A good WikiName should be one

• that really describes well what the page is about,

• through which you can refer to the page in a sentence.

This means:

• GoodWikiNames are singular forms (unless the plural form is all that would normally be used).

• Try not to use the words "Thoughts", "Issues", "Ideas", "Opinions", "Suggestions, "Proposal" in the name of a Wiki page.

• Try to give the page a name that will stay valid over time. Naming a page XYProposal is a bad idea, because the name will be wrong once the proposal gets implemented. So rather name your page after the feature and state on the page (and the links to it) that this just a proposal yet.

• When a WikiName starts with a verb, choose the tense with care:

  • If the page describes a process, it is probably best to use the gerund ("ing") form (e.g. RestructuringTheDocumentation rather than RestructureTheWiki). This is better because when you are done, you can write "we are done restructuring" but in the other form you have to say "we completed the project to restructure" instead.

  • If your WikiName is a statement, it is probably best to use the imperative, like ScrapFeaturingArtistStyle.

I wrote some helpful notes on WikiPhilosophy on the page about WikiNames. There is still more material dedicated to ChoosingWikiNames on Ward's Wiki.

See also: BadWikiName

Author: DonRedman CategoryWiki