Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Guild of Copy Editors/Blitzes/April 2014

3.16 List of National Trust properties in Somerset

I've accepted the request to copy edit "List of National Trust properties in Somerset".

As the first step, I think that the table in the " Properties" section should be reformatted because the "Description" column really destroys the appearance of this section.

Possibility #1

I have in mind something like an episode list (see an example here).

Problem: The person who submitted the copy edit request would probably like to keep the sortable columns. Is it possible to have an episode list with sortable fields? If yes, would you please refer me to an article that implements it successfully?

Possibility #2

Create a new, second table that contains the text from the "Description" field of each entry in the original table. Replace the text in the original table with a link to the appropriate entry in the new table.

Problem: I don't recall ever seeing this format in a Wiki article. If it exists, would you please refer me to an article that implements it successfully?

Possibility #3

A recommendation from you about the best way to reformat the "Properties" table.

LukasMatt (talk) 09:39, 15 April 2014 (UTC)

This format is very common for National Register of Historic Places lists in the U.S. See, for example, National Register of Historic Places listings in Center_City, Philadelphia, or National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Indiana, or National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Ohio.

The description field in the Somerset properties table is longer than is typically used in NRHP tables. Since each property has its own article, I would consider reducing the Description box to a minimum, highlighting the key distinctions of the property. Barrington Court, for example, could become "A Tudor manor house completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular 17th century stable court. The first house acquired by the National Trust, in 1907."

I would definitely start a discussion on the Talk page before making such drastic changes, however. That's not copy editing, that's rewriting. – Jonesey95 (talk) 16:21, 15 April 2014 (UTC)

Jonesey95, thanks for your guidance. After discussion with Rod ^talk, who submitted the original copy edit request, I have decided to mark this request as "Done" on the Requests page.

I looked at the "National Register of Historic Places listings" articles that you recommended, and I looked at the "sub lists of Grade I listed buildings in Somerset" that Rodw recommended. They are all beautifully formatted.

Then, I came to the disconcerting thought that the copy edit request wants a "featured article" produced via the labor of a copy editor. :-( Fixing this article requires even more than drastic format and rewriting changes--it would entail extensive research in the National heritage list for England on the English Heritage website.

Therefore, I gave my final recommendation to Rodw, which you can read in the section "Copy Edit Request" of Talk:List of National Trust properties in Somerset.

--LukasMatt (talk) 03:43, 18 April 2014 (UTC)

Last call

This blitz is closed! Nice work, everyone. Please update your stats in the next 12 hours, if possible. We'll give out barnstars and send out a summary in the next day or two. – Jonesey95 (talk) 00:02, 20 April 2014 (UTC)