Wikinews:Capitalization poll

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This page is a poll to help us decide on the capitalization policies for Wikinews. Voting ends January 21, 2005 at 00:01 UTC.

Title naming convention

Should page titles be capitalized using the upstyle approach? ("US President Bush Visits China For Trade Agreement" vs. the downstyle approach: "US President Bush visits China for trade agreement")?

Yes, Page Titles Should Be Capitalized (use "upstyle" headlines)

  1. Golbez 08:00, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. Lankiveil 10:14, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC) (it's the best way to be consistent, otherwise we might have inconsistent capitalisation schemes. It's simple, anyone can do it, and it doesn't look out of place.)
  3. Angela 22:10, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  4. Formulax 06:38, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  5. wpopp 14:36, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC) (as user Lankiveil, but all other things without capitalization)
  6. Francisco Melendez 19:09, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) As a real newspaper would.
  7. jabelar I know it seems like a minor thing, but we should use the precedent of other news outlets, as reader familiarity will ensure a broader readership.
  8. Sarge Baldy 00:45, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC) This is the journalism standard, and I believe therefore should be used over the Wikipedia standard, even though I find it less visually appealing.
  9. Rhobite 15:05, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC) Wikinews won't adhere to all journalistic standards. That's why it's important that we follow the standards which we're capable of following.
  10. Ezhiki 15:44, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  11. LoganCale 21:17, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC) I think the title should be capitalized, yes.

No, page titles should not be capitalized (use "downstyle" headlines)

  1. Eloquence 11:31, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. Ambi 11:59, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  3. Anthere 18:19, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  4. Foeke 18:26, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  5. TalkHard 21:48, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  6. Delirium 07:50, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  7. Dittaeva 08:15, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  8. MacGyverMagic 08:36, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  9. carlosar 09:30, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  10. Fredrik 14:23, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  11. user:Zanimum
  12. Garrett Albright 08:27, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  13. Guaka 17:25, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  14. notafish 02:46, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  15. AaronSw 04:08, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  16. The bellman 06:01, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  17. Cap'n Refsmmat 21:20, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) (no other sites capitalize! And besides, it's not as much of a "title" as just the link, and when you're listing news events like in a ticker you don't capitalize them.)
  18. IlyaHaykinson 00:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC) (check out a typical day at Google News: some news organizations capitalize everything, some don't. I think that it's more natural to read non-capitalized English)
  19. Regebro 01:11, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  20. Alexander 04:20, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  21. Estel 10:55, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC) (same as Wikipedia page titles/headline bits as well as anything else)
  22. Zarggg 14:43, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  23. Bjarki 14:56, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  24. Yann 20:31, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  25. Jeandré du Toit, 2004-12-05t13:33z
  26. NicoDietrich 15:36, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  27. Mcgeek 16:26, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  28. jkrusky 21:53, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  29. Vacuum 02:46, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  30. Whosyourjudas 03:57, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  31. me at work 19:22, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  32. Andrevan 19:55, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  33. Andrew pmk 22:12, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  34. Softssa 20:26, 8 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  35. Tmh 19:51, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  36. Minh Nguyễn – Many major outlets don't capitalize everything these days: CNN ZDNet BBC Guardian ABC (au) MSNBC – 20:41, 27 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  37. Greudin 19:20, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  38. DV 07:34, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) (I'm looking at the front page of the San Jose Mercury newspaper, and it uses lowercase. I agree with Maureen's comments below that it's not a matter of consistency, because this varies even in the established news media, so I vote for lowercase because it's easier to read.)
  39. Den fjättrade ankan 04:42, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  40. Davodd 00:29, 31 Dec 2004 (UTC) This poll's basic options are misleading - both headline styles are "capitalized", but use different approaches in application. (upstyle [cap all major words] vs. downstyle [only cap first word & proper nouns]). Most studies show that downstyle is easier for readers to use than upstyle. I have tried to clarify the questions with the proper journalistic terminology.
  41. Fred Condo 02:07, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC) downstyle
  42. Monet 20:21, 4 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  43. Ford 03:08, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  44. Xcjm 04:41, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  45. Dan100 12:15, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  46. Simeon 14:25, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  47. AliceCrypto (Talk|Contributions) 08:34, 15 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  48. The bellman 13:46, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Headlines in articles

Should headlines within articles be capitalized ("Related Links" vs. "Related links")?

Yes, Headlines In Articles Should Be Capitalized

  1. Golbez 08:00, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. carlosar 09:30, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  3. Lankiveil 10:15, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC) (see comment in article title section)
  4. Francisco Melendez 19:11, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) For consistency.
  5. Ezhiki 15:44, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  6. LoganCale 21:18, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)

No, headlines in articles should not be capitalized

  1. Eloquence 11:31, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. Ambi 11:59, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  3. Anthere 18:19, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  4. Foeke 18:26, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  5. TalkHard 21:48, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  6. Delirium 07:50, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  7. Dittaeva 08:15, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  8. MacGyverMagic 08:37, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  9. Fredrik 14:23, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  10. zanimum
  11. Formulax 06:38, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  12. Garrett Albright 08:27, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  13. Guaka 17:25, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  14. notafish 02:46, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  15. AaronSw 04:08, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  16. wpopp 14:44, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC) (It's more like normal text)
  17. The bellman 06:03, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  18. Cap'n Refsmmat 21:20, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) (Goes along with the titles, I say)
  19. IlyaHaykinson 00:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC) (consistency with en)
  20. Zarggg 14:46, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  21. Bjarki 14:56, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  22. Yann 20:31, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  23. Jeandré du Toit, 2004-12-05t13:33z
  24. NicoDietrich
  25. Regebro, 16:14, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  26. Sarge Baldy 00:45, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  27. Whosyourjudas 03:57, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  28. Rhobite 15:05, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  29. me at work 19:22, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  30. Andrevan 19:55, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  31. Andrew pmk 22:12, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  32. Daniel Brockman 03:46, 9 Dec 2004 (UTC) (Consistency with Wikipedia)
  33. Tmh 19:51, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  34. Greudin 19:20, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  35. DV 07:38, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) (easier to read)
  36. Den fjättrade ankan 04:43, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  37. Fred Condo 02:08, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  38. Ford 03:08, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  39. Simeon 14:27, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  40. The bellman 13:39, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Headlines on index pages

Should headlines on index pages like the Main Page be capitalized ("Politics and Conflicts" vs. "Politics and conflicts")?

Yes, Headlines on Index Pages Should Be Capitalized

  1. Eloquence 11:31, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. Foeke 18:26, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  3. TalkHard 21:48, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  4. BenM 05:22, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  5. Delirium 07:50, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  6. Golbez 08:00, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  7. carlosar 09:30, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  8. Lankiveil 10:16, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC) (see comment in article headline section)
  9. Angela 22:10, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  10. Formulax 06:38, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  11. Garrett Albright 08:27, 18 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  12. The bellman 06:04, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  13. Francisco Melendez 19:14, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) Most definitely. It only makes sense to me, not to mention consistency.
  14. Cap'n Refsmmat 21:20, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC) (Of course. It looks nicer on the main page, but not on the titles. Somehow.)
  15. IlyaHaykinson 00:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC) (voting yes; only capitalize section names, not the article titles themselves)
  16. Zarggg 14:47, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  17. Rhobite 15:05, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  18. Ezhiki 15:44, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  19. Andrevan 19:55, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  20. LoganCale 21:19, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  21. Xcjm 04:43, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)

No, headlines on index pages should not be capitalized

  1. Anthere 18:19, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  2. Dittaeva 08:15, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  3. Fredrik 14:23, 17 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  4. notafish 02:47, 19 Nov 2004 (UTC)
  5. AaronSw 04:08, 23 Nov 2004 (UTC) consistency people!
  6. wpopp 14:49, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC) Yes, consistency, excepted the page title
  7. Bjarki 14:56, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC) consistency please
  8. Yann 20:33, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  9. Jeandré du Toit, 2004-12-05t13:33z
  10. NicoDietrich
  11. Regebro, 16:14, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  12. Sarge Baldy 00:45, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  13. Whosyourjudas 03:57, 6 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  14. me at work 19:22, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  15. Andrew pmk 22:12, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  16. Daniel Brockman 03:50, 9 Dec 2004 (UTC) (Consistency with Wikipedia)
  17. Tmh 19:51, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  18. Greudin 19:20, 28 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  19. DV 07:37, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) (I agree with Maureen's comments below that it's not a matter of consistency, because this varies even in the established news media, so I vote for lowercase because it's easier to read.)
  20. Den fjättrade ankan 04:44, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  21. Davodd 22:26, 30 Dec 2004 (UTC) Headlines are - at ther essence - sentences.
  22. Fred Condo 02:08, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  23. Ford 03:08, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  24. Dan100 12:19, 8 Jan 2005 (UTC) Consistency.
  25. Simeon 14:32, 10 Jan 2005 (UTC)
  26. The bellman 13:35, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Comments

  1. I'm not voting because I'm not a member. But I am a newspaper copy editor and I'd like to make a couple of points: Whether you choose to capitalize every word in a headline or not, it's not a matter of consistency with other news organizations. At least in the USA, practice varies, but lowercase is more common in my experience. +If every word is capitalized, that has potential for ambiguity. Sometimes it's not immediately clear whether an expression is a proper noun or not. - I'm "Maurreen" on the English Wikipedia. 4.152.228.14 15:05, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  2. We should capitalize on common sense and normal writing rules, and not capitalize at all. :) There really is no reason to, at all. --Regebro 16:17, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  3. We need a "blanket vote", because most of these things are "keep consistant", so there needs to be a section "If you agree that all of the above are yes, please vote yes in the all of the above section. Likewise, if you agree that all of the above should be no, please vote no in the all of the above section. --me at work 19:22, 7 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  4. If we do decide to capitalize, we at least shouldn't capitalize prepositions like in the example at the top of this page. —Daniel Brockman 03:53, 9 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  5. No matter what the so-called “concensus” reached here is, I will continue to capitalize all of my articles and contributions. — Francisco Melendez 20:52, 21 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  6. You seem to be under a misconception Francisco, that the articles you may write or contribute to are yours. They are not. Buen dia.-Stevertigo 22:05, 22 Dec 2004 (UTC)
  7. No, no, no, I am saying that I will continue to capitalize articles I write—unlike Wikipedia, most articles here are written by one person—and will revert any vandals that try to move the page to lowercase titles. 17:55, 5 Jan 2005 (UTC) (Francisco, not logged in.)
  8. I join the growing list of professional journalists who doubt the viability of this project due to its over-awkwardness and general lack of understanding about HOW or even WHY news is written. Please remember: news is written for the reader, not the writer. Davodd 01:58, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC) After talking to the folk here my opinion has changed. 03:02, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
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