Forum:Category Red-link:Petition

As most users here on central are aware, there has recently been an unnecessary change to Category redlinks, this change is making wiki maintenance and general editing difficult.Therefore I felt it necessary to post this.

We the Users of Wikia here by Request that the category red-links be returned to their previous state of the non-existent categories being clearly identifiable by the red color WIKI WIDE not via custom css, We believe this is only just and fair as it is the method used by many real-world organizations, including the US Senate, and Congress, we feel it has had to come to this, as Wikia will not listen to the obvious disapproval to a change like this 

Please Post a comment below, signing with your signature
 * 1) This is an unnecessary change and is causing a lot of stress with Wiki maintenance,as users do not realize their spelling errors when adding categories, and boom the category is created --Tama 63  12:54, August 20, 2011 (UTC)
 * 2) It's very annoying when you make a page with a bad link and don't realize, the red links would really help us! I dont have a sig soo... Jack Pistol  i'll make a temp on page one :P
 * 3) It confuses many sysop, and could get users unfairly punished if the sysop believed they made the category without a sysop's permission. John Breasly (Temporary Sig)
 * 4) The main problem with this change is that it reduces the accuracy of wikis. We're all striving towards building sites that are reliable, but this change introduces the ability to make easy mistakes.  Red links are helpful.  They aren't to be avoided.  They show you when you've made a mistake in spelling, or when you need to do a little more work.  It's also now impossible to demonstrate a theoretical or proposed category name in discussions, because everything appears to be a valid category.  I'm generally quite happy to give Wikia the benefit of the doubt when it comes to changes — my primary site, w:c:tardis, is wholly Wikia-skin friendly, for instance — but I don't get this one at all.  In my view, this is one of the very few changes that Wikia have made which has absolutely no arguable benefit.  15:50:08 Sat 20 Aug 2011
 * 5) I just fail to see the logic in this colour change. It's confusing and time consuming, not being able to know what needs to be created or as others have said has been created in error. --Tangerineduel / talk 16:14, August 20, 2011 (UTC)
 * 6) It makes it harder to maintain a Wiki and more difficult to maintain a good work when editing a lot of pages. Hunter789 21:40, August 20, 2011 (UTC)
 * 7) The red text acts as a flag that either something is wrong or that a category needs to be approved / created. Please return to the previous method. M. Gail P. 01:05, August 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * 8) After reading alot of comments from staff, I still don't understand why the red link implementation for category just doesn't work this way: category pages that haven't been created still show a red link, but just don't automatically go to the create/edit page when you click on them, but still of course have an edit button when you visit them by clicking on them, so they can be created/edited at leisure. This serves the dual purpose of allowing experienced users to see that the categories are not yet created, but spares inexperienced users from getting the confusing create/edit page. -- Fandyllic (talk &middot; contr) 20 Aug 2011 11:21 PM Pacific
 * 9) Per Fandyllic, not only that, but it is now 2 clicks to actually edit the page. The user shouldn't be dumbfounded when clicking a 'red link' category and getting an edit screen because isn't that what happens when clicking a normal red link? Rappy 07:04, August 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * 10) Totally against the prohibition of giving a distinguishable color to links to nonexistant categories, different from existent ones. I cannot see how this can affect "consistency" while on every wiki you can change red and normal link colors how you want with the theme designer. I would accept happily Fandyllic's idea as a replacement. --Ciencia Al Poder (talk) -WikiDex 19:37, August 21, 2011 (UTC)
 * 11) I tend not to join these petition things (I prefer to keep my mouth shut after "Oasisgate"), but this just doesn't make sense at all. CzechOut and Fandyllic pretty much hit the nail on the head: red links are helpful (and if someone says they're not aesthetically pleasing, please take a look at the site design around you), and a different solution is needed. A wiki's reputation isn't shattered by having red links; it's improved, by showing that there is still more to be added. A wiki is never completed, despite what some want to think. Styracosaurus Rider (Speak to the Rider, your Lord and Master) {Look upon my servants} 19:50, August 21, 2011 (UTC)