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Tardis:Stub: Difference between revisions
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However, it is precisely the articles about planets that have served as the backdrop for the Doctor's adventures which harbor the greatest potential for "stubiness". If such an article fails to even '''mention''' the known inhabitants of that world, it is immediately a stub. If it doesn't characterize '''any''' known geography vital to the progress of a story — such as major cities, land masses, bodies of water, geologic formations, forests, or the like — it's also a stub. But if it merely fails to give as much detail as is possible, it is likely not a stub. | However, it is precisely the articles about planets that have served as the backdrop for the Doctor's adventures which harbor the greatest potential for "stubiness". If such an article fails to even '''mention''' the known inhabitants of that world, it is immediately a stub. If it doesn't characterize '''any''' known geography vital to the progress of a story — such as major cities, land masses, bodies of water, geologic formations, forests, or the like — it's also a stub. But if it merely fails to give as much detail as is possible, it is likely not a stub. | ||
===Story stub=== | |||
Story stubs are fairly easily identified, although the sheer size of a "blank" or "placeholding" story page can fool the eye into believing there's more information on a page than there actually is. Whether a television, audio, comic, prose, or stage play story, they all require the same basic level of information to avoid being a stub. | |||
All these pages begin with a pre-defined format, that automatically places a series of subeheads onto a page. This format can be set on a page by pushing a button above the editing window when starting a new page. Subheads like plot, timeline, continuity and the like appear on the page. You can see what this structure is like by going to almost any story page; ''[[Fury from the Deep]]'' is as good as any to examine the basic format of a story page. When the format is added to the page, the subheads all appear with the phrase ''to be added'' underneath them. This phrase persists until information is added. Thus, a story page can be immediately deemed a stub if one of two conditions is present: | |||
*There is no automatic formatting present. | |||
*Most of the subheads are still empty | |||
However, a story page can still be a stub, if ''certain'' subheads remain unfilled. '''In particular, a story without a plot section, or with one that has very few plot details included, is automatically a stub.''' The main point of a story page is to give the plot of a story, so its absence means the page is missing its essential element. | |||
If the [[:Category:infoboxes|infobox]] is completely empty, an article can also be considered a stub — although this information is easily added. | |||
For stories which are performed, like televised and audio stories, the complete absence of cast information can also reduce a page to stub status. The lack of audience reception and home video availability can also be a barrier to a stub graduating to full article status. Some attention to crew information is also necessary for performed stories, though the advent of [[BBC Wales]] productions, with their extremely long credit rolls, has made this more challenging. As long as main department heads — such as [[producer]], [[director]], [[director of photography]], [[executive producer]], [[writer]], [[production designer]], [[visual effect]]s, and the like — are included, the article can likely avoid being classed a stub. On BBC Wales productions, these "major players" are identified in the credit roll as having their titles in ALL CAPS. Though crew information as complete as on the article ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'' '''should''' be added, that level of detail isn't necessary for the article to graduate from being a stub. | |||
Generally, though, the lack of information in other subheads is not, in itself, enough to judge a page a stub. For instance, not all stories actually have that much in the way of '''continuity''' with other stories. Some stories, especially short stories and stage plays, are quite independent of others. Some make no '''references''' to popular culture. And the '''discontinuity''' section does not usually contain information that is vital to understanding what the story is about. | |||
===Real world stub=== | ===Real world stub=== | ||
Real world stubs are the most varied kind of stub, because they can be applied to an article about ''anything'' in the [[:category:Real World|real world super-category]], aside from stories. Production personnel, games, companies, merchandise and many other things can be slapped with the real world stub tag. | Real world stubs are the most varied kind of stub, because they can be applied to an article about ''anything'' in the [[:category:Real World|real world super-category]], aside from stories. Production personnel, games, companies, merchandise and many other things can be slapped with the real world stub tag. | ||
