Difference between revisions of "Help:Categories"

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(Briefly describe the overall CHWiki category structure, at a high level)
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#Redirect [[Help:Introduction to Categories]]
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The Computer History Wiki has a fairly elaborate set of '[[Special:Categories|categories]]', each of which collects together all the articles on a given topic. They are all linked together (one particular category may be a member of any other category - or categories), to further their ''main'' goal: to help people ''find things''.
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The resulted structure bears some resemblance to a [[tree]] (although it has multiple 'roots'); but it is in fact a [[graph]], because there is more than one path from a root to many leaf categories. In other words, a particular category may be included in several different 'super-categories'. (This is also true of articles: a particular article may be included in several different categories.) This is all a direct result of the main goal: making it easy to find things.
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E.g. [[:Category:IBM PCs]] is in both [[:Category:IBM Computers]] and [[:Category:Personal Computers]]). Having alternate 'paths' to things makes them easier to find. (So for someone interested in IBM gear, they might get to [[:Category:IBM PCs]] via [[:Category:IBM Computers]]; but someone who is interested in PCs, they might get to it via [[:Category:Personal Computers]].)
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==Overall structure==
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The 'top' (i.e. the place where many users 'enter' it) of the CHWiki's category graph looks roughly (it is a dynamic structure, and this 'map' is not produced automagically, so it may be slightly out of date) like this. (You are not expected to remember ''any'' of this detail; just glance at it, so you get a ''very'' rough idea of how it is arranged, and then keep reading, below):
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* [[:Category:Basics|Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Analog Computers|Analog Computers]]
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** [[:Category:Architectures|Architectures]]
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** [[:Category:Communication Basics|Communication Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Components|Components]]
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** [[:Category:Computer Basics|Computer Basics]]
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** [[:Category:CPU Basics|CPU Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Device Basics|Device Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Electrical|Electrical]]
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** [[:Category:Electrical Basics|Electrical Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Electronics|Electronics]]
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** [[:Category:Hardware Basics|Hardware Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Mass Storage|Mass Storage]]
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** [[:Category:Memory Basics|Memory Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Networking Basics|Networking Basics]]
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** [[:Category:OS Basics|OS Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Software Basics|Software Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Technology|Technology]]
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** [[:Category:Terminology|Terminology]]
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** [[:Category:Theory|Theory]]
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* [[:Category:Hardware|Hardware]]
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** [[:Category:Buses|Buses]]
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** [[:Category:Components|Components]]
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** [[:Category:CPU Basics|CPU Basics]]
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** [[:Category:CPU Hardware|CPU Hardware]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Hardware|DEC Hardware]]
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** [[:Category:Device Basics|Device Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Electrical|Electrical]]
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** [[:Category:Electronics|Electronics]]
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** [[:Category:Hardware Basics|Hardware Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Integrated Circuits|Integrated Circuits]]
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** [[:Category:Interface Standards|Interface Standards]]
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** [[:Category:Mass Storage|Mass Storage]]
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** [[:Category:Memories|Memories]]
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** [[:Category:Memory Basics|Memory Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Peripherals|Peripherals]]
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** [[:Category:Processors|Processors]]
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** [[:Category:Technology|Technology]]
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* [[:Category:Software|Software]]
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** [[:Category:Apple Software|Apple Software]]
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** [[:Category:Application Software|Application Software]]
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** [[:Category:Boot binaries|Boot binaries]]
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** [[:Category:Coding Systems|Coding Systems]]
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** [[:Category:Compatible PC Software|Compatible PC Software]]
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** [[:Category:Compression Software|Compression Software]]
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** [[:Category:Debuggers|Debuggers]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Software|DEC Software]]
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** [[:Category:Demo Software|Demo Software]]
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** [[:Category:Emulators|Emulators]]
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** [[:Category:Formats|Formats]]
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** [[:Category:Games|Games]]
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** [[:Category:GNU Software|GNU Software]]
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** [[:Category:Languages|Languages]]
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** [[:Category:Networking Software|Networking Software]]
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** [[:Category:Non-Compatible PC Software|Non-Compatible PC Software]]
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** [[:Category:Operating Environments|Operating Environments]]
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** [[:Category:Operating Systems|Operating Systems]]
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** [[:Category:Software Basics|Software Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Software Concepts|Software Concepts]]
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** [[:Category:Source Code|Source Code]]
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** [[:Category:Terminal Emulators|Terminal Emulators]]
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** [[:Category:Window Systems|Window Systems]]
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* [[:Category:Networking|Networking]]
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** [[:Category:ARPANET|ARPANET]]
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** [[:Category:Chaos|Chaos]]
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** [[:Category:Data Networks|Data Networks]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Networking|DEC Networking]]
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** [[:Category:Internet|Internet]]
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** [[:Category:Network Interfaces|Network Interfaces]]
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** [[:Category:Network Protocols|Network Protocols]]
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** [[:Category:Networking Basics|Networking Basics]]
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** [[:Category:Networking Software|Networking Software]]
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* [[:Category:Standards|Standards]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Standards|DEC Standards]]
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** [[:Category:Interface Standards|Interface Standards]]
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* [[:Category:Organizations|Organizations]]
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** [[:Category:Companies|Companies]]
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** [[:Category:Professional Bodies|Professional Bodies]]
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** [[:Category:Research Organizations|Research Organizations]]
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* [[:Category:History|History]]
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** [[:Category:Early Computers|Early Computers]]
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** [[:Category:Early Computing Devices|Early Computing Devices]]
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** [[:Category:Humour|Humour]]
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** [[:Category:People|People]]
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** [[:Category:Research Organizations|Research Organizations]]
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** [[:Category:Unique Computers|Unique Computers]]
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* [[:Category:Documentation|Documentation]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Documentation|DEC Documentation]]
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** [[:Category:DEC Documentation Errors|DEC Documentation Errors]]
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** [[:Category:Standards|Standards]]
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** [[:Category:UNIX Documentation|UNIX Documentation]]
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* [[:Category:Tutorials|Tutorials]]
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** [[:Category:GXemul Tutorials|GXemul Tutorials]]
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** [[:Category:Practical Guides|Practical Guides]]
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** [[:Category:QEMU Tutorials|QEMU Tutorials]]
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** [[:Category:Radio Shack Emulation Tutorials|Radio Shack Emulation Tutorials]]
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** [[:Category:SIMH Tutorials|SIMH Tutorials]]
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** [[:Category:VENIX Tutorials|VENIX Tutorials]]
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The way you ''are'' supposed to use this admittedly large structure is that the small number of 'top-level' categories (''Basics, Hardware, Systems, Peripherals, Software, Networking, Standards, Organizations, History, Documentation, Tutorials'') are supposed to be disjoint and clear, so that if you are looking for something, it should ''usually'' be fairly obvious which one it will be in (but see below); so you go there . . . and repeat the process at the next level down.
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Notice also that some sub-categories appear in more than one super-category (e.g. [[:Category:Components]] appears in both [[:Category:Basics]] and [[:Category:Hardware]]); that is because that sub-category ''could'' logically be in either super-category - so we put it in ''both'', to make it easy for find. Remember: the number one goal of the CHWiki category structure is to make it easy to find things.
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If you can't quickly and easily find what you are looking for, we have not done a very good job in setting up the categories; please let us know! (You can use the [[Help talk:Categories|talk page here]] to leave us a message.)
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==See also==
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* [[Help:Introduction to Categories]]
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[[Category: Help]]

Revision as of 02:28, 14 January 2024

The Computer History Wiki has a fairly elaborate set of 'categories', each of which collects together all the articles on a given topic. They are all linked together (one particular category may be a member of any other category - or categories), to further their main goal: to help people find things.

The resulted structure bears some resemblance to a tree (although it has multiple 'roots'); but it is in fact a graph, because there is more than one path from a root to many leaf categories. In other words, a particular category may be included in several different 'super-categories'. (This is also true of articles: a particular article may be included in several different categories.) This is all a direct result of the main goal: making it easy to find things.

E.g. Category:IBM PCs is in both Category:IBM Computers and Category:Personal Computers). Having alternate 'paths' to things makes them easier to find. (So for someone interested in IBM gear, they might get to Category:IBM PCs via Category:IBM Computers; but someone who is interested in PCs, they might get to it via Category:Personal Computers.)

Overall structure

The 'top' (i.e. the place where many users 'enter' it) of the CHWiki's category graph looks roughly (it is a dynamic structure, and this 'map' is not produced automagically, so it may be slightly out of date) like this. (You are not expected to remember any of this detail; just glance at it, so you get a very rough idea of how it is arranged, and then keep reading, below):

The way you are supposed to use this admittedly large structure is that the small number of 'top-level' categories (Basics, Hardware, Systems, Peripherals, Software, Networking, Standards, Organizations, History, Documentation, Tutorials) are supposed to be disjoint and clear, so that if you are looking for something, it should usually be fairly obvious which one it will be in (but see below); so you go there . . . and repeat the process at the next level down.

Notice also that some sub-categories appear in more than one super-category (e.g. Category:Components appears in both Category:Basics and Category:Hardware); that is because that sub-category could logically be in either super-category - so we put it in both, to make it easy for find. Remember: the number one goal of the CHWiki category structure is to make it easy to find things.

If you can't quickly and easily find what you are looking for, we have not done a very good job in setting up the categories; please let us know! (You can use the talk page here to leave us a message.)

See also

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