Template:Notstub/doc

This is a documentation subpage for Template:Notstub. It may contain usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page.

This is an empty template, completely invisible to readers, but visible in the page source to editors. This tag should be used sparingly.

From time to time, we end up with articles that are very short — stub length — and are not likely to ever expand. Many of these pseudo-stubs are candidates for deletion, but occasionally these articles are quite encyclopedic. Prime examples:

• Minor deities in Greek/Roman mythology (e.g., Juturna, Fontus)
• Regents with little available information (e.g., Eanmund, Setnakhte)

Such articles are worthy of inclusion in the Wikipedia. Frequently, if the short articles were to be combined into a single page, this would severely hinder the usefulness of "preceded by / succeeded by" navigation templates.

This template is used as an alternative to {{stub}} for such short, but comprehensive articles that are virtually unexpandable because all available information about the topic is already in the article. Rather than a futile cry for expansion, it's best to let these mini-articles be.

• Q: Why go to the trouble of having yet another tag?

  A: This isn't really a tag, since no text will be displayed to our readers. It's an internal, editors-only pseudotag.

• Q: Okay, so it's a pseudotag. Why should it be used?

  A: So that our readers encounter the minimum number of tags, and to not have a stub tag that will never go away.

• Q: Why not just have no tag at all on such articles, then?

  A: Because well-meaning editors will inevitably see how short the article is and add a regular stub tag. If they see a notstub tag after they hit the "edit" button, they generally won't. It can also be used to prevent bots tagging of these articles as stubs.

• Q: Why not use <!--not a stub--> or some other message?

  A: Three main reasons. First, using a template standardizes the message. Second and third, using a msg template would allow us to use Special:Whatlinkshere/Template:Notstub to get a quick list of all such articles. Benefits: (2) allows us to check to make sure the tag is being used only when appropriate; and (3) provides a list of "unexpandable" stubs for the adventurous user who wants to give it the old college try.

• Q: How many notstub articles are there, and will the number of notstubs increase?

  A: There is a relatively small number of articles that qualify to be marked as notstubs, and the majority of them are about topics in the distant past. Most of the information about these topic has been lost throughout history. The number of notstub topics should not increase, or if it does, do so very slowly.

• Q: What other benefits are there to using this tag?

  A It has the potential to make reports based on Special:Shortpages more useful if all articles containing the notstub tag are filtered out.

• Q: Isn't this whole thing rather pessimistic?

  A: A little. But it's also being realistic: unless you're a skilled and lucky archeologist (or time traveler), you're simply not going to find more information about Eanmund.

Alternative names for this template (proposed; feel free to add your own suggestions):

• {{not a stub}}
• {{notstub}} — current name
• {{permastub}}
• {{pseudostub}}
• {{silentstub}}
• {{stealthstub}} — terrible pun, sorry
• {{this is not a stub}} — verbose version makes it crystal clear to editors