Updating Pokémon Disambiguations

[deuxhero]

One issue I have with current system is that you need to type a special character to bypass the redirect. It's no issue to type "Ash's Metapod", but it is an issue to type out "(Pokémon)". Even just changing it to "Metapod (species)" would be a huge help.

As of now, I voted for the first, as when I want to find the movelist/evolution time/weaknesses and resists for *random Pokémon*, I'm typing the type and if I wanted to find the specific one, I would type "Blank's blank".

 

[Werdnae]

One issue I have with current system is that you need to type a special character to bypass the redirect. It's no issue to type "Ash's Metapod", but it is an issue to type out "(Pokémon)". Even just changing it to "Metapod (species)" would be a huge help.

As of now, I voted for the first, as when I want to find the movelist/evolution time/weaknesses and resists for *random Pokémon*, I'm typing the type and if I wanted to find the specific one, I would type "Blank's blank".

You shouldn't have to type the accented e. All pages with é in the title should have a redirect from the un-accented name. If you see one that isn't feel free to either create it or let someone know so that it can be created.

 

[ibm2431]

It's just we can't have it both ways. It's unfortunate that the search can't just sync to what we're desiring when we punch in Bulbasaur, be it disambig or species. Like everything else in this fandom, we can't cater to everyone, though it'd be damn nice if we could.

Reading this makes me wonder, "Why not?"

Add a user preference that, while you're logged in, determines whether it returns "Disambiguation" or "Pokemon" by default. Done.

MediaWiki may not provide such functionality out of the box, but it's a doable modification to the software.

In such a scenario, though, "Disambiguation" should probably be the 'default' setting and what turns up for people who aren't logged in. But users who are logged in would bypass the disambiguation page and go straight to the species page if they had the option enabled.

Edit: Upon thinking about it just a bit more, you may not even need to modify the MediaWiki software. You can implement a client-side JavaScript solution that simply appends "(Pokemon)" to the input before submitting the form if the current input matches the name of a Pokemon.

 

[Zekurom]

Add a user preference that, while you're logged in, determines whether it returns "Disambiguation" or "Pokemon" by default. Done.

MediaWiki may not provide such functionality out of the box, but it's a doable modification to the software.

According to TTEchidna, the software is already unstable with custom modifications as it is. Trying to tack more things on might pop the bubble and crash the whole server.

 

[UltPokemonFan]

I say change it. For pokemon, have a notice at the top linking to the disambig page. For stuff like ground the type and ground the egg group, get rid of the disambig page and make ground point to the type. For psychic, ditch the disambig page, and have a notice at the top on types that are also in the tcg.

 

[MAGNEDETH]

we are currently discussing Pokemon pages only. its fairly unlikely other disambigs will be touched.

 

[Jioruji Derako]

I say change it. For pokemon, have a notice at the top linking to the disambig page. For stuff like ground the type and ground the egg group, get rid of the disambig page and make ground point to the type. For psychic, ditch the disambig page, and have a notice at the top on types that are also in the tcg.

The difference with the types is that Ground (egg group) and Ground (type) are both named exactly the same. Then you have Psychic (type), Psychic (trainer class), Psychic (TCG type), Psychic (move)... it's too much to assume that someone searching for Psychic is more likely to be expecting one over the other, so for this, the disambiguations will be unlikely to change. There's not much else aside from the types/egg groups/etc that require disambiguations, and certainly very few cases were the disambiguation is actually an inconvenience for most people, so this shift is exclusively for the Species articles.

We're not changing how disambiguations work on Bulbapedia. We're changing how the species articles work.

 

[Crystal Shards]

Please, directly to the Pokemon. Disambig gets annoying after a while.

 

[Matt of Mossdeep]

Changing the system, gogogo.

 

[Cyber Jet]

Ya it need to change as most people serch it up to find the page for that pokemon and the extra page is just a waste of time.

 

[Zeta]

So, here's my question.

How many of you who voted for this actively edit the wiki?

How many of you just go to the wiki to find the species pages, scroll down to the learnsets, and then click off?

Because if that's the case, then we should really just get rid of any other information on the page, since that's the only stuff people care about. Don't try to deny it. That's the only reason you go to the species pages.

A) You're being quite petulant about this.

B) If I type in metapod, I want the main page for Metapod. If I wanted Ash's Metapod, I would have searched for "Ash's Metapod" or simply gone to Ash's page first.

 

[Zekurom]

So, here's my question.

1) How many of you who voted for this actively edit the wiki?

2) How many of you just go to the wiki to find the species pages, scroll down to the learnsets, and then click off?

Because if that's the case, then we should really just get rid of any other information on the page, since that's the only stuff people care about. Don't try to deny it. That's the only reason you go to the species pages.

1) I actively edit (well, used to >_>)
2) When I access a species page, it's only to view the learnset about 30% of the time.

And most importantly, when I access a Pokemon's page, I am also annoyed by the fact that it leads to a disambiguation page half the time, that I then have to click a link to.

 

[Zeta]

The system now seems to be pretty much exclusively implemented with the assumption that people searching for an article are always seeking the anime character.

I would argue that the only two Pokemon prevalent in the anime to warrant that are Pikachu and Meowth.

 

[Zekurom]

I would argue that the only two Pokemon prevalent in the anime to warrant that are Pikachu and Meowth.

And even then, it's usually only Ash's Pikachu and Team Rocket's Meowth.

In which case, you can do what Wikipedia does and have this sort of heading:

If you were looking for Ash Ketchum's Pokémon, see Ash's Pikachu. For other uses, see Pikachu (disambiguation).

: and:

If you were looking for Team Rocket's Pokémon, see Meowth (Team Rocket). For other users, see Meowth (disambiguation).

 

[Zeta]

There's also the issue that in any information structure, it makes more sense for information to be structured from general to specific.

The current system takes you to a page that offers a choice of:
* TCG (Specific)
* Anime (Specific)
* Species (General and encapsulates both of the above)

The Pokemon species disambig pages are just plain redundant.

 

[Noivern]

I think that this new method is good, but can we support direct links for especially notable ones? Like, on top of the Pikachu page, put in "For Ash's Pikachu, see ...".

 

[Zesty Cactus]

I think that this new method is good, but can we support direct links for especially notable ones? Like, on top of the Pikachu page, put in "For Ash's Pikachu, see ...".

That seems possible (we could just somehow add a parameter for especially notable Pokémon so it would be like "This is an article about the species. For the Pikachu owned by Ash Ketchum, see [[Ash's Pikachu]]. For other specific Pikachu, see [[Pikachu (disambiguation)]]." I guess the only issue with that is drawing the line on which Pokémon are especially notable. For example, manga fans may argue Red's Pikachu is just as noteworthy as Ash's.

 

[Cloneasaurus]

How many of you just go to the wiki to find the species pages, scroll down to the learnsets, and then click off?

Because if that's the case, then we should really just get rid of any other information on the page, since that's the only stuff people care about. Don't try to deny it. That's the only reason you go to the species pages.

Just a wild idea, and I mean it without any disrespect towards the encyclopedia, but what if there was an offshoot of Bulbapedia that only contained game specific information. I'm not suggesting the rest of the info should be scrapped though (I frequently find myself reading through articles for longer than intended), just wondering if there's an alternative that is more efficient.

 

[Zekurom]

I think that this new method is good, but can we support direct links for especially notable ones? Like, on top of the Pikachu page, put in "For Ash's Pikachu, see ...".

I already suggested that, but definitely.

Just a wild idea, and I mean it without any disrespect towards the encyclopedia, but what if there was an offshoot of Bulbapedia that only contained game specific information. I'm not suggesting the rest of the info should be scrapped though (I frequently find myself reading through articles for longer than intended), just wondering if there's an alternative that is more efficient.

It's called Project Games, I believe...

 

[Raine Caulwell]

As someone who searches TCG stuff quite a bit, getting rid of the discombobulation page and/or the ability to look for it would severely hamper the functionality of your encyclopedia. Bulbapedia is an encylopedia on all of pokemon, not just the videogame. This is what makes the community so much better than most other fansites who primarily focus on one thing with tiny asides about the other aspects of the series.

You remove the discombobulation page, and this place will feel more and more like Serebii to me (or would the changes to the facebook layout be a better analogy?).

If everyone wants the search to go directly to the pokemon species (why can't you guys just type (pok after the species name like everyone else?), you better have a link at the top of the page that says "<specie name> (discombobulation)," otherwise the entire site will simply go to hell.

Also, I can't help but feel that this "issue" isn't truly much of a problem, and is blown out of proportion by a small, vocal minority who just so happens to be extremely good at lobbying.