Forum:Aliens and Enemies Template

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All right, there have been some discussions lately on the Category:Aliens Navigation templates, but they've been all over the place, so I just thought that I would start a forum topic for the matter to be discussed.

I for one don't really like the Templates. I don't see the purpose of them and I can't think of a situation where I would want to know what the aliens are for a season. And for pages like the Master, it just clogs up the page and doesn't have any benefit. I think we should just scrap the lot of them.

Some of the other template are equally as useless. Template:Platform One Visitors was only in one episode, Template:Robot types is arbitrary and there aren't enough K-9s to justify Template:K-9's.

I don't have a problem with really specialized templates, personally. maybe a reader wants to look up some very specific topic. --Stardizzy2 16:37, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

So, any other thoughts on the matter? -<Azes13 14:20, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

I agree whole heartedly. I'd also throw in all the [[:Category:Villains navigation templates]], as they decide to list all the TV stories, but not the other medias that they appear in. The robot types is a bit odd and useless in that it deliberatly doesn't include a whole lot of robots. Template:Time Lords is another odd selective template.

A lot of these templates seem to do little but bulk up the base of the articles. --Tangerineduel 14:46, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

yeah robots and Time Lords seems a little random and useless. --Stardizzy2 16:37, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

I think it would be a good idea to start a forum like that but I still like the actual pages because they provide a lot of info and if you know somethings incorrect you can fix the problem by editing it.Also that would be a really braod topic for a forum.--Zecon4444 15:32, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

The aliens navigation thingies have a purpose. The robot template has very few robots as most if not all the rest are androids. I wouldnt mind u dealting it if u hat it though. The aliens navigations should stay though.--Skittles the hog 15:41, 1 September 2008 (UTC)

But what purpose is it? You haven't given a good reason to keep the alien navigation. -<Azes13 15:31, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

The aliens navigation templates ofer easy navigation between the aliens taht season. I did not originally create them, another user made the new series ones. They are usefull you just cant see it.--Skittles the hog 15:43, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

Not all aliens/enemies/friendly people etc need to have templates. Templates such as (though not limited to) the Dalek Variants template, should be a more detailed page rather than a template and written out as an encyclopaedic page. A template isn't a replacement for a page, it provides no information in and of itself, in many ways it diminishes the page topic that it's about by just linking off without providing any useful information. --Tangerineduel 16:13, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

I see what your saying but templates allow for easier navigation. Having a larger page requiers the user to always refer to that page to look at another of the same topic. Templates are more for function than page expansion. I do agree the Dalek variation page looked dogy after I deleted the list but tangerine has made it better now. As long as the page the template originates from looks good and offers information templates are there to navigate. Thew, it took ages to wite that.--Skittles the hog 07:36, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

I think the ones for aliens by series should go. They are a good idea in themselves, but for villains who have appeared in several series (like The Master) it clutters up the bottom of the page far too much. I think the templates for stories of a villain are ok. I don't mind them being renamed to specify that it is just tv stories (although that is put in the template, just not the title) - though I think it should be kept to villains who have featured in more than two stories (The one for sillurians and Sea Devils doesn't need to be there). Jack's the man - 15:00, 5 September 2008 (UTC)

Well i think its time i add my two cents. I think that the Aliens and Enemy template are fine for navigating to relevant pages from season to season and use them frequently when browsing pages. I would also argue that since there are no guidelines for the creation of templates for navigation as in what they can be about (which is as it should be) what one person sees as a valid template another is going to disagree.

I think the best way to sort this is for people who have a problem with a certain template to discuss it on the talk page to get the template either left as it is, modified or removed depending on the outcome as we have done in the past with articles on battles.

I myself agree that the Platform one template should go and possibly some of the others but a general discussion about the overall templates will lead to the matter going nowhere and possibly lead to templates being removed when a number in the community believe they should stay which is why i propose that the templates are dealt with on individual talk pages as before when the matter of multiple deletions has arisen. --Dark Lord Xander 01:14, 21 September 2008 (UTC)

Xander is right individual votes should be taken on the templates but the alien/villian ones should stay.--Skittles the hog 17:14, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

Hmmm, this topic seems to have popped back up because of a very minor change, but I'll throw in my tuppence anyway. Personally, I hate these templates, but I do see that others might find them useful. What I wish is that they'd simply be collapsable so they don't take up so much room at the bottom of the page. Anyone know if collapsability is built into the wikia code, or do we have to create it by making another template? CzechOut ☎ | ✍ 14:01, March 1, 2010 (UTC)

I am actually in the process of adding the collapsing (it manifests on the template as show/hide) to them at moment. Take a look at Template:Time Lord stories to see it working. --Tangerineduel 14:07, March 1, 2010 (UTC)

Archivist's notes

Although the navboxes have been completely redesigned since this discussion, they still incorporate the design ethics of this discussion, particularly the mandate that they be collapsible.
czechout<staff /> ☎ ✍ 01:13:19 Sat 28 May 2011