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:Categories versus lists - Knowledge

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built rapidly using cut & paste and text editing on the spot. Glossaries on the web can be captured and trimmed down to just the terms, then sorted using a command or program, then a macro applied to format them into links, and then pasted onto a Knowledge page. Vocabulary and term lists are even easier to convert into Knowledge lists. It's amazing how many of the links turn blue – Knowledge's coverage is extensive, but pages often remain undetected or buried somewhere in an obscure category until a good list is made.
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are bound to object to and remove that tag from their pages. This punches holes in the categories which can lead to edit wars when you try to fill those holes. By contrast, lists are centralized, so you usually don't have to worry about the watchdogs, because you link to their pages without altering their pages at all. In most cases, they won't even be aware of the link.
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Categories don't have page histories. When a category tag is removed from a page, and the link to that page disappears from the category page, there is no record at the category page of that link ever being there. So the only ways to spot link disappearances is either from memory, or cross-checking
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Pages are synonymous with hangouts. Editors have their favorite pages that they watch over and maintain. This includes maintaining the category tags on those pages. Each editor's views on categorization differ. So when you decide to add a large group of pages to a category, some of the watchdogs
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Because of the category system's decentralized nature, adding or subtracting links is cumbersome and requires going to each page. This slows down category filling and category trimming, and can disrupt the brainstorming process that some editors use to create lists. Lists on the other hand can be
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When a page is deleted, it disappears off the category system, and most people aren't likely to notice unless they are specifically looking for it (but they usually use search when they look for specific topics), so this could hurt readers who are forced browse incomplete categories. With lists,
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When a category is deleted, it can't be undeleted and restored. All the tags leading to it will have been removed. The information contained in the tags cannot be rebuilt as easily as a page can. It would require going through the page history of all of Knowledge to refind the deleted
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when a page linked to is deleted, the link turns red. If the article was important, those who monitor the list are alerted to the problem and can take measures to repair the damage done to the subject area.
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Categories are decentralized, and were implemented this way for ease of indexing pages during page creation, and to split up the work of category maintenance between page maintainers.
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Categories aren't modular, lists are. So new lists can be created from parts of other lists, and subsections of lists turned into new pages when the list grows too large.
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Categories can't include page names that don't exist yet. Lists can. Redlinks are useful as gap indicators and as task reminders (to create those articles).
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It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Knowledge contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
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against a list of what was there, or seeing the category on the watchlist, the last option is a
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Knowledge:Categories, lists, and series boxes#Advantages of a category
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Knowledge:Categories, lists, and series boxes#Disadvantages of a list
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But the category system causes more problems than it solves:
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Overcategorization/Intersection of location and occupation
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Likewise, categories can have advantages over lists:
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Index

Knowledge:Categories vs lists
essay
categories, lists, and series boxes
Knowledge's policies or guidelines
thoroughly vetted by the community
setting at "watchlist"
Knowledge:Categories, lists, and series boxes#Advantages of a category
Knowledge:Categories, lists, and series boxes#Disadvantages of a list
v
t
e
Lists in Knowledge
Lists
Lists of works
Stand-alone lists
Set index articles
Naming conventions (lists)
Accessibility/Lists
Pro and con lists
List dos and don'ts
Knowledge:Contents/Lists
Featured list criteria
WikiProject Lists
Categories, lists, and navigation templates
Categories vs. lists
Lists in Knowledge
Lists within articles
Listcruft
Write the article first
Featured lists

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