Talk:Boston Harbor Islands

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[edit] Circularity

Actually, this WP entry is a bit circular. There ostensibly is no disamibiguation. All articles point to the same Boston Harbor Islands. Something ought to be done about this. There really is no disambiguation to be had. And this talk page should stay right here since this really is an article page with content, albeit ostensible disambiguation. --- (Bob) Wikiklrsc 16:57, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi Bob. Not quite sure I understand what you are saying here. Let me explain why I made this into a dab page (it was previously a redir pointing at Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area).

We currently have three articles which contain lists of islands in Boston Harbor, these being the three referenced on the dab page. I've pondered whether this is correct or not, but I think it is because the lists are subtly different; not all islands in Boston Harbor are in the NRA; not all the units of the NRA are really islands; and the State Park is a much smaller subset.

But having those three different lists makes it problematical pointing this page at any one of them. So I decided to make it a dab page. I did contemplate making this page into a substantive article, but I came to the conclusion that a fourth list was overkill. However if there is something to write about the islands as a group, as distinct from about individual islands or the islands as an NRA or State Park, then I've no problem with this becoming a substantive article. -- Chris j wood 19:17, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi Chris. Thanks for your reply and thoughts. I understand what you are saying. It does seem muddled to me, having three articles which essentially are about the same thing, in essence, and having a disambiguation page for them. Also, most people in Boston, when one says "Boston Harbor Islands" they think of the set of islands you describe, although subtle differences seem to exist in official groupings. I am unsure what to do. If someone looks up the common "Boston Harbor Islands" what are they seeing in Wikipedia ? A somewhat confusing disambiguation page or a nice article on the Boston Harbor Islands ?! There are also many books entitled "Boston Harbor Islands" or "The Islands of Boston Harbor" variously (Edward Rowe Snow) or even "Boston's Harbor Islands" (Anthony Sammarco). Unsure what to do. Could recombine again. Or just leave it as it is, full stop ! Bests. --- (Bob) Wikiklrsc 21:55, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

Hum. I suspect this is one of those issues where there isn't a really good answer. I think we were fated to end up here ever since Rob Maguire renamed the old Boston Harbor Islands article to Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. By giving a more specific title, he orphaned all the non-NRA stuff and we really don't know how to get it back into line again. Perhaps we should point BHI back to BHINRA, I don't know. If you want to, go ahead. -- Chris j wood

Hi Chris. Thanks again for your kind reply and thoughts. I don't know either. Cogitation may be the answer. I'll bounce it off a few people. Any further thoughts would be appreciated. Yes, the trouble seems to have started when the article was moved. I just left a comment on Rob Maguire's talk page. So far no response. Bests. --- (Bob) Wikiklrsc 15:05, 21 October 2006 (UTC) (talk)