Hi WikiTreers,
In the past we have discussed whether or not to approve the usage of "external link templates," i.e. templates that produce links to external websites.
There was no consensus. The question was left unresolved, and this has led to confusion, especially regarding the widely-used {{FindAGrave}} template.
I have drafted up a new proposal: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Link_Templates
The way I've defined them here, link templates are a subcategory of formatting templates. They are intended to format links. They are not intended to format sources or transclude content.
Formatting is a generally approved usage of templates, but there aren't specific recommendations on the use of formatting templates. For example, we have formatting templates for turning text {{Red}} or {{Blue}} but we don't have style rules for when text should be colored.
We already have link formatting templates such as {{G2G}} for creating a link to this forum, and {{AncestryDNA}}, {{23andMe}}, and {{Family Tree DNA}} for creating links to those sites that pay WikiTree a commission if someone purchases a DNA test through them. These link templates could be used in profiles, but it's not specifically recommended.
Officially recommending link templates would mean they would become widely used. If you enter a plain text link, somebody else might change it. Not using them would never be "wrong" but using them would be the recommended way to enter links to sites that have link templates.
Why wouldn't we want to recommend link templates in profiles?
There is the general issue with all templates: they're confusing to new members. The wiki markup style for adding links is already confusing. Entering {{FindAGrave|19598}} is easier than entering [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19598 Find A Grave Memorial #19598], but members would have to understand that the former produces the same result as the latter. That's added complexity.
There is also the issue of losing the link in non-WikiTree contexts, e.g. if a profile is imported elsewhere. {{FindAGrave|19598}} isn't as clear as [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19598 Find A Grave Memorial #19598]. If the template is named well, most intelligent users could figure it out, though. And the current proposal is for templates to produce the links, not complete source citations.
What do you think of Help:Link Templates? Please post here if you have input.
Thanks!
Chris
P.S. Ales wanted me to mention that EditBot could help update existing link templates to conform to new style rules, and could help change conventional links to link templates. Changing our style rules doesn't mean any member needs to do more work. For those who would want to use them, Ales mentioned the possibility of creating a converter that would automatically give you the template code when you enter a URL. Lots of possibilities would be opened up by officially recommending link templates.