Wikipedia Editors Debate Hatnote Removal, Empty Category Deletion Affecting Reader Navigation

Online encyclopedia editors recently discussed the removal of hatnotes and the potential deletion of an empty category. The discussions highlight ongoing efforts to maintain consistency and improve reader navigation on the platform.

Wikipedia editor Dmoore5556 expressed reservations on August 23 about removing hatnotes, citing concerns that it could "strand" readers. Dmoore5556 referenced the WP:LEGITHAT guidelines, which suggest hatnotes direct readers to other articles they might be looking for. To promote consistency, Dmoore5556 removed a similar hatnote from the "no-hitter" article.

In response, editor Clarityfiend noted that the list previously contained in the hatnote is already linked within the article itself. Clarityfiend suggested that if the link were not in the article body, the appropriate place for it would be the "See also" section.

Separately, a speedy deletion nomination was filed yesterday, September 13, for "Category:Sports leagues disestablished in 1879" by user Liz. The reason for the nomination is that the category is currently empty. This category does not fall under exceptions such as being a disambiguation category, a category redirect, under discussion at Categories for discussion, or a project category that may occasionally be empty.

Under Wikipedia's criteria for speedy deletion, specifically section C1, an empty category may be deleted if it remains empty for seven days or more. Users can contest the nomination by visiting the category page and removing the speedy deletion tag.