Category Tree Level 1

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Category Tree Level 1 is the list of the permanent top-level categories. These top-level categories have been agreed to in G2G discussions and through the collaborative efforts of the Categorization_Project. ^[1]

Overview

The purpose of this page is to be a G2G-linked reference blueprint of the agreed top-level category tree to be maintained. ^[2] Categories in this list should not be moved from their top-level position in the category tree, unless by consensus through the project and/or G2G discussions. Also, no new categories should be created or moved into the top level without discussion consensus.

Top-Level Explained

The top-level categories are simply the small group of the most general "parent" categories. They are each populated by other categories, which are more narrow in focus, and which are related to each other. Those "child" categories are also known as sub-categories. In this way, each category has a parent category. This structure makes it possible to easily navigate from any any categorized page, through successive layers of categories, to reach a more general or ultimate top-level parent category.

Another way to think of the top level of the category tree might be as the collection of the root categories. In genealogy, a root ancestor has many successive layers of descendants. In the same way, a root category has many successive layers of related sub-categories, which become more and more narrow in focus the farther away they are from the root.

How To Start a G2G Discussion

G2G discussions about any major changes to any of these top-level categories can be started from this page. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Start a G2G discussion with this link
2. in the box for category select "Policy and Style"
3. in the box for WikiTree ID/URL put Space:Category_Tree_Level_1
4. in the box for Surnames and project tags put categorization

If the category you wish to discuss already exists and is on this page in the lists below, first check to see if it already has a linked G2G discussion about it. Read those G2G discussions to see if they address your question.

But if the category is not listed on this page, then try to locate it on the lower level pages (under construction soon) for discussion from there. Please do not create any new category simply for the purpose of opening a discussion about it.

Top Level Template

All top-level and other high level categories should contain the template, {{Top_Level}} in the upper part of the category page.^[3] This template displays the following box:

This means that a top-level category (and also nearby lower level categories) should primarily be for grouping together the related lower subcategories, and should NOT contain any person profiles at all. Instead, those person profiles should only be categorized at a lower, narrower level. ^[4]

However, in some cases some free-space pages might only be best categorized at the top level (For example, this page).

Other Languages

Parallel or mirrored category trees are being developed in other major languages. ^[5] Those category trees should be maintained to follow the same categorization pattern as the English category tree. ^[6] Each other language tree does not need to be as complete as the English tree, but where other language categories exist, they should be sub-categorized the same as the English tree, whenever possible. Differences between the language category trees should be resolved through discussion as needed.

Category Definitions

Each top level category should have a small bit of definition, appropriate links, and/or a template to describe what it is for or to direct viewers to related alternative categories. But the amount of description, graphics, etc. should be limited within reason, so as not to detract from its main purpose as a category listing of related narrower sub-categories.

If much more lengthy detail is desired (such as the history of a place), then create a free-space page on the topic instead, and categorize it!

Category Style

A top-level category should follow the style guidelines, so avoid using CSS and other non-wiki code.^[7]

List of Top-Level Categories

The list below are the agreed top-level categories. They appear under Category:Categories. Note that Category:Categories is the only category which is not a member of any other category, by definition, and should never be added as a sub-category of any other category.^[8] Instead, it is the top-of-the-category tree. ^[6]

This page is new, so be aware that notes appear next to some categories which are questionable, or are under discussion now or soon, because they were moved or created recently, without any thorough discussion. So those noted categories are subject to removal or change.

Otherwise, the top-level categories should always be the ones outlined here below:

1. Category:Adoption new 31 December 2015
2. Category:Art revised 17 Nov 2015
3. Category:Categories 17 Nov 2018 to make it the top of the category tree with no parent
4. Category:Cemeteries ^[9]
5. Category:DNA ^[10]
6. Category:Family revised 29 August 2016
7. Category: Genealogy Help restored November 19, 2015
8. Category:Health revised 19 July 2016
9. Category:Migration , renamed from Immigration in June 2018, is also subcat of Category:World_History
10. Category:Maintenance_Categories ^[11] revised 2 Feb 2017
11. Category:Military ^[12] re-categorized? September 14, 2015
12. Category:Occupations ^[13] newly defined and restored November 17 2015
13. Category:Regions ^[14] newly changed November 13, 2015
14. Category: Religious Categories renamed from Category:Religions ^[15] revised 2 Feb 2018;
15. Category:Science_and_Technology ^[16] newly restored Nov 17, 2015, removed in error 8 Sep 2016
16. Category:Society revised 3 January 2016
17. Category:Sports ^[17] newly restored November 16, 2015
18. Category:Things changed November 8, 2015
19. Category:Unusual_Experiences new 16 July 2016
20. Category:WikiTree Added in 2022 to replace Category:WikiTree Help, which is a subcategory
21. Category:World_History ^[18]restored November 17, 2015

Discarded Categories

The following list of categories were previously rejected by the G2G community and the Categorization Project as candidates for a Top-Level category position. They may be active categories at a lower level in the category tree. They are included here with their relevant G2G discusssion referenced, for easy tracking.

Discarded Category Name  : G2G  : Notes on where it belongs

1. Category:Causes_of_Death, added/removed from top level several times : no G2G discussion : discarded 14 Nov 2017, see Category:Health; (Note: category deleted after g2g discussion, on 1 Mar 2019.)
2. Category:Events ^[19] new Nov 8, 2015, discarded 31 Dec 2015, see Category:This_Day_In_History
3. Category:Genealogy_Resources^[20] discarded Jul 4, 2017
4. Category:Help s/b in Misnamed Categories, discarded Jul 4, 2017
5. Category:History s/b in Misnamed Categories, changed to Category: World History Jul 4, 2017
6. Category: Hobbies new Nov 8, 2015, renamed from Category:Avocations Jul 4, 2017, subcat of Category:Society
7. Category:Organizations new Nov 8, 2015, changed 8 Jan 2016 to subcat of Category:Society
8. Category:People new Nov 8, 2015, changed Jul 4, 2017 to pre-existing Category: Family
9. Category:Sources by Name altered Sep 29, 2015, has issues, moved 23 Jan 2016 to subcat of Free-Space_Projects_-_Sources%2C_Editing%2C_Tips
10. Category: Surnames new Nov 8, 2015, changed from Category:Names Jul 4, 2017, moved to subcat of Category:Family
11. Category:WikiTreers restored Nov 16, 2015, discarded 31 Dec 2015 and replaced by Category:WikiTreers_by_Language
12. Category:Worldwide_Disasters ^[21] newly changed Nov 12, 2015, discarded 1 Nov 2016, replaced with Category:Disasters
13. Maritime, which was added without discussion. Durbin-702 15:23, 7 January 2020 (UTC)
14. Category: Fictitious and Legendary Genealogy new Oct 9, 2015, needs discuss, renamed from Category:Fictitious_Genealogy Jul 4, 2017, is also a subcat of Category:Family Removed as a top level.
15. Category: WikiTree Help restored November 19, 2015; removed again

List of Most Popular Categories

The following list are high level, but not top level, categories, which are very popular, and otherwise might be a bit hard to find where they belong in the parent category. They are listed in ranked order of popularity, by number of subcategories they contain.

Popular Category Name  : G2G  : Notes

1. Category:One_Name_Studies There are 1631 subcategories to this category.
2. Category:Personal_Categories There are 157 subcategories to this category.
3. Category:DNA_Projects There are 118 subcategories to this category.

G2G Discussions

1. ↑ What is the purpose of categories? Apr 29, 2015
2. ↑ "Top Level Category Hierarchy" May 31, 2013
3. ↑ Have you seen the new template for high level categories? May 7, 2015
4. ↑ Tiptoe-ing ..."might be a good or bad idea to re-think the prohibition on adding people to higher level categories." Jun 24, 2015
5. ↑ Understanding Italian Place Categories - language mirroring and parallel hierarchies Sep 15, 2015
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Should the multi-language Category:Categories really be categorized to Category Help? November 17, 2015
7. ↑ Should project and category pages adhere to style guidelines? November 16, 2015
8. ↑ Is it ok to replace the top of the category tree? November 16, 2015
9. ↑ Do you know how the category hierarchy for towns and cemeteries is set up? May 10, 2015
10. ↑ How should we categorise Y-DNA haplogroups? Oct 19, 2013
11. ↑ Would it be helpful if projects had their own profile maintenance categories? Jan 7, 2015
12. ↑ Military Categorization Help/Discussion Nov 9, 2015
13. ↑ Should we have a category set for occupations? Dec 26, 2014
14. ↑ Location Categories Jun 15 2015
15. ↑ Proposed Structure and Guidelines for Religious Categories 8 Jan 2018
16. ↑ May I add an aerospace industry category and if so, should it also be part of science and technology? Feb 13, 2014
17. ↑ How should we set up Categories for Athletes? Jun 4, 2013
18. ↑ Do your know the right category to use for "This Day in History"? May 16, 2015
19. ↑ New categories for birth, death and marriages being emptied November 13, 2015
20. ↑ Which uber G2G category for genealogy resources? May 28, 2014
21. ↑ Disasters, Epidemics, Catastrophes, etc Top Level Project Sep 25, 2015