Wikipedia talk:Don't overuse flags

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Contents 1 WP:NOT 2 Agreement 3 More examples 4 Fair use image 5 Good idea 6 When flags are useful 7 What infoboxes should look like:

[edit] WP:NOT

Thanks for that piece of work, it probably should be attached to the WP:NOT as a guideline. Lincher 23:19, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

Eh...I don't feel like it's a really big problem.UberCryxic 01:43, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

The flag thing doesn't really offend me. It may, in the opinion of some, add visual appeal to the articles. Aesthetics is something many wikipedia articles lack. I am not pro-flag, or anti-flag. I am official neutral, but I am not sure that the problem is as big as the essay writer makes it out to be. We have bigger fish to fry here at wikipedia. If we ever get to the point where this becomes the biggest problem we face, we will have a VERY successful encyclopedia. --Jayron32 03:19, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

As per Jayron, there are a lot bigger fish to fry. The flags look pretty innocuous to me. SuperGirl 08:22, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

Flags may be innocuous because they're public domain, but this in general creeps into a problematic area: purely decorative use of images, which is a legal issue when you're talking about copyrighted images not under free licenses (fair use). Almost without exception, images in an encyclopedia should be informational. Flag icons can be used in this context (see New Jersey Devils#Current roster), but sticking the icon of a flag next to a country's name in most contexts is just pointless. – flamurai (t) 11:54, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I'm sure everyone agrees that no one should overuse flags, so maybe this could be better off merged into Wikipedia:Manual of Style, maybe under 'Images'? Otherwise forking everything, will make it harder for people to get to know guidelines, when there are so many seperate pages. By the way, I'm aware this is an essay, but it sounds like a reasonable minor guideline. - Tutmosis 21:07, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

This is really too specific to be a guideline, but I would support a guideline such as "avoid purely decorative use of images". – flamurai (t) 23:25, 5 November 2006 (UTC)

I proposed this at Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style#Guideline proposal: Avoid purely decorative images if you're interested. – flamurai (t) 01:23, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

it is useful for scanning the article for infomation regarding a specific nation or nationality, e.g. with the Nobel Prize winners it is easy to single out those of specific nations

[edit] Agreement

I agree that flags are very over-used and should be avoided unless there's a good reason to need them. Tuf-Kat 02:03, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] More examples

• With flags; without flags. – flamurai (t) 17:30, 6 November 2006 (UTC)
  • I, for one, think the flagless version is much more pleasing to the eye. The flags version seems cluttered and busy. KrakatoaKatie 10:28, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
    • I partly disagree. I think the flags under 'International reaction to sentence' are a small aid to navigation if one is looking quickly for the response from one particular country. However, I would agree that the Iraqi flag before the header 'Local reaction to section' is unnecessary. Unfortunately, what is 'pleasing to the eye' is a subjective thing and hard to make rules about. Fimbriated 16:59, 15 November 2006 (UTC)
    • I strongly disagree. The version w/o the flags is almost unreadable, no easy orientation (therefore the blank lines had to be included. --213.155.224.232 12:58, 29 November 2006 (UTC)
    • Calling the version without the flags "almost unreadable" is rediculous. It's just as readable as the other version. Actually I think it's more readable with the extra lines added as well. The flagless version is certainly easier on the eyes. Kaldari 15:15, 29 November 2006 (UTC)
      • 'Easier on the eyes' is a subjective thing and hard to make rules about. Fimbriated 02:47, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use image

I've removed the image of the Olympic flag, as it was a violation of Wikipedia's fair use policy. Please remember that fair use images can only be used in the article main spaces (the main page though is an exception).--TBCΦtalk? 04:54, 7 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Good idea

I believe this should be added to the manual of style. >Radiant< 09:38, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] When flags are useful

I agree with the basic idea of this essay, but it would be good to add something about when flags are useful. I find them useful in very long lists of countries, when sometimes the flag of the country one is looking for may 'leap out' more obviously than the name itself. Does anyone agree? Fimbriated 15:01, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

• Feel free to add such a section. It depends on the list, sometimes it's 'overflagged'. (Radiant) 16:00, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What infoboxes should look like:

Milton Friedman

Milton Friedman
Born	July 31, 1912 Brooklyn, New York City
Died	November 16, 2006 San Francisco, California
Residence	USA
Nationality	American
Field	Economics
Institution	Hoover Institution (1977-2006) Univ. of Chicago (1946-1976)
Alma Mater	Rutgers University
Academic Advisor	Simon Kuznets
Notable Students	Gary Becker Tom Campbell Thomas Sowell
Known for	Monetarism Permanent income hypothesis Critique of Phillips curve
Notable Prizes	John Bates Clark Medal (1951) Nobel Prize in Economics (1976) Presidential Medal of Freedom (1988)

Ain't it beautiful? I wish the Brooklyn flag was on WP... – flamurai (t) 09:50, 19 November 2006 (UTC)

I suppose you should also have the coat of arms for their ancestors, a picture of the university logos, and miniature pictures of the several awards and medals. —Centrx→talk • 22:43, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Wow, that is just flag overload. It's unnecessary. Especially because the vast majority of the flags are unrecognizable to the average person. Better to just reduce the clutter and stick with words. --Cyde Weys 02:41, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I believe this infobox is a joke. And I believe that is the point the joker is making... Fimbriated 02:46, 11 December 2006 (UTC)