Forum:CT:New addition to Wookieepedia:Naming policy (it's about droids!)

Forums > Consensus track archive > CT:New addition to Wookieepedia:Naming policy (it's about droids!)

This page is an archive of a community-wide discussion. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made in the Senate Hall or new Consensus Track pages rather than here so that this page is preserved as a historic record.
The result of the debate was Add proposed droids and gender section to Manual of Style. Grunny (talk) 07:22, September 12, 2010 (UTC)

Hey everyone,

I have a proposal for a new addition to the (amended): Italics and misc. grammar section of the Manual of Style. It would come after the Apostrophes and possessives ending in "s" section, and it would look like this:

Droids and gender

If a droid has gender-specific programming and is predominantly referred to as "he" or "she" in canon, refer to them as "he" or "she" rather than "it".

My reasoning for this comes from... well, canon, really. C-3PO and R2-D2, as examples, have masculine programming and are always referred to as "he". By each other, by other characters, by the narrative, by sourcebooks... calling them "it" seems contrary to canon. Same goes for Guri, and every other droid with masculine or feminine programming. It would be especially weird to see someone like Artoo referred to as "it" throughout his entire article. Right now, there's nothing preventing that from being OK.

Vote now!

Vote

Add it in

  1. Menkooroo 05:33, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  2. —Silly Dan (talk) 14:12, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  3. —C Teng(talk) 15:01, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  4. Kind of how we already do it. Chack Jadson (Talk) 16:36, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  5. -- 1358 (Talk) 16:41, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
    • I'm fine with the amendment. -- 1358 (Talk) 12:01, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  6. Xicer9Atgar(Combadge) 22:12, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  7. However you end up doing it, just do it. Graestan(Talk) 00:09, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  8. I've been doing this for a while. JangFett (Talk) 00:11, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  9. Grand Moff Tranner Imperial Department of Military Research (Comlink) 00:12, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  10. I don't see why not. OLIOSTER (talk) 00:14, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  11. IFYLOFD (Floyd's crib) 00:17, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  12. Grunny (talk) 00:23, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  13. —Master Jonathan New Jedi Order (Jedi Council Chambers) 02:45, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  14. —Jedi Kasra (comlink) 03:57, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  15. I'm satisfied with the amendment. Toprawa and Ralltiir 05:23, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  16. CC7567 (talk) 06:46, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  17. Looks good. Cylka-talk- 07:00, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  18. Seemed like it was pretty much common knowledge already. Best to make it official and on paper. Err... in text. Trak Nar Ramble on 07:06, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  19. SoresuMakashi(Everything I tell you is the truth) 08:57, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  20. I was tempted to cry "useless instruction creep!" until I remembered that I don't believe in it. jSarek 11:04, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  21. He/she/it will be happy. ~ SavageBob 12:51, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  22. —Tommy 9281 14:08, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  23. Why am I so late to this party? Jonjedigrandmaster (Talk) 17:51, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
  24. Green Tentacle (Talk) 17:39, September 1, 2010 (UTC)
  25. Something I tried to figure out myself before. --Tm_T (Talk) 21:13, September 1, 2010 (UTC)
  26. Yes, good idea, let's do the thing normally we do already. :P -- Darth Culator (Talk) 00:18, September 2, 2010 (UTC)
  27. Clone Commander Lee Talk 13:25, September 2, 2010 (UTC)
  28. --DARTH SIDIOUS 2 Contact 07:43, September 4, 2010 (UTC)
  29. Entirely per Culator. Atarumaster88 Jedi Order (Talk page) 20:41, September 9, 2010 (UTC)
  30. I thought the same thing myself. Master Fredcerique | (Talk) 12:51, September 10, 2010 (UTC)

Keep it out

Let's talk about it

  • The "specific rules" section of the Naming Policy is about titles of articles, so if there's a better place to stick this in, let me know. Menkooroo 05:45, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
    • I think this a Wookieepedia:Manual of Style issue. —Silly Dan (talk) 06:18, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
      • Whereabouts in the MOS could it go? I'm scratching my head over that one. Menkooroo 06:29, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
        • If I could make a suggestion, I don't think it actually needs to fit under an existing section, a new section could be created. For example: ==Droid gender== Cylka-talk- 07:24, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
          • Yes, or in the #Italics and miscellaneous grammar of the MoS. -- 1358 (Talk) 07:36, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
            • Italics and misc grammar would be the best place, I think, rather than going for an entire new section. Proposal amended! Menkooroo 09:09, August 29, 2010 (UTC)
  • I have one concern with the proposal's wording. You write that every other droid with masculine or feminine programming adheres to the proposed standard. That's rather hyperbolic. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that some source does identify a droid as masculine but, for whatever reason, refers to the droid consistently as "it." Are we then forced by this policy to refer to the droid as "he" in articles? In such a situation, I think it would be best to refer to "it" as the source does. Toprawa and Ralltiir 03:07, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
    • I doubt that such a source exists. But if it does, sure, go for "it". Menkooroo 03:08, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
      • Well, I'm glad you approve, but I feel like the proposal wording should reflect this. As it reads currently, we're forced to use "he" or "she" no matter what. Forgive me if I'm not just assuming that every Star Wars source has and always will adhere to this standard. Toprawa and Ralltiir 03:10, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
    • I have to say that I agree with Toprawa. The policy should be worded to as to make certain that we follow the example of the canon source. This means we should have the "he," "she," and "it" options. Cylka-talk- 03:44, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
      • How about... 'If a droid has gender-specific programming and is predominantly referred to as "he" or "she" in canon, refer to them as "he" or "she" rather than "it".' Menkooroo 04:13, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
        • I think it would be best if it said something to the extent of "refer to the droid as it is most predominantly referred to in canon." But that would probably be ok. Toprawa and Ralltiir 04:29, August 30, 2010 (UTC)
          • I just want it to be clear what exactly you should and shouldn't use. Thanks for the advice! Menkooroo 05:15, August 30, 2010 (UTC)