Talk:Rack (billiards)
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[edit] Cleanup
This article requires cleanup. A lot of the game information is duplicated over the specific game article pages. It can be cut down to size and perhaps a page just for all billiard game equipment should be made. 128.6.176.51 20:51, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
- While there is some duplication of information in other articles, as far as I can tell, all is appropriately contextual, i.e., one can't just launch into intergame racking in straight pool without describing the necessity for intergame racking. I think your concern may be addressed by: Wikipedia is not a paper encyclopedia. This is also not an article solely on the rack as equipment, but as racking is done in specific games, which would be inappropriate in an article on equipment, as you suggest it could be merged with. In fact, the equipment portion of the article is four sentences. While I'm sure this article can be improved, I don't think it is a candidate for "cleanup" as that word is used in Wikipedia.
- I do agree with you, though, that Pocket (billiards) is (at least presently) a useless article, basically giving the dictionary definition of a pool table and little else. That article could be salvageable as an article more in keeping with its name by focusing on pocket billiards, rather than pocket billiards tables. However, I don't really see a purpose to that either--we already have an article on eight ball, and one one straight pool and one on... so all that article could be is a bunch of summaries of the main articles on each pocket billiards game. While that is useful in the main article on billiards, providing an overview of everything under that rubric, it wouldn't work as a stand-alone subject I think. If you were to propose that article for deletion I would support the application. --Fuhghettaboutit 22:15, 8 March 2006 (UTC)
- I'd oppose (if you mean "Pocket billiards should be AfD'd"), on the grounds that at very least the pocket billiards/pool article can/should be a summary of the evolution of such games as a class. Whatever its text, the article needs to exist so that inputting the either term into Search here will go somewhere useful (and specific games such as eight-ball or nine-ball aren't useful targets for such search terms.) I'd suggest this is a discussion better had in WP:CUE's talk page though, about what to do about Billiards, Pocket billiards, etc., so the articles make better sense overall, with a good balance between describing history and generalities in overbroad topics like Pocket billiards and Billiards and getting into detailed specifics as they apply today in Eight-ball, etc. Yes?
- To address the original respondent, I tend to lean toward thinking this article should not exist; racking (verb) for specific games can and should be covered in detail at those specific game articles, while there doesn't seem to be enough about racks (noun, equipment) that can be written to justify a whole article about the topic. The same may not be true of Billiard balls, though even that may be debatable... If the Billiards article is too long, then perhaps we need a meta-article about equipment, rather than separate stub articles for racks, balls, chalk, cloth, etc., unless and until such time that we have such a wealth of material about each sub-topic of equipment to really justify separate articles? Just kind of thinking aloud here. This too is probably more a WP:CUE talk page topic, really.
- — SMcCandlish [talk] [contrib] ツ 06:09, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
- No worries. You would have to see what that article looked like at the time I made that comment. The actual unfolding of what it became shows the hastiness of that comment on inchoate content. As for this article, we already had that discussion:-)--Fuhghettaboutit 13:22, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
- Can you refresh my memory? I just did an overhaul at Billiard balls... Maybe I should instead be moving this stuff elsewhere instead? — SMcCandlish [talk] [contrib] ツ 15:07, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
- I got confused myself. I was not talking about pocket billiards above but pocket (billiards)—an article on the pocket itself (which is still a sad, sad little stub for which I see little prospect of expansion). We discussed this article previously here (see the last two posts in the linked section).--Fuhghettaboutit 20:19, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
- Can you refresh my memory? I just did an overhaul at Billiard balls... Maybe I should instead be moving this stuff elsewhere instead? — SMcCandlish [talk] [contrib] ツ 15:07, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
- No worries. You would have to see what that article looked like at the time I made that comment. The actual unfolding of what it became shows the hastiness of that comment on inchoate content. As for this article, we already had that discussion:-)--Fuhghettaboutit 13:22, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Rack material
I'm wondering if this is the right place to mention this. How about mentioning that wood is preferred by serious players since it allows them to make a tighter rack? --Pdahero 07:12, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Article depth
Racking and the rack itself seem to me, at least, to be a more than superficial topics. Racking the balls tightly, finding weaknesses in a rack, where to aim when breaking, breaking for optimal position of the cue, etc. etc. Too in depth maybe? --Pdahero 07:12, 10 January 2007 (UTC)
- My only caveat would be policy restrictions on writing "advice" or "how-to" articles, which are not encyclopedic by nature. — SMcCandlish [talk] [contrib] ツ 06:09, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
