Brighter Shores:Stubs
Stubs are Brighter Shores Wiki articles that have insufficient information. Stubs are generally one paragraph or less which give little or no information. However, this does not mean the stub is not a legitimate article; it just needs to be expanded.
Information
When creating or editing a stub, its goal is to become a full, informative article. However, some articles may not require much information, though they still must cover as much space.
Don't assume that additions and improvements will immediately pour in of themselves. The best way to draw the attention of others into contributing a stub is by editing it yourself. Even if you do a small edit it will appear on the recent changes page, where many seasoned users love to follow the action, and jump in where there's work being done.
What is a stub?
A stub is an article which does not cover all information available about the topic. However, just because an article is short, it does not mean it is a stub. Articles may be very short; however this is unavoidable when there simply is no more information to be added. This is true for many of the one-use quest items, characters which are only mentioned by name, and often for unreleased content. However while a short article is fine for a relatively unimportant subject, if an article on a prominent item or character were a few paragraphs long, it would still be considered a stub given the wealth of information available and the relative importance of the topic. As such an article's status as a stub is independent from length and other quantifiable data.
There are some guidelines to recognize stubs. An article might not be not a stub if:
- Its infobox, if applicable, is completely filled out,
- It has at least one image apart from an inventory icon if it is possible for such an image to be obtained,
- It gives information about the location where the topic is encountered, if applicable,
- It gives information about any other items, locations, or NPCs relating to or interacting with the topic, if applicable,
- It gives information about any quests or activities relating to the topic, if applicable.
Naming a stub
When you've created or found a small article, simply edit the page and add the {{stub}} template. When you've completed this and saved the page, the article will then include this box:
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This <page type> is a stub. A stub is an article which does not cover all information available about the topic. You can help by expanding it.
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This will show that the article is a stub. When people view the page, they will see this and hopefully try to expand it.
Editing a stub
When editing a stub, there are a few things you should remember.
- Follow the standards of correct English. Write in full, clear sentences.
- Give a clear, precise definition or description of your topic.
- Avoid fallacies of definition. For articles about non-concepts (e.g., about kingdoms and cities), definitions are impossible, so begin with a clear, helpful, informative description of the subject. State what cities are in the kingdom, what it is known for, basic details of popular places, etc. A good definition or description may encourage potential contributors by suggesting the limits of the article, indirectly summarising what needs to be done. For example, Salvador Allende was the President of Chile from 1970 until 1973 would be a good description.
- Make sure any relevant linkable words have been linked.
- Submit the article with a Summary Comment that will attract the attention of others to your stub. If nothing else, copy and paste the stub itself into the Summary field when you save your article.
- Feel some responsibility for your stub article. There is a fine line between helping by outlining what needs to be done, and being annoying by not doing anything yourself. If nobody contributes to your stub for a few weeks, roll up your sleeves and expand it yourself. Take the fact that nobody has contributed as a hint that your stub might not have been that great, and if nothing else, try to make it a better stub.
Admittedly, these guidelines are in some sense irrelevant because no matter what you do, someone will probably fix the article for you. That's the beauty of a wiki! But if you want to contribute something positive, and you cannot write the whole article yourself, then at least let your contribution be an invitation to participation.