Should this become the preferred WikiTree policy on Month formats?

Question

Use the 3 letter month format as preferred format.

For those of us that do not use English everyday the 3 letter month is much easier to use and helps avoid spelling errors and suits many different languages. I see no disadvantages other than person preferences based on culture.

English         January     February    March     April    May      June    July   August       September October  November        December

Deutsch       Januar       Februar      März        April    Mai       Juni     Juli    August       September Oktober  November        Dezember

Afrikaans      Januarie    Februarie   Maart       April    Mei       Junie   Julie  Augustus   September Oktober  November        Desember

Danish         januar        februar       marts       april     maj       juni      juli     august       september oktober   november         december

Dutch           januari       februari      maart       april     mei       juni      juli     augustus   september oktober   november         december

English         January     February    March     April    May      June    July   August       September October  November        December

French         janvier        février        mars        avril     mai       juin      juillet août           septembre octobre   novembre         décembre

German        Januar       Februar      März        April    Mai       Juni     Juli    August       September Oktober  November        Dezember

Hungarian    január        február       március   április  május   június  július augusztus  szeptember október   november         december

Italian           gennaio     febbraio     marzo      aprile   maggio giugno luglio agosto       settembre   ottobre    novembre         dicembre

Norwegian   januar        februar       mars        april     mai       juni      juli     august       september oktober   november         desember

Portuguese  janeiro       fevereiro    março     abril     maio    junho   julho agosto       setembro   outubro   novembro         dezembro

Romanian    ianuarie     februarie    martie      aprilie  mai       iunie    iulie   august       septembrie octombrie noiembrie         decembrie

Swedish       januari       februari      mars        april     maj       juni      juli     augusti      september oktober   november         december

Slovak          január        február       marec      apríl     máj       jún       júl      august       septembra október   november         december

Slovenian     januar        februar       marec      april     maj       junij     julij    avgust       september oktober   november         december

Comments

In what context? Isn't it already the standard display for the data fields? For example, my grandmother’s profile says she was 'Born 8 Jun 1892'. Is this a display option that can be changed by users? Or are you thinking that this should be the standard in biographies?

---

In biographies as well of course--that is where the spelling errors would show up and can be more difficult for us that do not use English daily. It should be preferred but free choice. Not sure how many projects have following which is the reason for this proposal.

• English date notation is day-month-year. Type the date in full in the data fields. Spell out the date in full (including the full word for the month) in the Biography.

---

It's worth noting that project guidelines on free-space pages are not official WikiTree policy. See Help:Developing New Rules, which says "Official rules cannot be on free-space profiles because any member can edit these pages".

---

Does that mean all the project pages profile standards are not official as they are on space profiles? That they are only the project teams preferences? - they come across as standards=rules? rules for the project? Or have I misunderstood the English language? Confused

---

WikiTree style rules and policies are those developed by the particular very open process described at Developing New Rules, then documented by the Team on Help pages. Project guidelines do not fulfil those criteria.

---

Some projects do publish guidelines for the preferred styles of their managed profiles. For example, they may request specific headings to be used/filled out.

But the most important point to remember is that style rules in one project should never conflict with those in another project or with the basic rules. See: Styles FAQ.

---

It seems fair that a project can have guidelines for style on profiles managed by that project, just as individual profile managers can determine style on profiles they manage themselves, in line with the creative freedom Steven mentions below—provided they stay within the official style rules and policies found on Help pages.

Answer 1

Yes, I support this change

Answer 2

No, I don't support this change. and why

Comments

It is fine to use the three-letter abbreviations for months in data fields.

It is not good English-language style to use them in the biography text, which ideally should be correctly written prose. The full names for the months are appropriate in that context.

If a biography is written in a language other than English, the standard forms for the full names of the months in that language should be used.

As an example of an official style guide supporting the use of full month names except in cases where space is limited, see this link.

---

Your link was Australian see instead

https://ielts.idp.com/prepare/article-how-to-write-the-date-correctly

which also uses 3 letters

---

I agree with Jim.  I would hate to be told I can no longer spell out the full month in a biography text.

---

Actually that IELTS web page mainly seems to use 4-letter abbreviations. But it distinguishes between formal writing where the full names are spelt out, and informal cases where abbreviations can be used "to save space". WikiTree profiles are formal documents, and there is no shortage of space.

WikiTree members have a variety of preferred styles. Some people may want to use short forms for months on profiles they manage, and should be able to do so if they wish. But other people who want to write correctly should not be forced to use abbreviations which some of us consider quite ugly and inelegant.

---

I feel exactly the same about being told I have to spell out the full month. I did not SUGGEST you HAD to use the 3 letters. I still believe the preferred should be what is best for everyone regardless of their culture but people can use what they will which was my suggestion.

---

If people can proceed according to their preference (an approach I support), then no WikiTree policy is necessary.

---

I believe we should not use abbreviated month names in a narrative biography, thus we should not make that usage the standard.

My opinion is that we should continue current policy, which allows editors some freedom when writing biographies.

edit: I also feel that editors should write biographies in their native languages, rather that feeling forced to write in an unfamiliar language.

---

I am opposed to any policies that limit how users can write a biography. While styles and policies are needed for shared items (categories, templates, headings, etc.) this starts to broach on user's creative freedoms. What happens if dates are used in tables? What if there are full timelines?

---

I think either should be acceptable. Some - but not all - people like to write the full name of the month. As long as the context is clear, either is fine. 

Please do not make either one a set policy for WikiTree.

---

Nope, don't agree, in French June is spelled juin, July is spelled juillet, February is février, April is avril...., so the English abbreviations don't actually correspond as appropriate abbreviations.  It's already enough that the data fields only recognize English format, leave biographies alone please.

Answer 3

I can see the benefits of using the first three letters of the month.  And if it would help those that speak/write more than one language, then I think that would be a good idea.

We would also need to establish if we would format the order of day, month, year.  Do we establish the format as listed above or as month, day, year.

This would be a good discussion for the Categorization team.

Comments

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Date_Fields

---

How the date field is entered is as cultural as language, we already have options.

I do have a cultural preference day, month, year and would not be pleased to have that option removed.

---

I’m ok with either way as long as we spell out the month (April or Apr) because at least then we know which one expresses the day of the date listed.

---

What does it have to with Categorization?