Step up and write analysis, and then we'll have more analysis. Any volunteers?
Here is an arbitrary trope assignment for any interested parties: The Good Guys Always Win. Ripe for analysis, yes? Have at it.
If you are not currently jumping out of your seat, well, then you see the problem. Someone has to write it. It doesn't just magically appear. Writing good analysis is hard, and we don't have a lot of people who are interested in doing that.
Rhymes with "Protracted."
I shall be adding a greyed out icon as part of my namespace icons project. But it's going to be launched when I manage to get all of those done. It's easier to code everything up at once.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
It's easy, mmkay?
About how long should analysis entries be? I got started on writing one for the specified trope, because it actually does connect with my interests.
At first I didn't realize I needed all this stuff...
You can start with just a paragraph or two. They can always be fleshed out more by other tropers.
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
I think one of the problems is when you have a trope where you have two different interpretations of the same trope. This is easy to fix when the trope is fresh out of YKTTW, before Trope Decay or trope evolution sets in. But for a trope that's been around for a while, some people may have a better clue than others.
Also, I'd argue that the Analysis needs a slightly higher standard of Citation Needed. Not to Wikipedia level perhaps, but you can't say something like: "this trope arose because Queen Victoria thought it was amusing" without some sort of referential text/site for curious tropers to read.
It's easy, mmkay?
Paragraph written. 
Alright, well done. How about Junk Rare?
Rhymes with "Protracted."
Ravenous Sophovore
Done.
Is there a point to this?
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
If people see more Analysis pages, they'll feel more comfortable in making them themselves.
See, we're making progress. Anyone want to take a whack at Pet the Dog?
Rhymes with "Protracted."
I see the Awesomeness.
Did anyone make a How To Write An Analysis Page thingy to discuss what should go on there, and what shouldn't?
Fight smart, not fair.
I actually made the analysis pages for Satan and Universal Universe Time, but I admit that was mostly to get rid of a Wall of Text on the descriptions of those tropes. Anyway, maybe the logo could be made bigger? I know I really didn't have a clue what that magnifying glass was for a while. Also a how to page should be made as well.
edited 25th Mar '12 7:01:36 PM by wuggles
Hammer of the Pervs
How about a tab that has the logo and "Analysis?" Like the Discussion tab the way it is currently. I rarely ever notice the magnifying glass either, since I always think of those tabs as all the bullshit I don't want to read anyway.
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
It was like that for a while there, but for Eddie changed it when it was added to every page. Probably didn't want it to be too obtrusive.
A pocketful of saudade.
Does this topic cover how to make the Analysis page more visible? In general the icon/button placements on this site is indeed a bit on the messy side.
The words above are to be read as if they are narrated by Morgan Freeman.
Ravenous Sophovore
Yes. Making it more visible may encourage more use.
Doing them one at a time from this thread isn't likely to help much. A dedicated Special Efforts thread may be a better choice.
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.
There is already one
.
The Inheritor
If you are going to use an analysis page, use it properly. As in, you know, actually analyzing. It should be a place to describe the hows and whys, not just an extended version of the trope page.
Do not be so quick to make foolish offers, Daemon. Araghast too once thought I would be an asset to his cause. Look what has become of him.
Hammer of the Pervs
The last post in that thread was in October. I just posted right now about the Analysis.Short Range Shotgun I wrote recently. Any thoughts are welcome here or in the Special Efforts thread. I plan on writing more of those for other firearms and military tropes soon.
edited 31st Mar '12 9:56:41 AM by Martello
"Did anybody invent this stuff on purpose?" - Phillip Marlowe on tequila, Finger Man by Raymond Chandler.
I can't found out what analysis pages are even for.
Don't make me destroy you. @ Castle Series
Basically, interpretations of tropes/works.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Okay, sweet.
Don't make me destroy you. @ Castle Series
Night Clerk of the Apacalypse.
And this is a problem. We need to make it easy to find out what said pages are for. Maybe a blurb box at the top when you visit the page would be handy?
Who watches the watchmen?
Why not make it so the Analysis tab *doesn't* show up on every page, but only when there is an Analysis?
Right now, This Troper almost never clicks the Analysis tab, because almost always there's nothing there. Which trains me to not to bother clicking the tab.
Splitting this off of the embarrassing crap on the wiki thread, let's talk about the Analysis pages.
It's been brought up that while trope analysis is on-mission for us, the pages themselves are underutilized. This may be because the icon is too small or because it shows up for every page, but is rarely used.
It's certainly related to the fact that while it's easy to spot a pattern, it's harder to find the meaning, and harder still to analyze that meaning. Most of our users may not be at the level that is ready to do that.
Anyway, let's brainstorm some ways we can make the Analysis pages more useful and popular.
Waiting on a TRS slot? Finishing off one of these cleaning efforts will usually open one up.