Portal talk:Ancient Germanic culture
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[edit] 
References
[edit] Notice
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- It is obvious that this portal needs a lot of attention. When I found it, a good deal of the code did not work properly, the Selected article and Selected picture slots only had one entry each, the Introduction was a collection of random observations, the categorization was insufficient, and the look of the page as a whole was rather sad. I’ve put a few hours into it, but it is far from 'good'. People with more skill and experience are welcome to help out.
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- In order to improve the quality of the portal in terms of content, however, general improvements regarding the articles which could theoretically fall under this heading need a good deal of work. I’m not sure if there are currently any featured articles which could be included on this portal. (Franks was reviewed some time back, selected, and then demoted.) If there are, please note them below. Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
Below you will find sections for each of the main portal headings. Please direct comments, suggestions and future discussion to the appropriate section.
[edit] Introduction
- Clean up and correct the text where possible.
- Find a more appropriate image for the Introduction module. It would be nice to have at least three suggestions from three different editors before voting and selecting.
- I changed the image to one with a transparent background. A more appropriate one is still on demand... Aryaman (☼) 22:06, 24 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Selected Articles
- Find better – or help improve existing – articles for this module. We should be aiming for at least 3 featured articles. If we can’t fill that quota, then the entire portal needs to be reconsidered.
- A resevoir of ca. 30 articles is recommended. Please help identify usable candidates.
- Make sure additions are formatted uniformly. Also, check the purge code when new articles are added to make sure that the max number matches the number available on the source page.
[edit] Selected Pictures
- Find better pictures for this module.
- Make sure additions are formatted uniformly. Also, check the purge code when new pictures are added to make sure that the max number matches the number available on the source page.
[edit] Categories
- Someone with sufficient experience needs to look over and maintain the category list.
[edit] Did you know…
- This needs to be updated on a regular basis with interesting facts. If you know one, feel free to plug it in.
[edit] Things you can do
The editors over at Portal:British Empire have found a good use for this module: it serves as a kind of mini-project task list. I would prefer something like that over having a to-do list related to this portal. Second opinions are welcome. Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Related Wikibooks
Is this section even warranted? I don’t see any actual information behind the links given… Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Ancient Germanic languages
In my opinion, this list should be limited to ‘ancient’ Germanic languages. I would like to get some other opinions, though. Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
- This change has been made. Additions/corrections are welcome. Aryaman (☼) 21:13, 23 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Related portals
This section has been added (see below). Suggestions for further inclusions are welcome. Aryaman (☼) 23:59, 27 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Associated Wikimedia
This section does not appear to be warranted. I would delete it for the time being, but second opinions are desired. Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Suggestions for new modules
If you have any ideas or suggestions for new modules on the portal, please note them below.
[edit] 
Selected artifact
Given the number of decent articles on artifacts related to the ancient Germanic peoples, one would think that it could support a module capable of being changed out on at least a monthly basis. Second opinions? Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Wikiprojects
Are there any projects which could be listed on this portal? If so, please list them below for review and possible inclusion in a Wikiprojects module.
- Wikipedia:WikiProject Norse history and culture || Aryaman (☼) 22:07, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Related portals (added)
I think the Portal:Roman Empire would be warranted at the very least. I’m sure others can think of more possibilities. Aryaman (☼) 01:21, 7 March 2008 (UTC)
- I've added the module and a few appropriate links. It still needs to have a table, though... Aryaman (☼) 13:51, 24 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Should there be a TaskForce or WikiProject?
There is a Wikipedia:WikiProject Norse history and culture, and Wikipedia:WikiProject History of Scandinavia, but I'm not sure if that's what you're talking about. It would help to know precisely what the intended scope of the portal is, as "Ancient Germanic" isn't really clearly defined. John Carter (talk) 21:23, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- Hi, John Carter. Unfortunately I didn't pick the title of the portal (I would have gone with something like Germanic Studies, which is a real academic field of study); I am just doing the best I can with what was here to begin with. I have tried to give some kind of scope in the portal introduction, and my idea of it corresponds roughly to that of Germanic Studies as offered at several universities but with a strong leaning towards the ancients (ca. 700 BC - 700 AD): it is interdisciplinary and covers the fields of linguistics, history, archeology, comparative mythology and religion. I would like to try and keep ethnology out of the picture, but it is bound to come up as well. With that being said, I am open to suggestions for changes or even for a whole new proposal. Aryaman (☼) 21:38, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- If you're thinking something along the line of "German history", emphasizing "ancient", there certainly is at least potential for a German history work group of WikiProject European history. Most of what you mentioned would reasonably fall within that scope. I could probably propose such a group at the European history WikiProject and see if there is sufficient interest. It will also be listed at Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals, so, if you'd be interested in working on the articles as well, you might want to add your name there. John Carter (talk) 21:43, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- Well, the idea was to group together things that fall, not only under ancient "German" history, but also under English, Dutch, Swiss, Norse and Gothic. At least, that's how I interpreted the intent behind this portal when I found it; my suggestion regarding a taskforce was also conceived in roughly the same terms. But, yes, until something more "central" comes up, I will be adding to articles currently under all those and more categories. Aryaman (☼) 21:52, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- Perhaps something like "Ancient Culture of the Germanic Peoples" or, better yet, simply "Portal: Ancient Germanic peoples" would be more appropriate? We could always move it. I think it's very important to note that "Germanic" does not mean what we now know in English as "Germany" but the ancient Germanic Peoples - This is something many English users tend to be confused about. :bloodofox: (talk) 22:17, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- One thing we should always try to do is create a project in such a way that it isn't going to be deleted or merged later, potentially altering things in the process. Unfortunately, I get the impression personally that this portal is really not going to be one which will easily translate into a successfully delineated WikiProject, given that the scope doesn't relate to a subject which can be clearly delineated in a few words. If the name of the portal were to be adjusted, that might help a little, but it's hard to know how much. Also, there is the matter of excessive multiplication of projects. I'm not saying this would be redundant to other projects, but there are a lot of projects of basically related scope. Does anyone here have a clear idea of what "peoples" were present in Europe at the time in question? Maybe, just maybe, it might be possible to create a few subprojects of European history which would be able to deal with the largest groups of this era separately. Certainly, there would be cause for groups specializing in "history by era", but clear guidelines of what is meant to be included here would be really useful, particularly if there's any intention of creating multiple subprojects relevant to that era. John Carter (talk) 00:05, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
- Maybe I should have listed a few pages as background material:
- Taken as a whole, these articles give a good idea of the specific group under discussion. The outstanding common characteristic, of course, is the language, the daughter dialects of which are derived from Proto-Germanic. Right now, we have a WikiProject on Norse History and Culture. In linguistic terms, this is focused primarily upon the North Germanic branch of the Germanic group (though they can certainly incorporate any articles with a connection to the Viking Era). The East and West Germanic branches (and all of their articles) remain either part of some tangent Wikiprojects (linguistics, history, archeology, etc.) or fall outside of the scope of any WikiProject. I found this portal to be a good idea because it creates the opportunity to group together all the articles related to the Ancient Germanic peoples and view them as a whole. In essence, the idea of creating a WikiProject based on Ancient Germanic history and culture is not all that different from one on Wikipedia:WikiProject Celts, for example (which has been able to assume parenthood (-ship?) of a number of rather well-established WikiProjects). I would draw the cut-off line at the Early Middle Ages, when the fragmentation of Ancient Germanic culture led to the emergence of historical Northern European nations. But, as is clear, this is my first attempt at setting up either a portal or proposing a project, so maybe I'm missing some fundamental criteria. Aryaman (☼) 02:59, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
- I doubt if you are missing any major points. I'm not myself aware yet of any specific WikiProjects which limit their scope to both a particular location and time period, although there are lots of subprojects, like those of MILHIST, which do that. I think this group might function best as a subproject of either the History WikiProject or European History WikiProject, as almost everything with which it deals could reasonably be called "historical". Let me place a proposal on the proposals page at Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals#Ancient Germanic peoples and see what kind of response we get. John Carter (talk) 13:59, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
- One thing we should always try to do is create a project in such a way that it isn't going to be deleted or merged later, potentially altering things in the process. Unfortunately, I get the impression personally that this portal is really not going to be one which will easily translate into a successfully delineated WikiProject, given that the scope doesn't relate to a subject which can be clearly delineated in a few words. If the name of the portal were to be adjusted, that might help a little, but it's hard to know how much. Also, there is the matter of excessive multiplication of projects. I'm not saying this would be redundant to other projects, but there are a lot of projects of basically related scope. Does anyone here have a clear idea of what "peoples" were present in Europe at the time in question? Maybe, just maybe, it might be possible to create a few subprojects of European history which would be able to deal with the largest groups of this era separately. Certainly, there would be cause for groups specializing in "history by era", but clear guidelines of what is meant to be included here would be really useful, particularly if there's any intention of creating multiple subprojects relevant to that era. John Carter (talk) 00:05, 26 March 2008 (UTC)
- Perhaps something like "Ancient Culture of the Germanic Peoples" or, better yet, simply "Portal: Ancient Germanic peoples" would be more appropriate? We could always move it. I think it's very important to note that "Germanic" does not mean what we now know in English as "Germany" but the ancient Germanic Peoples - This is something many English users tend to be confused about. :bloodofox: (talk) 22:17, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- Well, the idea was to group together things that fall, not only under ancient "German" history, but also under English, Dutch, Swiss, Norse and Gothic. At least, that's how I interpreted the intent behind this portal when I found it; my suggestion regarding a taskforce was also conceived in roughly the same terms. But, yes, until something more "central" comes up, I will be adding to articles currently under all those and more categories. Aryaman (☼) 21:52, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
- If you're thinking something along the line of "German history", emphasizing "ancient", there certainly is at least potential for a German history work group of WikiProject European history. Most of what you mentioned would reasonably fall within that scope. I could probably propose such a group at the European history WikiProject and see if there is sufficient interest. It will also be listed at Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Proposals, so, if you'd be interested in working on the articles as well, you might want to add your name there. John Carter (talk) 21:43, 25 March 2008 (UTC)
