Talk:William, Prince of Wales/Archive 6
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"Unnecessary spaces"
Re this edit (and previous similar), some people find spaces between citation parameters as USEFUL. In fact, some editors actually go to the trouble of INSERTING them. What problem are we attempting to fix by removing them? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 09:35, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- If we insert five spaces for each citation, totaling around 400 references, it adds 2000 unnecessary characters that are not needed. Removing these would reduce the article size in a positive manner without affecting the citation or the prose. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 09:41, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Some citations even have a space each side of the parameter divider? Again this makes the citation easier to read. I suspect that, for most articles, "saving characters" is a bit of a non-problem? Even if it were a problem, it would be a task best assigned to a bot? Martinevans123 (talk) 09:47, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- If articles like these were to leave a space after each citation parameter, the article size would unnecessarily increase even before reaching its intended length. There are FAs that do not leave a space between citation parameters, and that is perfectly acceptable. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 09:54, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Typically this sort of edit is deprecated because it has no effect on the page output. See Wikipedia:Bot policy#Cosmetic changes. Note also that every revision of a page is stored separately, so each time a cosmetic edit is made, an entire page is saved. The space saving by removing one odd unimportant character is countered by having to save a copy of the entire page each time such an edit is made. The servers end up storing more not less. Celia Homeford (talk) 09:56, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Omitting unnecessary spaces after citation parameters aligns with several key Wikipedia policies and guidelines, promoting clarity, consistency, and readability in articles. The Wikipedia: Manual of Style serves as a foundational document, providing guidelines for formatting across Wikipedia articles. While it does not explicitly address spaces after citation parameters, it emphasizes the importance of clarity and consistency in formatting, principles that are compromised by the inclusion of unnecessary spaces.
- Additionally, the Wikipedia: Manual of Style/Layout offers insights into the layout of articles, aiming to enhance readability and visual appeal. Including unnecessary spaces after citation parameters can disrupt the visual flow of the text, detracting from the overall readability of the article. Consistency in formatting contributes to a more cohesive reading experience for Wikipedia readers.
- Furthermore, the Wikipedia: Manual of Style/Text formatting provides recommendations for text formatting, stressing the importance of judicious spacing to improve readability. By avoiding the inclusion of unnecessary spaces after citation parameters, editors can adhere to these guidelines, ensuring that articles remain clear, concise, and visually appealing to readers.
- In essence, the omission of unnecessary spaces after citation parameters is consistent with Wikipedia's broader principles of clarity, consistency, and readability. By adhering to these guidelines, editors can maintain high-quality formatting standards across articles, contributing to a more cohesive and enjoyable reading experience for Wikipedia readers. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 10:04, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- I wholly take issue with the notion that removing spaces "promotes clarity or readability". Martinevans123 (talk) 10:09, 30 April 2024 (UTC) p.s. and I'm a bit unconvinced about any benefits for "cohesive and enjoyable reading experience for Wikipedia readers", as it's all invisible to the reader!
- What is the "intended length" of this article? Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:07, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Elizabeth II's FA-class article is 197,909 bytes in size, Prince Philip's is 161,159 bytes, while father Charles III's is 247,426 bytes long. William's is of comparable length, despite being only 42 and yet to ascend to the throne. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 10:14, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- So any space-removing activity might be better directed at those articles currently marked as "too big"? Even then, I suspect, much more radical action would probably be required e.g. splitting off material into new stand-alone articles. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:31, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Agreed. We can revisit the topic of trimming down another time. For now, the article is fine as it stands. Additionally, when I remove spaces, I do so in bulk rather than individually, as I did when I was a new user. Regards and have a great day ahead. MSincccc (talk) 10:37, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- So any space-removing activity might be better directed at those articles currently marked as "too big"? Even then, I suspect, much more radical action would probably be required e.g. splitting off material into new stand-alone articles. Martinevans123 (talk) 10:31, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Elizabeth II's FA-class article is 197,909 bytes in size, Prince Philip's is 161,159 bytes, while father Charles III's is 247,426 bytes long. William's is of comparable length, despite being only 42 and yet to ascend to the throne. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 10:14, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Typically this sort of edit is deprecated because it has no effect on the page output. See Wikipedia:Bot policy#Cosmetic changes. Note also that every revision of a page is stored separately, so each time a cosmetic edit is made, an entire page is saved. The space saving by removing one odd unimportant character is countered by having to save a copy of the entire page each time such an edit is made. The servers end up storing more not less. Celia Homeford (talk) 09:56, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- If articles like these were to leave a space after each citation parameter, the article size would unnecessarily increase even before reaching its intended length. There are FAs that do not leave a space between citation parameters, and that is perfectly acceptable. Regards. MSincccc (talk) 09:54, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
- Some citations even have a space each side of the parameter divider? Again this makes the citation easier to read. I suspect that, for most articles, "saving characters" is a bit of a non-problem? Even if it were a problem, it would be a task best assigned to a bot? Martinevans123 (talk) 09:47, 30 April 2024 (UTC)
Coats of arms and copyright
A discussion is going on at the Commons concerning the copyright status of several coats of arms that are in use on pages related to British royalty. Please feel free to share your comments and input at commons:Commons:Deletion requests/Coat of arms of Queen Camilla.svg. Thanks. Keivan.fTalk 18:30, 4 May 2024 (UTC)
How long was William's service in the Blues and Royals? The article just says he started in December 2006. Thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:17, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
- @Martinevans123 I'm currently looking for a citation. Once I've found it, I'll add it. Please refrain from re-inserting the tag you previously added, as I'll likely include the information in the article soon. Regards MSincccc (talk) 15:21, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
- Thanks. I will also refrain from putting a tag in the infobox. Regards. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:48, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
- 2006–2008 (1, 2). Keivan.fTalk 20:51, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
- Thanks. I will also refrain from putting a tag in the infobox. Regards. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:48, 13 May 2024 (UTC)
Master of Arts degree
How many people know that a Master of Arts degree from the University of St Andrews isn't actually a Master of Arts degree? It is not a postgraduate degree, it is actually the name they give their Bachelor of Arts degree for historic reasons. Therefore, stating He earned a Master of Arts degree in geography at the University of St Andrews
, is misleading as it suggests he has an actual post-graduate level master's degree. I suggest one of two changes to reflect this reality:
- He earned an undergraduate Master of Arts degree in geography at the University of St Andrews
- He earned an undergraduate degree in geography at the University of St Andrews
I added the first of these but this was reverted for being "Not an improvement". Any comments? Gaia Octavia Agrippa Talk 11:35, 5 June 2024 (UTC)
- I agree with the reverting editor, the distinction is not important enough for the lead of this article. Master of Arts (Scotland) is linked in the lead, and the wording in the Education section does clarify that this is an undergraduate degree. Rosbif73 (talk) 11:59, 5 June 2024 (UTC)