User:Pee Tern/Sandbox/preliminary

Easing the maze of Wikipedia - a new main space page type?

As a user of Wikipedia and as new editor I find it very difficult to find what articles are related to a subject in any meaningful or efficent way. While there are categories, these do not give any real information about what other groups of subject articles might be related, they are just big lists of things. Also, categories are not presented as part of search done in main space by a reader.

I would like to propose a new type of main space page, called a knowledge map.

There are two major differences between a knowledge map and a category. A knowledge map describes a subject area and does not just list out a range of homogeneous articles about the exact same type of subject. Secondly and importantly, a knowledge map is available in main space and part of a normal reader's search scope.

The major difference between a knowledge map page and a disambiguation page is that a knowldedge map describes pages in only one broad subject area and covers the whole range of the subject area.

An example of a knowledge map is one for Law enforcement.

A fuller explanation is available on the proposed knowledge map document page.

Knowledge maps would be much rarer than categories. Knowledge maps link article pages to portals. Knowledge maps link Wiki projects to articles. Typically a knowledge map page will be a main page for a high level category. A knowledge map will contain a summary of other articles, each of which will typically be main pages for major sub categories.

What do people think? If it is a good idea, what is the next step? How does it become an accepted standard?

Does any one have a snazy icon of an explorer holding a map / looking at new horizons ?

Pee Tern (talk) 11:00, 18 February 2008 (UTC)