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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Circusandmagicfan (talk | contribs) at 14:49, 31 March 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Wikipedia:WikiProject Magic (Draft new project page)

Welcome to the Magic WikiProject on the English Wikipedia! We are a group dedicated to improving Wikipedia's coverage of topics related to magic as a performance art. If you would like to join us, please feel free to add your name to the list of project members.


Goals


Scope

The project generally considers any article related to magic as a performance art to be within its scope. A more detailed description of the scope, and our primary focus areas within it, may be found in the section on project scope.

Structure


Guidelines

The guidelines in this section

Structure of articles

Magic methods/Exposure

Because the publication of magic methods is controversial it is especially important that any attempt to do so should adhere strictly to the established policies and guidelines that are Wikipedia's foundation. In particular I think WP:Attribution is significant. If information about a method is quoted from another freely available source then it becomes more difficult for magicians to argue that Wikipedia is the point at which exposure is occurring. I would add here that some articles contain methods that are unsourced and seem speculative and inaccurate, which undermines the quality of the Magic Project generally and contravenes WP:NOR

If a method is added to an article but no reference is provided we should apply the section of WP:Attribution that says: "Any edit lacking attribution may be removed, and the final burden of evidence lies with the editor wishing to add or retain the material."

Normally I would add an "unreferenced" tag and leave the text for a while to see if someone could add a source, however because this is a controversial issue I think the material should be kept out of the article until it can be properly referenced.

Because the concept of intellectual property often forms part of arguments about exposure of methods and because magicians have occasionally resorted to the courts in an attempt to suppress publication of methods it is important that attention is paid to relevant areas of law. The Wikipedia policy on Copyright problems deals with part of this but there might also be additional issues to do with information that is covered by laws on confidentiality (eg. this might be because it is covered by a Non-disclosure agreement but could also be because, in some jurisdictions such as the UK, there are laws that automatically give certain information a confidential quality). The article on Intellectual rights to magic methods is good but is not yet comprehensive - in particular it should be noted that, even though international treaties have resulted in a certain amount of commonality, intellectual property law does vary from one country to another - the current entry has an American focus.

In any case I am not trying to pre-empt proper legal advice, which Wikipedia already has provisions for. I certainly don't want this to be taken as an argument in favour of prior restraint. It is merely intended as cautionary advice. What I suggest is that, before adding material concerning methods, contributors should take reasonable steps to confirm the material is not covered by copyright or confidentiality. Obviously there is a debate to be had about what constitutes "reasonable steps", but to some extent the solution again resides with application of WP:Attribution.


Resources

Project Templates

The Code:{{Magic}} template is positioned at the top of the talk page for each article within the project. It produces a box that looks like this...

WikiProject iconMagic NA‑class
WikiProject iconThis page is within the scope of WikiProject Magic, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of magic on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.MagicWikipedia:WikiProject MagicTemplate:WikiProject MagicMagic
NAThis page does not require a rating on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.


The Code:{{Magicbox}} template is positioned at the bottom of eaach article. It produces a box that looks like this...
Template:Magicbox


The Code:{{Magic-spoiler}} template is used to create a warning message ahead of any content that might explain information that some people might regard as secret or as likely to spoil the enjoyment of a trick if it were known to audience members. It produces a heading that looks like this...
Template:Magic-spoiler

The Code:{{magic-stub}} template is used to indicate stub articles within the project. It produces a footnote that looks like this...

Stub icon

This magic-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.



Current tasks

List of Open Tasks

WikiProject: Magic

(edit or discuss this box)



Code:{{MagicTasks}}

[[Category:WikiProject Performing arts|Magic]]

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