Forum:Release dates of novel translations

Ten Forward → Release dates of novel translations (Reply | Watch)

I've had an idea that novel infoboxes should have release dates of foreign language translations alongside the release dates of the original edition. This information should be easy to find on ISFDB, the German Memory Alpha and the Cross Cult website. Is this something anyone else would be interested in? --NetSpiker (talk) 11:07, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

The problem is that some novels have been translated into more than just German, and been released overseas multiple times. We'd have to add fields for the German edition stock number (and right now we're still stalled with just ISBN numbers encoded as we havent added modern stock numbers like ASINs) as well as the German release date - and then we'd have to add a stock number and release date for any German re-releases (for those that were part of the Heyne repackaging and/or the ones that were passed from Heyne to Cross Cult to be re-released). Basically, to be fair, we'd have to add fields for stock numbers, publisher info and release dates for the Canadian re-releases, the Titan Books Europe re-releases, the German translation Heyne release, the Cross Cult or Heyne re-release (sometimes both), the French translations, the Czech translations, and occasionally even Romanian and Japanese translations.

If we're limiting to just German translations that's still adding multiple new parameters to the sidebar infobox - which is generally as tall or taller than it should be now. If we give equal time to all subsequent re-releases, its adding dozens of lines. the infobox would be taller than any amount of page info we have next to it on desktop, and on mobile no one would ever make it past the infobox, being many times taller than their screen. that's why we can't just come up with new things to add the the infobox.

Now, if we wanted to use some space in the Appendices to create a table of release dates, stock numbers, and editions - i'd say yes. Right now i've built cover galleries in that spot and that info could be expanded with a table of the info you want to add -- captainmike 12:26, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

My idea was to just add the first release dates of translations, not re-releases or ISBNs or ASINs. ISFDB has information on German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian and Bulgarian translations. Is there a reason that re-releases and stock numbers have to be added too? --NetSpiker (talk) 12:48, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

Just for clarity what the added release date refers to - otherwise its a date without a corresponding book associated with it. if we add the first release date of New Frontier Märtyrer it will be the Heyne edtion, for example, while most people might wander why the Cross Cult info for the re-release isn't added.

Regardless, i think the basic suggestion is good but there's no capacity for expanding the top level sidebar/infobox at this time. A new infobox will be needed and there's no issue with setting up a table of this info in the article - some articles already have a translation section and we can regularize the format with an infobox/table code as per the suggestion captainmike 13:07, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

As an addendum, this is covered in the production history subsection in a lot of the comic articles that Meacott has worked on - that could be supplemented by making a template at that point in the bottom of the articles or just enriching the way the data is released. -- captainmike 17:06, 11 September 2021 (UTC)

NetSpiker, just making sure you noticed this, as over a month has passed. We have indeed been adding foreign rereleases' dates and translations' release dates in the production history subsection of appendices. hopefully adding more of these won't Languish for months or even years before an action is taken. -- captainmike 21:52, 16 October 2021 (UTC)

No, I haven't noticed it, since I don't usually scroll down to the production history section. Can you point to a specific example? Is it in the form of an infobox or table as you suggested above?

Since you brought it up, I'd like to point out that what I said on TrekBBS was a valid criticism. Everyone has been in agreement about Memory Beta:Pages for administration/Bob Caflisch since July, but nothing has happened yet. I think 1 month is long enough for everyone to have their say. Although, I suppose the same criticism can be applied to the other admins, since you're no longer the only active admin on Memory Beta. --NetSpiker (talk) 04:49, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

The Planet of No Return, etc., Star Trek 2 has a different older format that i had been toying with streamlining.

Regardless, if any user were actually interested in doing the work of adding dates and such to an article -- even if they used another format -- i wouldn't "have a hissy fit and delete them" - i would change the format to try and make them work with the article.

As to TrekBBS -- So you're saying that despite singling me out, by name, as an issue for this - on a public web forum.. you're now willing to admit, here, that there are other admins who you also have issue with. how very magnanimous of you. -- captainmike 06:09, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

I was hoping to have them in an infobox together with the English release date, but since there are so many translations for the Gold Key comics, it's just not practical. I'll probably start adding translation info for the novels sometime this week, based on the newer format.

I never said you would have a hissy fit and delete something. That was the other guy. I singled you out because you're the most active admin on this wiki and you're the closest thing Memory Beta has to a leader. --NetSpiker (talk) 07:19, 17 October 2021 (UTC)

the article Spock Must Die! also has an up-to-date list of translations with ISBN numbers -- captainmike 17:24, 31 December 2021 (UTC)