Template talk:ZineAnthology

I think the coverartist field should go out of the info box for anthologies. With anthology zines we usually have a page for the series, and cover artists may change from issue to issue just like other contributors, they should be listed within the text along with the interior writers and artists for the issues themselves. Instead maybe an editor field could be added, because often an anthology series only has one or two editors who probably shaped it, but some fanzine presses don't always mean the same person if they are long lived or group efforts, like for example many Orion Press anthologies are edited by Randall Landers but not all of them, so to have fields to fill in both the press and for editor would be good. (Also it says ZineNovel at the top of the box after the brackets?)--Ratcreature 06:41, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

Oh, good call - tweaked! Also, *headdesk* on the ZineNovel - that's what I get for copying the template across to adjust. Also fixed! --Arduinna 06:49, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

I also looked at the source for the categories, and admittedly most of the zines are print, so it is convenient to add that as category in the template, however if there is a "medium" field, that offers to use this template for ezines and the like, it is inconsistent to add the "print" category automatically, unless we only want to use this for things that are ultimately intended to be printed, like pdf-online zines, rather than true webzines.--Ratcreature 07:04, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

In the template: How about page count? And het/slash/gen? Those are two things I've put in every entry. Also, I think "series" should be consistent with both anthology and novel, not one where it goes under "other." These two templates are a marked improvement! :-) Mrs. Potato Head 09:46, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

I think gen/slash/het could be put into the "other" field, because it is not something that applies necessarily, like there are newsletter zines, info zines, zines with just articles etc. and not everybody likes this division even for fiction. I think one problem is that zine lists often label "gen" for general audience, i.e. no adult material, so in that sense a zine with interviews and con reports would be "gen" in the triad division "gen/adult/slash" (i.e. gen as a rating for gen&het fiction below R, and any non-fiction that is not slash related meta, adult explicit het, and slash for all slash) but it is not really "gen" in the currently dominant "gen/het/slash" fic genre division. So I rather like how the fanworks template doesn't force to slot stuff these, and think the fanzine templates should keep that, and it be put in one of the custom fields like "other" if it is in the template at all.

As for the page count, I think that would be maybe good for the novels, but like with the cover artists I don't think it should be in the box for zine series because it varies over the issues.--Ratcreature 10:11, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

This looks really good, thanks Arduinna! I agree with Ratcreature's points that page count is not handy to put in the box, because then you can't use it for series -- unless there were a separate infobox for zine series, I guess. I also don't think forcing a gen/het/slash division is a good idea, if it's relevant it can be added to the main text of the zine page. And I strongly suggest adding a "language" category to the infobox. There are zines in other languages than English out there!--Mary Crawford 18:20, 28 August 2009 (UTC)

any estimation when this will move into being usable? I get that some time is necessary to get input and corrections, but I mean, number of zines entered grows and grows and fast too, so it would be really cool if it could be put to use quickly.--Ratcreature 22:28, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

I was actually thinking today that it was time to make these live -- it's been a solid week with no further input, so I think we should run with them. I'll take the notes saying "don't use these" off of them. --Arduinna 22:32, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

I didn't see the template discussion. :( I guess it's probably too late now, but I think there is way to much information to fill in. Language, medium, series, and even type is information that will be added to the main page anyway and could be added under "other" too.--Doro 22:50, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Author and title are always mentioned in the main text too. For me the reason for the info boxes is to have the essential stuff for a thing always in the same place and at the top, and I see whether something is online or print, and whether there are several or it stands on its own as crucial. Admittedly I myself don't care much about the language field because I imagine it will be English for most anyway, and for the others you'd see from the title or could make a note under "other" if it applies.--Ratcreature 22:58, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

I get that having essential stuff in one place is a good thing. It's just a question of what is essential and I still think that is a bit much required information. But I'm not the person adding all these zines! I would say if MPH feels comfortable with this, we should go for it. (I have the impression she stopped using it because I said something? MPH, if you're reading this, don't stop! Ignore me! *lalala*)--Doro 23:23, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

It is a LOT of information, but the way I figure it, I (or anyone else) can choose to fill stuff in or not. Sometimes I know the info, sometimes I don't and hope someone down the road will. That's the nature of the wiki. :-) My opinion about the templates are two things I've mentioned before: I think language is an overkill as the vast, vast majority are in English. At the same time, I'll make my own template on a word doc that has English as a default, so not an issue for me. personally. The only other thing *I'd* change is to have "gen, slash or het" in the template. It's something I fill in for every entry, even when it's the very rare instance that I put "not applicable." But that's just my opinion. Me, in the end, I'll go with what folks decide they like. Especially if they're willing to clean up after my sometimes messy parade. Mrs. Potato Head 00:35, 10 September 2009 (UTC)