Commons:Categories for discussion/2015/10/Category:Tracks

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This discussion of one or several categories is now closed. Please do not make any edits to this archive.

Category:Tracks

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This is a deeply ambiguous name, whose contents appear to be throughly confused, and which lacks a description. It is also questionable for it to be included in its current parent category (Category:Signs). JesseW (talk) 06:47, 11 October 2015 (UTC)[reply]

@JesseW: Thanks for bringing this to discussion. While the image contents are mixed (most of the 100+ images should go in the unconnected Category:Rail tracks - I'll move some now), the sub-categories are all reasonably connected. It seems they would deserve some kind of connecting parent category, but while "tracks" is admittedly too ambiguous, I can't think of anything good off the top of my head. Category:Signs of past routes? - Themightyquill (talk) 07:41, 2 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
You're right, there is a concept there which should be expressed somehow. Category:Impressions left by objects maybe? JesseW (talk) 03:25, 3 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
That definitely sounds better than my suggestion, though it's somewhat imperfect to use "objects" when the category covers human and other animal tracks. We also need to figure out where to put it. I don't totally understand the contents of Category:Impressions but it seems to be for something else entirely. - Themightyquill (talk) 08:25, 3 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@Themightyquill: I used "objects" in order to include Category:Vehicle tracks‎. Regarding appropriate parents... maybe Category:Shapes in nature or Category:Environmental impact by effect, although neither of those seem particularly appropriate. JesseW (talk) 07:16, 4 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@JesseW: . Thinking of it now, "Impressions left by objects" would include stamps and wax seals, paper printing and a host of other things. I think including "routes" or "paths" or something similar would make sense, since all tracks indicate routes. It could then be placed in a category related to route. Most of these occur in nature and impact the environment somehow, but muddy footprints on a kitchen floor wouldn't qualify. - Themightyquill (talk) 07:41, 4 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
@Themightyquill: Including stamps & wax seals might be a feature, not a bug. :-) (Or at least a good candidate for a parent category.) Nevertheless, it would be good to have some phrase describing just the current subcategories ... maybe, Category:Impressions left by traveling objects? I don't like using "routes" or "paths" because they imply (at least to me) an intention on the part of whatever left the impressions that they be followed, which isn't always (or even often) the case. JesseW (talk) 05:12, 5 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
Sounds fine to me. Put it in Category:Travel, and Category:Impressions left by objects, with the latter created as a subcategory of Category:Impressions and Category:Objects ? - Themightyquill (talk) 07:55, 5 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

But what should be do with this category? I'd like to mark it as 'ambiguous, but I'm not sure if we have a way to do that... JesseW (talk) 02:31, 6 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Well, we can mark it as a disambiguation category with the {{Disambig}} template, but it won't stop people from filling it with images of train tracks and other things, which I understood was kind of the problem to begin with. If we're going to do that, we might as well just leave it at Category:Tracks and put a note at the top explaining what the category is for. Otherwise, we could redirect the category to Category:Impressions left by traveling objects or even just delete it, so as to discourage people from adding the category carelessly. - Themightyquill (talk) 08:59, 6 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]
{{Disambig}} works -- Commons:HotCat enforces it (at least for people using HotCat). For everyone else, I don't think a red-link is much of a deterrent. JesseW (talk) 18:15, 7 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

So, the current proposal is:

  1. Create Category:Impressions left by objects in Category:Impressions and Category:Objects
  2. Create Category:Impressions left by traveling objects in Category:Impressions left by objects and Category:Travel.
  3. Mark Category:Tracks with {{Disambig}}, suggesting Category:Rail tracks and Category:Impressions left by traveling objects.

If no-one objects to this in a month, I will go ahead and do it, and close this CfD. JesseW (talk) 18:15, 7 November 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Turned into disambiguation, files and sub-categories moved to Category:Impressions left by traveling objects. Themightyquill (talk) 13:30, 6 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

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