NOTICE: This is a work in progress! Don't you dare edit or even READ it until I'm done with it! I'm going to post it in the Style Manual Discussion when I'm done.
WP Style Guide Comments
editI'm working on my first WP article, so I reviewed the manual for assistance and of course have some opinions hahaha. (If you know me you will NOT be surprised).
Manual Title
editWhy is it Manual of Style and not Style Manual or Style Guide? (Guide of Style hahahahahaha.)
Is this to stay in line with titles of manuals that were written 100 years ago? Or is it a European English convention? (Many of my European co-workers use a lot of passive voice in their English writing, even though I don't notice it when speaking to them.) Either way, I prefer concise, active-voice language, and that goes for document titles too. See my examples:
| Wordy Title | Concise Title |
|---|---|
| Book of Recipes | Recipe Book |
| Guide of Reference | Reference Guide |
| Manual for Users | User Manual |
| Guide of Reference | Reference Guide |
| Dictionary of Terms | Glossary |
References
editHelp! Where is info on how to handle References??? Specifically I mean the following:
- How to present the reference itself in the References section, e.g., what information could/should be provided and how (examples?), and use of italics.
- How to refer to a reference that has no web presence, i.e., hot link. For example, if I want to quote from a book that's already listed as a reference, how do I footnote it?
Quotations from Other Sources
edit"In a direct quotation, use the original text, even if the originator does not conform with the above guidelines."
Suggest Explain use of [sic] to avoid changing original text while indicating that you know better.
Tables
editVery inconsistent use of the term "cells" when meaning "columns." A cell is the intersection of a column and a row. A column consists of 1-n cells, as does a row.
Wikilinks
editRe redundancy issue, suggest provide explicit guidance similar to that for acronyms, e.g., "If your article is about Chevrolet, wikilink only the first reference to General Motors.
Heading Capitalization
edit"Capitalize the first letter only of the first word and of any proper nouns in a heading, and leave all of the other letters in lowercase. Use Rules and regulations, not Rules and Regulations."
"Rules and Regulations" is Title Case aka Init Cap. "Rules and Regulations" is Sentence Case.
WP is saying headings should be done in Sentence Case. I strongly disagree. Headings ARE [sub]titles, ergo Title Case should be used. Regardless of the decision, it should be explained explicitly and clearly.