User:Lquilter/CategorizationNotes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


  • Prefer common language to uncommon language (complex, jargon, archaic, industry-specific)
  • Prefer unique & unambiguous language
  • Prefer unambiguous grammatical forms ("X of Y")
  • Prefer correct adjectival forms ("Female x" not "Women x") (but watch out for compound nouns, e.g., Category:Women writers)


  • Categories are not tags
    • Categories should be applied appropriately -- the single most specific version of a relevant category hierarchy tree
    • People by people doesn't work (Prove It's term in the 2007/2/3 CFD for Percy Bysshe Shelley and everyone related to PBS.


  • Identity intersection categories are useful for practical purposes of splitting for findability; e.g., by nationality
  • Identity intersection categories are useful for finding people whose identity intersection is itself historically notable -- e.g., Women scientists ... ideally should be categorized by date/place


Ancestry/ethnic heritage is a major identity for most people both in terms of how they view themselves and in terms of how they are treated by others; it unquestionably has an effect on occupational decisions and opportunities.


  • "Categorization by specific instances" -- that's what "performers by performance" are.