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[edit] Merging from main Branch article

It seems that much of the main article Branch has evolved into a disambiguation list, just as this page is. I am proposing that the material on that article (other than discussion of the primary topic, tree branches) be merged into this page as appropriate. -- Dmeranda 05:41, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

I completed merging material from the Branch as well as Branching articles into this one (with cleanups). -- Dmeranda 17:16, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

While merging from Branching the following entry was not included here -- In the process of creating audio (and music in particular) for computer games, branching is the technique of using multiple layers of audio to allow for increasing or decreasing tention, or for other interactive means. -- as it has no information written in any article and no source information. -- Dmeranda 17:21, 21 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Topics removed by disambig reformatting

The reformatting done by User:Neelix on 24 June 2006 has eliminated the following meanings--probably because there was no distinct article describing them.

• general figurative meaning: ...often expressing the idea of subdivision or divergence
• mathematics: In graph theory, a direct path joining two nodes
• organizational structures: A particular store or office location of a business with more than one such location, especially of a franchising business or of banks
• electrical systems: An intermediate circuit in an electric power distribution system connecting a distribution source with a lower power handling circuit or load
• architecture: In architecture, the arches of a gothic vault
• Tree structures: ...especially of a family tree or evolutionary tree

Some of those are rather common uses of the word, so editors should please try to write articles (or subsections in appropriate articles) for those topics which you feel are worthy of keping, and then link them back into this disambiguation page. Perhaps some further work on the Wikitionary article may also be worthwhile. -- Dmeranda 15:25, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

Looking at the article, it still needs to be pared down dramatically. The concept of a branch is very fundamental, and naturally it finds its way into innumerable topics, so it's just not productive to catalog them all. Plus, any topic like "X Branch" or "Branch X" for a person or place just dilutes the usefulness of this reference point. People might actually look for Branch, Arkansas, under only branch, but everything from "East Branch" on down in the Geography section is unnecessary. We're not replacing the search function here. The current version just encourages people to think that anything with the word branch in it fits here. The last entry under Geography isn't even "branch". ENeville 16:23, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

First disambguation pages do suplant the search function in limited cases; that's one of their purposes. Anyway, I tend to agree that some of the geography entries are questionable. However the East/S/W/N/Long Branches are actually references to other disambiguation pages, and are in WP terminology "double disambiguation" links; there is no clear policy for them. If someone may be looking for "South Branch, PA" would they potentially look under just "Branch"? If so the double disambiguation links are useful. As far as people, if Branch is their surname then they belong here; but first names of Branch probably don't (unless they were widely known by their first names). And as mentioned the term Branch by itself carries a lot of general purpose meanings across many disciplines that a simple disambiguation page can not capture. This is why I think that either the Wikitionary entry for branch should be improved, or perhaps this article should stray from a pure disambiguation page guidelines just a little to discuss these common meanings which are unlikely to themselves become separate articles (such as the concept of divergence, or of a satellite office in some organization). Dmeranda 18:09, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Considering it further, I think that explanation of specialized meanings of branch is probably necessary in some way, and perhaps is best suited to branch, rather than the dab, though I'm not really sure. My reading of Wikipedia:Disambiguation, though, indicates that disambiguation pages are intended not to replace search, and Wikipedia:Manual of Style (disambiguation pages) specifically indicates that people for whom the disambiguated term forms only part of their name should be listed under "See also", and that even there only a few people should be listed, otherwise a seperate page should be created for the list. My understanding is similar for geographical names. These are only guidelines, to be sure, but I think that the current branch (disambiguation) page has become unwieldy, and some subdivision would be well advised. ENeville 18:44, 28 September 2006 (UTC)