Wikipedia:Subjects vs. terms
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Wikipedia has articles about subjects. A subject can be:
- Something that is innately a subject. Example: "Polar Bear"
- A term. This is where the article is about the term itself, not about what the term refers to. Since Wikipedia is not a dictionary, generally this is where there is an "article sized" amount of material to cover about the term.
- A grouping of items that is created by a widely used term and viewed through the lens of that term. Example: Homosexual agenda This is somewhere in between #1 and #2.
- A grouping created by a Wikipedia editor. Example: A list article
Generally, Wikipedia states that articles are about subjects rather than terms, but then acknowledges that some articles are about terms. In reality this is a false dichotomy and does not go far enough. This essay provides a structural analysis and presentation. A thorough understanding can assist in solving some quandaries and providing clearer guidance.
What is innately a subject?
The answer to the question is a matter of degree.
Probably the best test of what is clearly innately a subject is:
- Would it be regarded as a distinct subject if there were no term for it?"
- Would people overwhelmingly find it useful for thought, communication and study purposes to define it as a subject and give it a name? For example, it would be useful for these purposes to group the large white arctic predator furry land animals together and give them a name if the subject "Polar Bear" did not already exist. It would not be useful to create a name for "all animals that weigh between 149 and 152 lbs"
Many cases are a close second to the above. One example is terms for groupings that are clear human-created near-universally accepted taxonomy schemes. Some examples are Planet and Mammal . The fact the Pluto (which didn't change) changed status when the definition changed illustrates that it is a precise human created grouping/term.
Farther away are groupings that don't have clear rules for inclusion/exclusion. An example is musical genres, and attempt to organize music into groups or to give names to types of music that sound somewhat similar. These schemes are clear only form emblematic examples. For example, Loretta Lynn is certainly country music, but for crossover musicians it is a matter of opinion rather than fact.