Splitting subindexes

Is there a policy about when/if tropes or works should be on both a subindex or superindex?

For example, this draft is an attempt to split up the Web Video index and move some works off of there, stemming partially from this discussion. Seems like a good idea.

I recently launched Food as Characterization, a subindex of Food Tropes, and Sitcom Tropes, a subindex of Comedy Tropes. Should I remove tropes on these indexes for the superindex? In the former case, all the tropes on Food as Characterization are distinct in character from other tropes on Food Tropes that aren't on the index, but Food Tropes is a reasonable-sized page. In the latter case, Comedy Tropes is quite bloated and could use some splitting. But many of tropes on Sitcom Tropes are not exclusive to sitcoms, merely common in them. What to do?

Is there a general principle or effort we should be working towards here.

Edited by naturalironist on Aug 24th 2020 at 3:59:29 PM

I've always thought that a trope shouldn't be listed on a broader index if a sub-index fit it more, similar to how a work shouldn't list a supertrope when it uses a more specific subtrope. When I made Underwater Index I took all the tropes on it from Instant Index: Just Add Water!. I don't know if that's a policy found in writing, though.

I don't know of a policy either, but this is a good discussion to have.

For Web Video Series, I am moving tons of things off the Web Video index and onto that. It was too damn large, collected misuses, and not useful having everything piled into one place. So that made sense to me and some other folks.

I'm inclined to take that same approach with other stuff— go to the sub-index, not the super-index, otherwise it becomes too unwieldy.

Yes, normally we want stuff to be put on the child index and not the parent index if the child index applies. In practice, not all people find the appropriate child index, so sometimes you need to go in and move stuff around.