Hi everyone, ecks here with yet another policy proposal. Don't forget to hit that subscribe button.
Echoing the sentiments in Forum:SH:Reference support in Quote template and Forum:CT:Layout Guide restructuring, parts of the Layout Guide (LG) and Manual of Style (MOS) are in dire need of rewriting. Today's focus is on the rules governing quotes. The MOS has a section that defines quotes (both in-text and templates) and formatting rules, while the LG section covers not only the placement, but also has some overlap with the current MOS. As well as paving way for reference support in quotes, this proposed update will also encompass some restructuring, updating obsolete rules, and codifying existing practice.
- What's New
- Audio files: in this 2019 CT, I pointed out that quote audio is actually not covered anywhere in our policies. It's time to add this to the LG. You'll find that the proposed text reads "may be included", so audio will not be mandated in the future either.
- Double hyphens: in accordance with the dash policy, double hyphens are to be replaced with emdashes.
- No full stops in quote attributions: codifying de facto practice that appears to not be noted anywhere.
- What's Gone
- Paragraph-long quotes: I don't think many realize this, but the current MOS allows paragraph-long quotations to be placed in blockquotes in the middle of sections. It also specifies that these quotes be sourced down to pages. I don't think I've ever seen this in use (except for old 2006-era pages that have since been modernized) and I think quote templates do the job just fine. If you feel the need to have quotes in the middle of a section, just subsection further.
- What's Updated
- Capitalization of Human: current policy says to capitalize Human (or add sic) but this should only apply to Legends.
- Emphasis: clarified that emphasis in quote templates is achieved by removing italics.
- Quotes vs Quotations: the policy uses these terms interchangeably, so I've just gone with Quotes.
- Examples: examples of quotes have been updated
- What's Still Unclear: some talking points
- Location of audio quote rule: should this be in the LG or the MOS? I've placed it in the LG.
- Linking rules: the MOS has its own section on linking and I can see the value in having all linking rules collected in one place. Right now, for instance, I believe the image thumbnail linking rule only exists in the Quotes section... Should the linking rules be moved to the Linking section, kept where it is in my proposal, or be found in both the Quotes and the Linking sections?
Here are the proposed revisions:
I'll personally be departing on a week-long vacation starting today, but I look forward to your feedback in the meantime. 1358 (Talk) 11:00, 19 March 2022 (UTC)
EDIT 14:54, 28 March 2022 (UTC): the CT is live - Forum:CT:LG and MOS Quotes update. 1358 (Talk) 14:54, 28 March 2022 (UTC)
Discussion
Looks great, may I suggest having the code for the examples and perhaps using subheadings for them, For example:
Single speaker template
From Onager-class Star Destroyer:
{{User:Xd1358/test5|Should the Empire abandon theatrics, it could build a thousand small cannons for the cost of a single 'planet-killer.'|Haxen Delto, in a report to General Airen Cracken referencing the ''Onager''-class Star Destroyer|<ref name="Rebel Files">''[[Star Wars: The Rebel Files]]''</ref>}}
- Love your work as always! Manoof (he/him/his) (talk) 12:13, 19 March 2022 (UTC)
- You're on a roll, ecks ^^. Seems good to me. Regarding links, I think it's ok to have them within the Quotes section, but redundancy in this case can't really hurt. Well, I'm glad we're getting rid of paragraph quotes inserted in the middle of sections; that will be a good opportunity to rework Canon. NanoLuukeCloning facility 12:16, 19 March 2022 (UTC)