into" was determined to be more than a preposition. So unless the guidelines are changed to make sources alone a justifiable reason to capitalize prepositions four letters or shorter, I recognize that an exception cannot be made for this article. Bluerules (talk) 06:00, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

It does provide for exceptions, right at the beginning. Just like every guideline, "it is best treated with common sense, and occasional exceptions may apply." Guidelines are just guidelines. They suggest, never dictate. Station1 (talk) 17:57, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

The problem facing my proposal, however, is that unless I'm mistaken, there are no specific exceptions that allow for prepositions four letters or less to be capitalized. As seen above, the opposition to the move stems from MOS:TITLES. My support for the move is because the significant majority of current, reliable sources capitalize "Per" and are therefore evidence of "Parts Per Billion" being the correct title. But it does not appear that this is enough to make an exception, unless there is a change in the guidelines. Bluerules (talk) 21:15, 17 July 2019 (UTC)

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The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.