Board Thread:Policies/@comment-918732-20150909012404/@comment-25737724-20150909211622

Hatebunny wrote: Yes, we lose the ability to track them if they don't have pages - but I'm not sure that's something we need. I mean, I understand the principle, but I can't really think of any practical application that wouldn't be particularly obscure. I know we've talked about this same very point before Rab, I didn't have an answer then, and I still don't have one now. I still think there is an answer where the appearance is still noted for Wikipedia real people. You mentioned adding the appearance via the existing wikipedia template wasn't feeling right... but maybe there's some solution of a specific derivative where an Appearance-Wikipedia like template could be created. So on the comic appearances it would add the Category:/Appearance of the character to that page as well as the link to http:Wikipedia/. I agree it's an off-chance the character might one day get expounded upon by some brave author... but as a wiki resource I think it's important to document it. I guess I don't really view that appearance as obscure, so much as a reference or trivia point.

In the same manner as Shadzane, I've also gone to Category:XXXX/Appearances before to see if they've existed when their page didn't exist. Not to say you can't crawl to find it... it's just a little easier with adding the categories fitting into the existing site design for how we document them.

Let's pretend someone out there hates the idea of creating this Category page with no associated character page with this derivative template. That person also hates the category being empty with this new Insight crap wikia is pushing. Finally, that person hates maintaining a central page of Real People. This is an off-the-cuff idea, but you could take the Category:XXXX/Appearances page mentioned above, and create a simple external link infobox template. So instead of adding Character Appearances to the page, you could add something like Template:Real People Appearances that would add an infobox linking people to the actual Wikipedia page (explode page name same as char appearances) as well as add the category Category:Real People. This would close the loop on documenting where these people existed. This would help the nerds, like myself, who look at trivia (or obscure) crap like this.

Just some thoughts. Not saying I'm sold on it, but it's a thought having seen someone else bring this up again.