Talk:Light socket

Socket, base, cap...?
User:Radiojon, thanks for initiating this article. Also, Wedge base is highly appreciated. As a non-native English speaker I have been wondering about the exact meanings of the different terms used to refer to the topic: socket, base, cap, mount and fitting. The ECE standard http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r037r5e.pdf seems to use "cap", but I think "base" and "socket" are more common in spoken language? Anyway, I think it would help many readers (and search engines) if all of these terms would be mentioned and their exact meaning explained in this article. -- MattiPaavola (talk) 15:10, 21 November 2009 (UTC)

RfC: Relevance of information on electric lamp bases, etc.
This article previously dealty more with the connectors (bases) on electric lamps (i.e. light bulbs), than it did with what "light socket" actually means: the part of a light fixture that accepts the lamp, and sometimes contains the light switch. I added some information relevant to light sockets, but left the not-so-relevant stuff on there and just tagged most of it (especially the "Identifying codes" section, which obviously deals more with bulb/lamp bases rather than light sockets), so I'll let you decide on whether it's off-topic enough to be removed or not. Oh, and I will add an image of a light socket on a table lamp soon. [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 04:45, 16 August 2010 (UTC)

Oh, I thought I would also add that this article was created by User:Radiojon, who also created other articles on bulb/lamp connectors and appears to believe that "light socket" is synonymous with "lamp base" (i.e. the connector on a lamp/light bulb). He added this article and the other articles on lamp connectors to a new category: Category:Light sockets. Since 'light sockets' aren't really a category (at least as far as Wikipedia is concerned), and the other articles in that category were about lamp bases instead of light sockets, I replaced Category:Light sockets on this article with Category:Lighting and Category:Electrical connectors, and did the same with the others except I also added Category:Mechanical standards to them. [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 02:40, 17 August 2010 (UTC)


 * There doesn't really seem to be a dispute here; RfC is bringing in outside opinions when the editors of a particular page are unable to proceed on their own, usually due to impasse or deadlock. In this case, nobody is objecting to your changes and developments to the article, so be bold and carry on! siafu (talk) 16:28, 19 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your comment. The reason I posted this on RfC is because this talk page's traffic was near zilch. Just look at the Page View Statistics for this talk page before around August 16 and you will see what I mean. [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 03:58, 20 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Per your comment, I boldly removed the unrelevant "Identifying Codes" section. If you (who is reading this) oppose this edit, then please state your reasons here. [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 07:32, 22 August 2010 (UTC)

Merge
Suggest merge to Light fixture; there's no meaningful content here that wouldn't be appropriately covered in a few lines in that article. C'mon, people, what is the point of this article? Anyone who's ever seen a light bulb could write this, there's zero new information in here. --Wtshymanski (talk) 15:17, 23 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Not a bad idea, but where would we put this article's information in Light fixture? There is no section in that article on the components of a fixture/luminaire, not that one couldn't be created though. [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 04:54, 24 August 2010 (UTC)
 * It shouldn't be too hard for someone to come up with a boring paragraph saying something like "A light fixture contains a light socket and may contain a lamp holder, reflectors, lenses, ballasts, or switches " and other recitation of obvious trivia that Wikipedia is so good at. We can then get into an exciting list of "Light fixtures in my school/house" and bitter arguments about European vs. American spelling, and if they should be technically known as "luminaires". --Wtshymanski (talk) 13:23, 24 August 2010 (UTC)
 * Very funny... :-) How about we modify Light fixture's existing "Light fixture controls" section to contain information about other components besides light switches (e.g. light sockets)? Of course, you're right, probably only someone who doesn't know how to screw in a light bulb would be 'duh' enough to not know what a light socket is. :-) But light sockets do kinda have a good history, though (probably not anything the average reader is that interested in knowing...). In reality, probably/possibly only a dictionary definition would contain any information not exactly obvious or boring. :-) [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 21:43, 24 August 2010 (UTC)

Is this discussion still active? [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 04:51, 12 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Hmm, no posting in 2 1/2 weeks, I'd say "inactive". Do you want to merge it or shall I ? --Wtshymanski (talk) 14:54, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * I say Merge (it seems you have already merged it though. :-). However, the light socket is a light fixture component no more important than, say, the cord/wiring (where would the power come from otherwise? :-). So I think we sould fold some of the information about the light socket into a list, that summarizes the important components of a light fixture (socket, switch, etc....). [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 18:59, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Happy writing, then. Though I doubt it will make "Featured Article" status, that's probably not important...after all, if we cna have articles about individual asteroids, why not articles about lamp cords, etc.? --Wtshymanski (talk) 19:21, 13 September 2010 (UTC)
 * Actaully, the introduction of Light fixture already contains: "A luminaire is a lighting fixture complete with..." The light socket is already included in that list (and that's all the mention that it probably really needs. :-). Everybody knows what a light socket is, so why blubber on about it (i.e. boring trivia) when everybody already knows about it? ;-) I guess that means I'll have to remove the "Light sockets" section. Why would the light socket be notable enough to have it's own section containing boring blubber in the Light fixture article? :-) [|Retro00064|&#9742;talk|&#x270D;contribs|] 01:24, 14 September 2010 (UTC)
 * We have a high tolerance for "boring" on the Wikipedia, but the deleted section was totally unreferenced, which is a Wikithoughtcrime. Best to suppress it till someone with even more free time than I have is moved to write an epic on light sockets through the ages. --Wtshymanski (talk) 13:27, 14 September 2010 (UTC)