First of all, it seems like with a lot of creator pages, we're just copying IMDB, and not doing it as well as them. If there's nothing specifically tropeworthy about an actor (e.g. typecasting), I don't think we need a page that's just a list of the films and shows they've appeared in.

Second, there seems to be no system for listing roles. I've seen it done by year (ascending and descending), alphabetized by work, alphabetized by character name (which gets confusing especially with characters who follow a surname-first naming system), and just not organized at all. We should decide on one and make it clear.

I prefer alphabetizing by work, it is much easier to list rather than by character name.

If people are copying directly from IMDB, that violates our plagiarism rules and needs to be quashed.

I think Opabinia meant copying IMDB's style, not the exact words.

Until next time...

Anon e Mouse Jr.

FTR, the current policy is Creator Page Guidelines.

I don't think every actor needs a trope list (as even trivia that applies to their work on something might just go better on that work's trivia page), but a description more substantial than 1-2 lines of Alice Actor is an actress best known for A Movie would be ideal. If it describes their background, career beginnings, other ventures outside of acting, then I think it's fine.

I prefer chronological work organization (and IMO "alphabetical by character" is a horrible and nonsensical way to do it) but I'm also not sure we need a hard rule for it.

Edited by Synchronicity on Sep 29th 2023 at 11:56:38 AM

The primary function that a Creator page serves on the wiki is to be a reference to works that said person (or company) has participated in creating. Biography is a secondary function.

My minimum is one or more sentences ("Joe is an American actor" is short but passes) and at least three roles.

If there's a list of roles, I'd like it to be chronological with all years stated or alphabetical by work. Definitely not by character because that makes sorting hard and it's a little fan myopic. Besides this, I don't think putting in any additional rules about actor pages is necessary.

Edited by Tabs on Sep 29th 2023 at 9:44:49 AM

I would be satisfied with chronological order or alphabetical by work. Alphabetical by role is insane.

I'm leaning towards alphabetical by work, mainly because that would be easier to figure out at a glance. In any case, I would rather we didn't alphabetise by role, there's no benefit for anyone reading the page with that method.

Sorting by year makes the most sense to me. Hard no on alphabetization by role.

Alphabetization by work title is the way to go. Sorting by year, or, worse, by role, just invites shoehorning second-tier bullet points for works big on continuity, like this:

• 2005: Character A in work XXX
• 2007: Character B in work YYY
  • 2016: Role Reprise in Revenge of YYY
• 2008: Character C in work ZZZ

Using the same argument:

• XXX: Character A
• YYY: Character B
  • Revenge of YYY: Role Reprise
• ''ZZZ": Character C

Not that we need to be aping any other site, but every one I've ever seen uses release date as their sorting. The only reason for us not to do that is if we don't list the year at all. The order should make for natural reading.

Works that Tara Zoinkles has acted in:

• (2005) Put On a Bus
• (2007) Zebra Crossing
• (2010) The Bus Came Back

Works that Tara Zoinkles has acted in:

• The Bus Came Back
• Put On a Bus
• Zebra Crossing

In the second case, if Put On a Bus and The Bus Came Back are part of a franchise, you could use sub-bullets, which makes more sense than chronological order.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 12th 2023 at 6:25:32 AM

True, but trope pages already do something similar by by putting only the series/franchise page in alphabetic order, and then putting entries in the series into second bullet points in release order. Since it's a standard practice, enforced by Example Indentation in Trope Lists, it should be fine to do the same on other pages, too.

I've created a lot of Actor/Creator pages, and chiming in about listing by year making the most sense, just so everything is listed in chronological order. "No" on Work title/alphabetization and Hard "No" and alphabetizing by role name. I usually do this listing, as it's the easiest thing for me to read and for the aesthetic:

Film

• Work Title (1999) - Role Played, producer
  • I use lowercase on behind the scenes roles

Television

• Work Title (1999) - Role Played, recurring role/main role/1 episode
  • If the episodes are a part of Recap listed on here, I link them.

Example page I made: Creator.Javicia Leslie

Edited by MegaJ on Oct 13th 2023 at 2:32:02 PM

Bumping, had a little Edit War over at Creator.Shanola Hampton, so just chiming in again about how a standardized format would be helpful.

Maybe it's been said before in these last under 20 posts but here's my 2 cents. I think that for works they've appeared in, we should do so in chronological order. If nothing like season or month or date is there to help differentiate two works in the same year, then alphabetically.

I.e.

Movies Actor McActor appeared in include:

• The Job (March 11, 2000)
• The Post Office (July 20, 2000)
• A Dead Wish (December 2001)
• Journey For Gems (December 2001)
• Back For More (The Jack Start sequel) (September 8, 2003)

Specific details idm as long as they're consistent, i would prefer month spelled out imo as whatever format is agreed upon, at least there is no need to make assumptions

Also potential hot take but probably just warm, i think all their roles should be included, even those without trope pages, just red link them.

Edited by Adembergz on Nov 16th 2023 at 9:14:23 PM

That would be a lot of work, but maybe it would encourage pages to be made.

Yeah, plus i think it's pretty intuitive and would make more sense than say, randomly or in alphabetical order. Plus consistency just makes things better

Going for the exact month of release seems like it'd be way too much hassle for minimal gain.

Idk i like the idea

What information would you include in the description? I usually just do "Alice is a American actor, she is best known for [blank]."

simple yet sweet. Tho if i had to make a format for that it would be

Actress Full Name (January 8th 1956 - February 17th 2003) is a (if thing there's a creator index for like deaf or LGBT) Senegalese-French voice actress. She's best known for her work on Media I Just Made Up in which she plays characters of varying extremes of voice deepness.

Month of release is overkill.

How about "Bob (born January 1, 2000) is an American actor best known for Show X and Show Y. Sentence with an interesting fact about Bob number 1, a sentence about an interesting fact about Bob 2.

A brief sentence about Bob's personal life about his family, if he is/was married and how many children he has, if any."