Talk:Current events/Setting the context

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Archive This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Context headers are for specific events and subjects that relate to the article in question.

Things like:

  • Jessica Lynch : Book reveals details of capture and captivity. She was treated brutally (resulting in Lynch's shattered body) and, says medical records, confirm she was anally raped. Book says some Iraqi doctors said Lynch was virtually dead.

"Jessica Lynch" is the subject of the entry, not the context! " Book reveals details of capture and captivity." is not a complete sentence. Why? Because the subject has been ripped from it and is posing as a context link. Bad form.

"Jessica Lynch" is the context .. the subject is the book.

Another example:

  • Solar system: The sun surprises astronomers by launching another solar flare, this time the largest ever recorded.

The Solar system is a place, not the context!

The Solar system is the context (maybe science would be better though) ... solar flare is the subject.

Yet another example:

  • Space: After 26 years, and at a distance from Earth of over 8 billion miles, Voyager 1 exits the solar system. It is expected to keep on transmitting into the 2020s.

Same as above. Before this had a "context" of Voyager 1 and then mentioned and linked to Voyager one again. Very bad form and very distracting.

see above [btw, I replaces Voyager 1 with space] ... mabey another cat would be good ... but the context is about space (ala, the investigation of)] ...

Good example of correct context link:

  • Saskatchewan general election, 2003: The NDP government of Lorne Calvert is returned to power with a majority government.

The subject of the entry directly relates to the context link. This is how context links should work.

Most of them do relate about the context link

I'd like to get a consensus on it ... so is that what everyone else thinks? The last time it was discussed, it was to be used on multiple news items (which has been most days) ... If it generally thought your way is how context links should work, so be it ... but that was not what was arrived @ IIRC ...

If you want to establish that something happened in a particular place, then simply write "In the Place name..." But a place is not the context! --mav

Umm ... place and time is all important to context, really ... and it's simplier to read / find articles with a context lead in ... reddi