Template talk:Distinguish

Two dots

For articles like Super Wario Bros. or Wario Bros., the template displays two succesive dots. But when words like "Super Mario Bros." end a sentence, one should only write one dot.

I tried to "fix" it but I can't do it.

Can something be done about this problem? Change the template code, use different syntax, ...?

Banon (talk · edits) 14:03, 25 May 2013 (EDT)

Fixed the template, use the second method.--

00:43, 4 July 2013 (EDT)

Thank you very much!
Banon (talk · edits) 08:43, 5 July 2013 (EDT)

Note

I changed a bit on the code in order to put more than one link in it. Forgot to add summary. UntergangerPlus (talk) 07:05, 10 February 2015 (EST)

Necessary?

From what I can tell from the description, this template is used for when three things have a similar name. Problem is, {{about}} has a similar function, as more subjects can be specified, as seen on Winged Goomba's page. This is basically just a redundant watered-down version of {{about}} that is redundantly redundant. Should we delete it and remove it from pages? Or just remove it, seeing as it's on the BJAODN? TheDarkStar 10:25, August 3, 2019 (EDT)

Anyone? It's been almost two weeks since I wrote this comment. TheDarkStar 14:30, August 15, 2019 (EDT)

Sorry for the wait. Yes, the template is extremely redundant. I don't see any instance where you would rather not describe the different subjects than to just describe them. {{Distinguish2}} is even more redundant, literally being the about template. We should just remove from the pages that use it, keep it for BJAODN, and just state on the template's page that the template is no longer in use. Doomhiker (talk) 14:13, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Distinguish is for things that share a similar name or function, but not exactly the same. About is for subjects with the same name, usually meant to refer to identifiers. 14:22, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Yeah, but you can easily use the about template as the Distinguish template. In fact, I see the about template be used as the Distinguish template more than for its true purpose. Considering that they can easily be used for the same purpose why not merge them? Doomhiker (talk) 14:30, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Distinguish is the about template, but less usable, in that it doesn't provide a description. Let's merge the templates. TheDarkStar 14:59, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

I'd say make a proposal on this. I see the differences between them, but let's get more opinions on it. 15:09, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Does the main proposals page cover templates like this? If not, I'll make this a TPP. TheDarkStar 15:47, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Here works. 15:50, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Thanks. TheDarkStar 15:59, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Remove this template from pages

This talk page proposal has already been settled. Please do not edit any of the sections in the proposal. If you wish to discuss the article, do so in a new header below the proposal.

keep 2-6
This template and {{distinguish2}} are redundantly redundant to {{about}}. Both templates can be used for the same purpose, but this one doesn't let you provide a description and has a harder-to-spell name, making it and its other form the target of this proposal. I'm not proposing to delete this, I'm proposing to merge this with {{about}} and mark the template page with {{abandoned}}. I would have proposed a full deletion, but it's used on the BJAODN, so we can't really delete it.

Proposer: TheDarkStar (talk)
Deadline: September 3, 2019, 23:59 GMT

Support

1. Doomhiker (talk) Per proposal and TheDarkStar and I's comments in the section above.
2. TheDarkStar (talk) Per proposal.

Oppose

1. Alex95 (talk) - Harder to spell doesn't matter, really. Most editors on the wiki know how to spell "distinguish" by now. Anyway, per my distinctions above. However, I'm all for "distinguish2" being merged with this one somehow.
2. FanOfYoshi (talk) Per Alex95. I strongly oppose deleting this template.
3. YoshiFlutterJump (talk) The templates are different and serve different purposes, even if marginally. I'm all for {{distinguish2}} being merged with this one, though.
4. Obsessive Mario Fan (talk) Per all. This template is just used for articles with similar names. The {{about}} template is used for articles that are similar in more ways than just their names.
5. TheFlameChomp (talk) Per all.
6. Toadette the Achiever (talk) Per all.

Comments

@Alex95 As said before, the about template can perfectly replicate the Distinguish template. It's like if the rewrite template could function as the image-quality template. Having two templates that can achieve the same thing is very redundant. Doomhiker (talk) 17:18, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Distinguish2 is more redundant with about than distinguish is. But using the usage on Coin for example as if it were "about":

This page is about the currency found in many Mario games. For the enemy in Donkey Kong Country 3, see Koin.

The main point of this use is that "Koin" sounds like "Coin". An about template isn't necessary if all it's doing is distinguishing between the spellings. It'd be better to just keep it at "distinguish", imo, as all it has to note is the spelling difference. 17:24, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

Still, a description of what is being described may be useful. And due to Distinguish2 literally being the about template, it would just be better if we had one single template to deal with differentiating two pages. The about template is the best for this. Keeping two templates to remember when they can do the same thing complicates things a bit. Doomhiker (talk) 17:29, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

@FOY: I'm not proposing to delete the template, I'm just proposing that it be merged with {{about}}. TheDarkStar 17:41, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

@Obsessive Mario Fan Look at Nintendo. The use of the about template on that page is just for articles with similar ways. Simply put, the about template can be, and is, used just like the Distinguish template. Doomhiker (talk) 17:51, August 19, 2019 (EDT)

@Opposers:

• @Alex95: The distinguish template can perfectly replicate the about template, and having two templates for distinguishing things simply based on the type of difference is kinda inconvenient.
• @FOY: I never said anything about deleting the template.
• @YFJ: Having two templates that do only marginally different things normally isn't a good thing.

TheDarkStar 11:08, September 3, 2019 (EDT)

Merging templates

Per the above, I'm thinking of starting a proposal to merge this and Distinguish2, citing the reasoning shown. Anyone have any additional points to add, towards that specifically or in general? -- Lord G. matters. 11:38, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

I'm honestly just for doing it anyway, unless someone objects. 11:41, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

Actually, no, they serve different purposes as mentioned above. -- FanOfYoshi 11:46, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

No? Distinguish2 is literally the about template under a different name. Keeping both around is ridiculous. TheDarkStar 11:49, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

Not about and distinguish. Both distinguish templates. One is just with a link automatically applied and the other one is without the link, but can still be added manually. 11:50, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

They are basically the same, with Distinguish2 only existing for when a description is necessary, and that can be easily merged. --TheFlameChomp (talk) 11:53, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

No objections so far... Even so, I'll likely wait a while and start drawing up a proposal pitch in case. -- Lord G. matters. 11:59, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

I think they can easily be merged. One is just a variant of the other with something extra, which can easily be implemented here as a separate parameter. --DeepFriedCabbage 15:33, September 24, 2019 (EDT)

Only three things?

This template currently has a limit of three links, but I think it should be expanded to accommodate more pages with similar names. An example is Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch).--Platform (talk) 12:39, September 20, 2022 (EDT)

I had to revert someone's reasonable edit because of this outdated template. Please allow more than three links to be added!--Platform (talk) 09:10, February 24, 2024 (EST)

Bring it up with an admin. ^(T|C) 09:18, February 24, 2024 (EST)

The template has been updated now. - RHG1951 (talk) 10:58, February 24, 2024 (EST)