SPCodex:Manual of Style

This page documents the general style of articles on this wiki. It largely follows the English Wikipedia's manual of style. Note this is a guideline and not strict requirements. When in doubt, use existing articles that are well-developed as guide.

"The Smashing Pumpkins" or just "Smashing Pumpkins"?

It's a long-held debate. Billy Corgan himself has gone back and forth, but the consensus on Wikipedia (which has been adopted here), is that it's The Smashing Pumpkins. Of course, this is not a hard rule, and the page Smashing Pumpkins redirects to The Smashing Pumpkins. So if you forget or wish not to adhere to this guideline, that's okay. Page titles should always follows this guideline, however.

"Billy Corgan" or "William Patrick Corgan"?

Unfortunately, for categorization purposes, there can only be one. Billy Corgan is the so-called "common name", so we have gone with that. Please try to keep it consistent. For releases under the WPC name (such as Cotillions), simply state that it was stylized under the name William Patrick Corgan in the first sentence of the article.

Songs and albums

This section explains how we typically format articles on songs and albums.

Mentions

When mentioning songs, the title should have double-quotes around it, such as "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", while albums and tours should be italicized, like Oceania and Spirits On Fire tour. These should always be linked at least in the first mention, so long as the subject is by The Smashing Pumpkins or related act within the scope of SPCodex.

Lead

The "lead" is the first paragraph of the article. The first sentence should include the subject of the article in bold, indicate the artist (it's not just SP on this wiki), and other relevant information such as the most notable release and songwriter. Some terms such as "cover" and "B-side" can link to the category.

Here are some examples for the first sentence:

• "I of the Mourning" is a promotional single for The Smashing Pumpkins' fifth studio album, Machina/The Machines of God.
• Pisces Iscariot is a compilation album by The Smashing Pumpkins, released in 1994 through Virgin Records, consisting of B-sides and outtakes.

Layout

Sections (as they exist) should generally follow in this order:

• Lead
  • Should container either {{Infobox song}} or {{Infobox album}}
  • Basic synopsis in prose, highlighting the most interesting facts that are in the rest of the album
• Background – 1-3 paragraphs. involving the recording and background behind the single or album. You can use {{cquote}} to format large quotes, say from the liner notes.
• Music video – Use the {{youtube}} template to embed the video, if available.
• Lyrics – use the {{lyrics}} template
• Track listing – Use the {{track listing}} template. Include the runtime of each track, if known, and always link the song titles to the respective article (even if that article doesn't exist yet). Also make mention of differing songwriters, if applicable.
• Release history – using {{releases top}}, {{release}} and {{releases bottom}}
• Personnel – Songwriters, producers, etc. Use the {{credit}} template in bulleted lists, which will eventually be used to generate automated reports of all the credits on the biographical pages.
• Charts – Use {{single chart}} or {{album chart}} for rows in tables, and {{Certification Table Entry}} for certifications.
• Add the {{availability}} template for songs here, which automatically generates the "Availability" section heading with a list of releases that include the song, as well as the Tour history section.
• References – Should generally contain only the {{reflist}} template.
• External links – Should include a link to the SPFC entry (using {{SPFC}}), along with anything else worth linking to.

This is merely a guideline. Create sections and re-organize them as you see fit. Sections can be combined if they are too short on their own, or omitted if there is no information. Use your judgement.

Personnel

Articles on people should be limited only to notable personnel. They can give basic details and facts about the person's life, but the content should mainly be about the person's work with The Smashing Pumpkins or related act. For instance, the article on Nicole Fiorentino omits going into detail about their work with Hole and other acts, focusing only on the Pumpkins. Similarly the Billy Corgan article should not go into too much detail about wrestling. It may be interesting to some, but it is not directly related to the music, which is the scope of this wiki.

When referring to any persons, use their full name or only their surname (last name). For instance, the lead of the article would typically say Billy Corgan (and linked), while subsequent mentions would be "Corgan" and not "Billy".

Links

Internal links should be used liberally where possible to ease navigation. For instance songs, albums, and notable personnel should always be linked, and studios and tours should be linked if an article exists for them. Even if the target article doesn't exist, you should feel free to link anyway if you feel the article should be created.

External links may be used freely, so long as they are not spam and the site is relevant to the subject. Do not link to fan videos or other self-promotional content.

Interwiki links are links that go to another wiki. You will see many that go to Wikipedia. Generally, interwiki links are only used for subjects for which there isn't and should be a local article, but the topic may be of interest to the reader. For instance, you can link to the Wikipedia article for bands and artists that aren't within our scope. To add such links, just prefix the location with w:, for instance [[w:Robert Smith|Robert Smith]] links to the article on Robert Smith. These links do not appear red if the article doesn't exist, so you must first ensure it exists on Wikipedia.

Tone

SPCodex is a fan site, so we try to keep all content positive. Add as much relevant, interesting information as you'd like, but please keep out any negative critical reviews or outside opinions of the band. We know not every album/song was well-received by all, but it was well-received by us. The bad reviews just make for a less than pleasant read. Each page has a "Discussion" tab where fans can share opinions.

Please also try to use a professional tone in your writing. This site is meant to be educational and informative.