Sinkhole: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (revise quote template spacing)
mNo edit summary
 
(9 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Useful Notes}}

A [[Pothole]] uses 'hidden' links, phrases linked to pages whose actual titles may not appear in the text. This is okay when done correctly, allowing links to relevant articles without disrupting the narrative flow.
A [[Pothole]] uses 'hidden' links, phrases linked to pages whose actual titles may not appear in the text. This is okay when done correctly, allowing links to relevant articles without disrupting the narrative flow.


[[Self-Demonstrating Article|Sinkhole]]s occur when potholing goes wrong, featuring links that are irrelevant, inappropriate, or both. In a wiki, it's better to pot hole words which ''represent'' the article they are linked to. Here are some bad sinkhole practices:
[[Self-Demonstrating Article|Sinkhole]]s occur when potholing goes wrong, featuring links that are irrelevant, inappropriate, or both. In a wiki, it's better to pothole words which ''represent'' the article they are linked to. Here are some bad sinkhole practices:


'''Misleading links:''' Consider [[Mark Hamill]], who both portrayed Luke Skywalker in ''[[Star Wars]]'' and voiced [[The Joker]] in the [[DCAU]]. In an example about ''[[Star Wars]]'', potholing Mark Hamill's name to [[The Joker]] like this:
'''Misleading links:''' Consider [[Mark Hamill]], who both portrayed Luke Skywalker in ''[[Star Wars]]'' and voiced [[The Joker]] in the [[DCAU]]. In an example about ''[[Star Wars]]'', potholing Mark Hamill's name to [[The Joker]] like this:
Line 8: Line 8:
{{quote|In ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[The Joker|Mark Hamill]] is...}}
{{quote|In ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[The Joker|Mark Hamill]] is...}}


... creates a sinkhole -- the fact that he voiced [[The Joker]] is completely irrelevant to his role in ''[[Star Wars]]''. (More importantly, he has a page, so potholing his name to another page gets odd.) The reader has to maneuver around the sinkhole to avoid being knocked off track. It adds nothing to the wiki except the likelihood of confusion. Such sinkholes should be excised with extreme prejudice, with [[Role Association|one exception]].
... creates a sinkhole—the fact that he voiced [[The Joker]] is completely irrelevant to his role in ''[[Star Wars]]''. (More importantly, he has a page, so potholing his name to another page gets odd.) The reader has to maneuver around the sinkhole to avoid being knocked off track. It adds nothing to the wiki except the likelihood of confusion. Such sinkholes should be excised with extreme prejudice, with [[Role Association|one exception]].


'''Chained sinkholes''' are particularly annoying: these are when pot holes are chained with sinkhole characteristics. There's only one sentence, but many pages linked to. Instead of proper structuring, careless editors divide the sentence to equal parts and link each part to the articles. That way we'll get mess that turns nearly the entire sentence blue like this:
'''Chained sinkholes''' are particularly annoying: these are when pot holes are chained with sinkhole characteristics. There's only one sentence, but many pages linked to. Instead of proper structuring, careless editors divide the sentence to equal parts and link each part to the articles. That way we'll get mess that turns nearly the entire sentence green, like this:


{{quote|And then Alice proceeded to [[Mama Bear|violently gut the]] [[Beware the Nice Ones|fish monster]] [[Blood Is the New Black|with a giant]] [[Knife Nut|kitchen knife]].}}
{{quote|And then Alice proceeded to [[Mama Bear|violently gut the]] [[Beware the Nice Ones|fish monster]] [[Blood Is the New Black|with a giant]] [[Knife Nut|kitchen knife]].}}


The reader has no clue there are multiple links there. If they ''do'' discover all the links, it is a pain following all the links. Don't do this, please. It's an [http://blogaccessibility.com/sin-2-of-inaccessible-blogs-using-consecutive-one-worded-links/ accessibility sin].
The reader has no clue there are multiple links there. If they ''do'' discover all the links, it is a pain following all the links. Don't do this, please. It's an [http://blogaccessibility.com/sin-2-of-inaccessible-blogs-using-consecutive-one-worded-links/ accessibility sin]. And it's even worse when every letter is potholed to something different.


⚫
'''[[All Blue Entry]] Attempts:''' Even worse is an attempt to create an [[All Blue Entry]] or All Green Entry under the idea that it's witty or novel. It's not. (The fact that this has a name shows that it isn't novel.) Gratuitous sinkholes should be removed from such examples.
⚫
'''Covert Opinions:''' Too many times sinkholes are used to bury a subjective trope in an example or description. These are bad. If you see one of these, remove the unnecessary links and/or restructure the necessary ones.


⚫
'''Covert Opinions:''' Too many times sinkholes are used to bury a subjective trope, Audience Reaction or something mistaken for one (e.g. [[Flat What]]) in an example or description. These are bad, so if you see one of these, remove the unnecessary links and/or restructure the necessary ones.
⚫
'''[[All Blue Entry]] Attempts:''' An attempt to create an [[All Blue Entry]] under the pretense that it's witty or novel. This is not the case. Gratuitous sinkholes should be removed from such examples.


'''Linking a Common Phrase to a Trope of the Same Name:''' For example, linking a statement that someone "got better" in some way, shape or form to the trope [[I Got Better]]. That is part of why the trope was renamed to [[Unexplained Recovery]].
'''Linking a Common Phrase to a Trope of the Same Name:''' For example, linking a statement that someone "got better" in some way, shape or form to the trope [[I Got Better]]; that is part of why the trope was renamed to [[Unexplained Recovery]].

'''Linking a pun to [[Pun]], [[Incredibly Lame Pun]] or [[A Worldwide Punomenon]]:''' We have a trope for this: [[Don't Explain the Joke]]. Don't lampshade it, either.


See Also: [[Weblinks Are Not Examples]], for more on how to avoid using links irresponsibly.
See Also: [[Weblinks Are Not Examples]], for more on how to avoid using links irresponsibly.


{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Wiki Tropes]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Administrivia]]
[[Category:Administrivia]]
[[Category:Sinkhole]]
[[Category:Wiki Tropes]]

Latest revision as of 09:09, 21 December 2022


  • Main
  • Laconic
  • Wikipedia
  • All Subpages
  • Create New
    /wiki/Sinkholework

    A Pothole uses 'hidden' links, phrases linked to pages whose actual titles may not appear in the text. This is okay when done correctly, allowing links to relevant articles without disrupting the narrative flow.

    Sinkholes occur when potholing goes wrong, featuring links that are irrelevant, inappropriate, or both. In a wiki, it's better to pothole words which represent the article they are linked to. Here are some bad sinkhole practices:

    Misleading links: Consider Mark Hamill, who both portrayed Luke Skywalker in Star Wars and voiced The Joker in the DCAU. In an example about Star Wars, potholing Mark Hamill's name to The Joker like this:

    In Star Wars Mark Hamill is...

    ... creates a sinkhole—the fact that he voiced The Joker is completely irrelevant to his role in Star Wars. (More importantly, he has a page, so potholing his name to another page gets odd.) The reader has to maneuver around the sinkhole to avoid being knocked off track. It adds nothing to the wiki except the likelihood of confusion. Such sinkholes should be excised with extreme prejudice, with one exception.

    Chained sinkholes are particularly annoying: these are when pot holes are chained with sinkhole characteristics. There's only one sentence, but many pages linked to. Instead of proper structuring, careless editors divide the sentence to equal parts and link each part to the articles. That way we'll get mess that turns nearly the entire sentence green, like this:

    And then Alice proceeded to violently gut the fish monster with a giant kitchen knife.

    The reader has no clue there are multiple links there. If they do discover all the links, it is a pain following all the links. Don't do this, please. It's an accessibility sin. And it's even worse when every letter is potholed to something different.

    All Blue Entry Attempts: Even worse is an attempt to create an All Blue Entry or All Green Entry under the idea that it's witty or novel. It's not. (The fact that this has a name shows that it isn't novel.) Gratuitous sinkholes should be removed from such examples.

    Covert Opinions: Too many times sinkholes are used to bury a subjective trope, Audience Reaction or something mistaken for one (e.g. Flat What) in an example or description. These are bad, so if you see one of these, remove the unnecessary links and/or restructure the necessary ones.

    Linking a Common Phrase to a Trope of the Same Name: For example, linking a statement that someone "got better" in some way, shape or form to the trope I Got Better; that is part of why the trope was renamed to Unexplained Recovery.

    Linking a pun to Pun, Incredibly Lame Pun or A Worldwide Punomenon: We have a trope for this: Don't Explain the Joke. Don't lampshade it, either.

    See Also: Weblinks Are Not Examples, for more on how to avoid using links irresponsibly.

    Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Sinkhole?oldid=1994784"