Talk:2023 Alaska high-altitude object/Archive 1

Article title
I'm inclined to move this over to the more descriptive existing redirect 2023 Alaska aerial object incident, but hope someone else will first. I don't think this should be a RM because it's probably not contentious(?) Δπ (talk) 07:15, 11 February 2023 (UTC)


 * Oppose "aerial object" does not seem to be the common name. The most common words used to describe the object seem to be "high-altitude" and "unidentified".  From what's been said, it seems to have been a dirigible rather than a balloon but I've not seen any confirmation of that yet. Andrew🐉(talk) 08:32, 11 February 2023 (UTC)

The media are calling it a UFO--24.85.234.209 (talk) 08:54, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * There's no harm in waiting a day or two until more sources and context become available, and more clarity is provided. Let's keep WP:BREAKING, WP:RSBREAKING and WP:RECENTISM in mind. --Animalparty! (talk) 08:37, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * I agree the title needs to be changed. "Object incident" does not sufficiently outline the scope of the article. WP:PRECISION encourages us to use something a bit clearer. 25stargeneral (talk) 08:58, 11 February 2023 (UTC)


 * 25stargeneral has moved the title to 2023 Alaska high-altitude object incident. I've removed the word "incident" which seems superfluous and not especially common. Andrew🐉(talk) 11:08, 11 February 2023 (UTC)

If it starts with 2023, it should be an event, not an object. It's not like this is the 2023 model of anything we can compare to an unknown entity's earlier version in form or function. Only its death made it vaguely famous recently, whatever it is. InedibleHulk (talk) 17:27, 11 February 2023 (UTC)


 * Ugh - NO! Alaska UFO shootdown is a terrible name!Juneau Mike (talk) 17:37, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * What do you like, Mike? InedibleHulk (talk) 17:53, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * very intellectual conversation here 🍁🏳️‍🌈 DinoSoupCanada 🏳️‍🌈 🍁 (talk) 22:35, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Fine, while Mike's gone, what would you rather do? InedibleHulk (talk) 23:42, 11 February 2023 (UTC)
 * eh I am fine with aerial object incident and support changing again once we find out what it is 🍁🏳️‍🌈 DinoSoupCanada 🏳️‍🌈 🍁 (talk) 02:22, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Cool. Now that this format has caught on in the Yukon and Montana, I'm less inclined to call them all "x UFO shootdown". For all we know, the Montana one might never come back to get shot. InedibleHulk (talk) 02:42, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * I believe the current title is just fine. I didn’t mean to be snarky earlier. But “UFO shootdown” has an almost Family Guy silliness to it. Juneau Mike (talk) 04:17, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * I'd call that being frank, Mike, and frankly, I like it. It's a silly situation, so of course describing it is going to sound silly. I have mixed feelings on Family Guy, so I'm glad you said "almost", and agree the current title is just fine enough. InedibleHulk (talk) 04:56, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Thanks. “UFO shootdown”, to me, sounds like we shot down a Martian spaceship. More whimsical than encyclopedic. Juneau Mike (talk) 05:25, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * To me, "spaceship" is the silly cartoon alternative to "UFO". Most spotted in America come from America, encyclopedically, not Venus or Mars. Perfectly cromulent word, tarred by its association to kooks and killers, like "white van" or "black helicopter" (or even "tarred"). It's not cool, but that's life, I get it. Does the average Dick or Jane on the street know what a high-altitude object or aerial object is even all about, though? That's my greatest concern. One of them, anyway. InedibleHulk (talk) 05:43, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Incidentally, the Yukon shoot down page had some creative vandalism involving someone saying the item shot down was an extra terrestrial spaceship. Juneau Mike (talk) 07:02, 12 February 2023 (UTC)
 * Don't forget "a confirmed alien craft". To me, "craft" is a sign of someone taking ships and planes (even the ones we accept as real) a bit too seriously. There's no better word for a hovercraft, though, I'll concede. InedibleHulk (talk) 23:10, 12 February 2023 (UTC)