Thursday, May 23, 2013

#Wikipedia articles do not always fit #Wikidata needs

At #Wikidata you can add all kinds of nifty attributes to all kinds of subjects. But it can be VERY confusing.

When you read for instance the Wikipedia article about the Umayyad Caliphate, you will find illustrations for two distinct understanding of the word.

There is a map that shows the area that was the Umayyad Caliphate and, you find a map showing the genealogy or the Umayyads. These concepts are related but they are not the same thing. I could argue that all the soldiers, civil servants, the artisans and scientists defined the Umayyad Caliphate as much as the Caliphs themselves did.

The Umayyads are also a family that includes Caliphs, Emirs and many others including spouses, princes and princesses. Some of them lived during the Umayyad Caliphate, others during the Emirate of Cordoba.

In Wikidata the term "Umayyad Caliphate" is now used to indicate that some people are part of a "Noble family". There should be something like "Umayyad family". It is easy to create such an entry.. Should terms like these be the "red links" for new Wikipedia articles ?
Thanks,
       GerardM

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