Proposed Categories
As noted above, it is proposed that 10 of the current 13 categories are eliminated. Of the remaining three, two are to be re-cast and one is to be retained essentially unchanged.Comments, feedback and general discussion are brought together on this talk page.
People
It is proposed that the category "People" be retained unchanged and its use be exclusively confined to Person Pages; that is those pages using the Person Page-lite template or similar. Its use should be actively encouraged, so that index pages based on a combination of category and wiki page name can be created. This would permit a list of, say, all individuals whose name begins "Ri" but would exclude places in the state of Rhode Island.A means to automatically categorise pages based on the template used has yet to be found. We will therefore have to rely on community members appropriately categorising new pages.
Military Service
It is proposed that the a new high level category Military Service replace the current Military Records. A sub-category for each major conflict will be created and within each of these a category for the principle combatants will be created. The categories might, for example only, look thus
Military Service
American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)
American Armies (to include the Continental Army and Colonial Militia)
Loyalists
British Armies and Auxiliaries
American Civil War (1861 - 1863)
Union Forces
Confederate Forces
First Anglo-Boer War (1880-1881)
British Forces
Boer Forces
Second Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902)
British Forces
Boer Forces
Many conflicts have alternate names, often reflecting the perspective of the victorious or defeated parties (American Revolutionary War -v- American War of Independence for example). It is proposed that we are guided by the primary Wikipedia articles from http://en.wikipedia.org in naming conflicts and participants.
Census Records
It is proposed to retain this category as a new high level category. The objective of the new sub categories would be to allow easy identification of individuals who appear of a specific, cited census. Being alive at the time of a census will not be sufficient, the individual must have been found on the census return and the source cited in the narrative on their Person Page.The category might, for example only, look thus
Census Record
England & Wales
E&W 1841
E&W 1851
E&W 1851
etc
E&W 1911
Scotland
Scot 1841
Scot 1851
etc
Scot 1911
Ireland & Northern Ireland
I+NI 1901
I+NI 1911
United States
US 1790
US 1800
etc
US 1930
These two proposals are subject to suitable means to their implementation being found and the willingness of the community to appropriately categorise pages.
It is stressed this is a proposal. Your collaboration and views are invited.
Martin 8 Jan 2011
PS Comments, feedback and general discussion are brought together on this talk page. 17 Jan 2011