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===General points on linking style=== | ===General points on linking style=== | ||
*As explained in more detail at | *As explained in more detail at [[Wikipedia:Help:Link|Wikipedia:Wikilinks}}, linking can be "direct" (<code><nowiki>[[Exploration]]</nowiki></code>, which results in {{xt|[[Exploration]]}}), or "piped" (<code><nowiki>[[Exploration|exploring]]</nowiki></code>, which results in {{xt|[[Exploration|exploring]]}} in the text, but still links to the article "[[Exploration]]" (though [[Wikipedia:Help:Pipe trick|Pipe trick]] is an easier way to create this particular link). | ||
*Section headings should not themselves contain links; instead, a {{tl|main | *Section headings should not themselves contain links; instead, a {{tl|main}} or {{tl|see also}} template should be placed immediately after the heading. | ||
*Links should not be placed in the [[ | *Links should not be placed in the [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Lead section#Format of the first sentence|boldface reiteration of the title]] in the opening sentence of a lead.<ref>Many, but not all, articles repeat the article title in bold face in the first line of the article. Linking the article to itself produces '''boldface text'''; this practice is discouraged as page moves will result in a useless circular link through a redirect. Linking ''part'' of the bolded text is also discouraged because it changes the visual effect of bolding; some readers will miss the visual cue which is the purpose of using bold face in the first place.</ref> | ||
*Items within quotations should not generally be linked; instead, consider placing the relevant links in the surrounding text or in the "See also" section of the article. | *Items within quotations should not generally be linked; instead, consider placing the relevant links in the surrounding text or in the "See also" section of the article. | ||
*When possible, avoid placing links next to each other so that they look like a single link, as in <code><nowiki>[[Ireland|Irish]] [[Chess]] [[Championship]]</nowiki></code> ([[Wikipedia:Ireland|Irish]] [[Wikipedia:Chess|Chess]] [[Wikipedia:Championship|Championship]]). Consider rephrasing the sentence, omitting one of the links, or using a more specific single link (e.g. to [[Wikipedia:Irish Chess Championship|Irish Chess Championship]] using <code><nowiki>[[Irish Chess Championship]]</nowiki></code>) instead. | |||
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*Articles on technical subjects might demand a higher density of links than general-interest articles, because they are likely to contain more technical terms that general dictionaries are unlikely to explain in context. | *Articles on technical subjects might demand a higher density of links than general-interest articles, because they are likely to contain more technical terms that general dictionaries are unlikely to explain in context. | ||
*Beware of linking to an article without first confirming that it is helpful in context; the fact that its title matches the concept you wish to link to, does not guarantee that it deals with the desired topic at all. For example, a physicist speaking of [[Barn (unit)| | *Beware of linking to an article without first confirming that it is helpful in context; the fact that its title matches the concept you wish to link to, does not guarantee that it deals with the desired topic at all. For example, a physicist speaking of [[Wikipedia:Barn (unit)|barns]] is highly unlikely to wish to link to [[Wikipedia:Barn|Barn]] instead of [[Wikipedia:Barn (unit)|Barn (unit)]], and any reader needing to click on such a link almost certainly will struggle to make sense of what the system offers. | ||
*Do not create links to user, | *Do not create links to user, essay, or draft pages in articles, except in articles about the UniWiki itself ''(see [[UniWiki:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid|Self-references to avoid]])''. | ||
*Do not unnecessarily make a reader chase links: if a highly technical term can be simply explained with very few words, do so. | *Do not unnecessarily make a reader chase links: if a highly technical term can be simply explained with very few words, do so. | ||
*Do use a link wherever appropriate, but as far as possible do not force a reader to use that link to understand the sentence. | *Do use a link wherever appropriate, but as far as possible do not force a reader to use that link to understand the sentence. | ||
*The text needs to make sense to readers who cannot follow links. Users may print articles or read offline, and | *The text needs to make sense to readers who cannot follow links. Users may print articles or read offline, and UniWiki content may be encountered in republished form, often without links. | ||
*Refrain from implementing colored links that may impede user ability to distinguish links from regular text, or color links for purely aesthetic reasons. | *Refrain from implementing colored links that may impede user ability to distinguish links from regular text, or color links for purely aesthetic reasons. | ||