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I was just cruising around Waymarking and saw "NEW" next to "Memorials" under the "Things" category. Then I recalled there was already one under "People". So I checked the details and the descriptions are the same, but the sub-cats under "People" are not there under "Things". So is this supposed to be an attempt at a cross-listing or what? If someone wants to waymark a memorial, do they waymark under both? Either? Posters' choice?

Edited by Semper Questio
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The Things -> Memorials category was created to make room for an Eternal Flame category that the manager has not yet released. Since an Eternal Flame is not a person, a Thing category was created.

 

To answer your question, though: Groundspeak will be the last step in the category creation process so duplicates will not go unaddressed.

What's the eternal flame memorializing? Is it a person or persons?

 

I could imaging that the memorials under people are memorials to a person or persons and the memorials under things are memorials to events or to animals. Of course the event could be a battle or disaster where people died so there would still be memorials that would fit in more than one category. Suppose there was a category for Presidential burial sites and another one for eternal flames. Where would you log Kennedy's grave?

 

No matter how hard Groundspeak will try to avoid duplicate categories or categories in the wrong place in the directory I am certain that this will occur. You ought to accept that fact and just say that you may find a waymark that fits in more than one category. If you can comply with the category managers' requirements you can log this waymark in multiple categories.

 

My attitude is that each category stands on its own. If two people want to manage the same category, I say let them.

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Since an Eternal Flame is not a person, a Thing category was created.

 

I see the point, but if there are duplicates and there is a distinction between the two, then I think the descriptions should say so. In this case, the descriptions are identical which just adds to the confusion.

 

Perhaps the one under people should state that these memorials must be for or pertaining to people and all others should be listed under the other and provide a link and vice versa. OK, maybe this is a bit anal, but the devil is in the details.

 

I can see where a memorial to, say, rescue dogs, would be a good thing to list, but it would not be appropriate to put it under "people". I just didn't think about memorials to non-humans and I certainly didn't think about classifying memorials for the sake of the type of the memorial without regard to the subject matter. Gotta try to think a bit broader with this stuff sometimes! :cry:

 

I can sure see how this could get confusing quick! :cry:

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You're absolutely right, and I went ahead an clarified the descriptions for each "Memorials" category.

 

It's true that many sub categories will overlap other top-level categories. Believe me when I say I shudder to think of the many decisions that will need to be made regarding where in the directory a particular category will go. The nice thing, though, is that changes can be quickly and easily made.

 

Bootron had enough foresight to allow a category to be re-categorized with a couple dropdowns, and none of the information will change. Even the URL will remain the same, so you can always find a category you once visited even after it's been moved.

 

Another idea for the future is to link categories or waymarks to other categories via a "see also".

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How does category ownership work when there are subcategories in a category? Let's say, in the future, there are McDonalds, A&W, Burger King, and Carl's Jr. categories. Groundspeak takes the suggestion of OpioNate, creating a new Fast Food category for him. They then move the McDonalds, A&W, Burger King, and Carl's Jr. categories under the Fast Food category. Is OpioNate now the overseer of the new subcategories residing in his Fast Food category? How does ownership work with respect to categories and sub-categories and sub-sub-categories?

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Groundspeak will 'own' all categories which have subcategories underneath. Categories with subcategories are just place holders in the logical directory structure (taxonomy) - they have no waymarks.

 

Categories which have waymarks listed directly underneath them will be owned (managed) by us common folk, and these can be moved as necessary by Groundspeak to the right place in the taxonomy.

 

edit: wording

Edited by cache_test_dummies
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