Talk:Stephen Collins Foster
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Suggested rename
All the sources I've consulted list this composer as "Stephen Foster", noting his middle name in parentheses or not at all. It therefore seems sensible to me to rename this page "Stephen C. Foster". Comments? --Bobnotts talk 07:39, 19 April 2010 (UTC)
- Seems like extra work to change all the pages already listing Stephen Collins Foster as the composer. Didn't we have a discussion somewhere about Ouseley, and ended up retaining his full name? And if all the sources you've consulted list Foster as "Stephen Foster", are you splitting the difference by suggesting "Stephen C. Foster"? But if others think the changes are warranted, I've no objection. – Chucktalk Giffen♫ 14:51, 19 April 2010 (UTC)
- Well, a mass rename/delete is technically possible, using the extensions ReplaceText and NukeDPL, so, the work involved would be reduced a lot. My main argument in favor of using complete names when possible is to avoid ambiguity with homonyms. At Wikipedia there is a disambiguation page that lists a few other people with similar names, but at the same time they have left the composer at the shortened title, somewhat implying that he's famous enough to use it (and no one else). I would agree with changing his name here to the same title used at Wikipedia ("Stephen Foster"), but I particularly don't like the alternative with the middle abbreviation. —Carlos
15:34, 19 April 2010 (UTC)
- Well, a mass rename/delete is technically possible, using the extensions ReplaceText and NukeDPL, so, the work involved would be reduced a lot. My main argument in favor of using complete names when possible is to avoid ambiguity with homonyms. At Wikipedia there is a disambiguation page that lists a few other people with similar names, but at the same time they have left the composer at the shortened title, somewhat implying that he's famous enough to use it (and no one else). I would agree with changing his name here to the same title used at Wikipedia ("Stephen Foster"), but I particularly don't like the alternative with the middle abbreviation. —Carlos
- Fair enough. I just think it's sensible to have the composer page titled with the composer's name as it is most frequently found. Very few people would expect to find Johann Bach, but Johann Sebastian Bach instead, for example. Another case is Charles Villiers Stanford who is sometimes known as "C.V. Stanford" but otherwise by his full name. It's more common that people will have a set form composer name in their head when the composer is better known, of course. What do Americans call this chap? Perhaps "Stephen Foster" without the middle initial would be the best option. --Bobnotts talk 16:37, 19 April 2010 (UTC)