Talk:Flag

Propose deletion within 14 days

I am proposing to delete the section on Similar Flags in its current format if noone offers a thorough defence as to why it does not deserve to be called Original Research. It firstly serves no analytical purpose and is potentially offensive to whichever nations are being bundled together. Secondly it is not based on any sources. None are cited. There is not verifiable research. The very idea to begin with is flawed because it apparently was born on Wikipedia. It exists in the mind of the person who decided each set. I could dispute each and every one by simply choosing a different set of characteristics to declare salient. I could say the Flag of Singapore ought instead to be grouped with those of Turkey and Tunisia because of red and white crescent and stars. So how do we judge that? Which are the defining characteristics, who says, and why? Why bother in the first place? Is this a major part of State Diplomacy? Does the UN arrange the Flags in this way? Indeed, why not start articles comparing anything and everything according to how any editor might choose on a whim, and say, "Similar books" and then categorize them according to the picture on the front cover of any arbitrary edition, and say, both these books have a picture of a man, or including the color orange, or does not feature a mosque, therefore is similar ?

So within 14 days if there is no reason it is not Original Research, and I mean, unless we get a verifiable and reliable source, I will delete. Eugene-elgato (talk) 17:28, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

OMG. I've just seen the section you mean. Well, all I can say is your patience and measured approach are to be applauded. The section is pointless WP:OR, adds nothing to the article, and deserves to go sooner rather than later. TFOWR 17:34, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

Thanks you very much. In fact, I'm almost glad it is there for now because finally I can see others who recognize it as almost a textbook example of what constitutes WP:OR. But let's see could be someone does located some university department somewhere that has justified some scheme to compare Flags outside the UN HQ in NY for the purposes of optimal ease on the human eye when scanning through them.Eugene-elgato (talk) 17:59, 28 October 2010 (UTC)

No Original Research

"Wikipedia does not publish original research or original thought. This includes unpublished facts, arguments, speculation, and ideas; and any unpublished analysis or synthesis of published material that serves to advance a position." [U]npublished...speculation[]and ideas"80.40.144.68 (talk) 07:11, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Yes, it's precisely the unpublished speculation and ideas that worries me the most here; it is pure speculation and there is neither solid theory or justification underpinning each of these groupings, nor any point to it to begin with. Personally according to my taste I would have all the flags that feature th Star of David i.e. Morroco, State of Israel, Ethiopia, and Somalia. At least then it's not just any star but a particular star. But even then, what's the point; it would piss of the Ethiopians and the Somalis who have been at war. They all have their own reasons for adopting that Star anyway. On the other hand someone else would keep Somalia and Israel in the same group because they're both blue and white but send Ethiopia over to the flags that have the African tricolor.

Anyway, enough ranting :P Eugene-elgato (talk) 11:37, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

Gallery of flags by design is on the Wikimedia Commons. This has some structure to it and is featured as the link on similar flags on the flag template. This should be referred to if anyone wants to keep anything under that section.Eugene-elgato (talk) 09:42, 7 November 2010 (UTC)

I got rid of them now. I forgot to add an Edit Summary when I did it. No offence to all the editors before me who make the effort and amend more sets of similar flags; but I did warn precisely two weeks ago and have had the backing of two editors and no-one came to the defence of similar flags as not Original Research. As can be seen in the edit history for the article there are spurious reasons like "they're not very similar" even though evidently someone did think them dimilar at one stage. The link to the gallery has got some more objective classifications. Apart from anything else though, the similar flags section was making the Article kind of longEugene-elgato (talk) 18:22, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

No USA flag?

Why isn't there a US flag, or EU flag? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.181.114.227 (talk) 20:26, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

I don't think the article needs to include every flag. We don't have city flags for example. Saturdayseven (talk) 15:16, 18 March 2011 (UTC)

bayrak: http://www.bayrak.biz.tr —Preceding unsigned comment added by 217.31.248.13 (talk) 10:17, 15 December 2010 (UTC)

Largest flags

I have added a section on largest flags flown restored from a previous edit. Zarcadia (talk) 18:56, 5 January 2011 (UTC)

Is a flag primarily a piece of cloth?

Or is a flag the symbol that is placed on the cloth? I think the into might need to be changed to reflect this distinction but we'll need to find sources. Saturdayseven (talk) 13:28, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Actually the article's defenition of "flag" is correct. I found this source from merriam-webster.com defining a flag: "a usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol (as of a nation), as a signaling device, or as a decoration"[1]Saturdayseven (talk) 13:38, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Added this reference to the article. Saturdayseven (talk) 13:48, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

And both defenitions of flag are in the intro because the article also states: The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium. Saturdayseven (talk) 13:49, 15 March 2011 (UTC)

Inspiration from Greece?

The Greek flag is included in the list of flags that have served as inspiration for other flags. But why? The section does not mention which flags were inspired by it. --Thathánka Íyotake (talk) 19:47, 30 October 2011 (UTC)

I've deleted it, it was rubbish, the Greek flag was inspired by the US flag... no countries mentioned so not of any use in this article. Dqfn13 (talk) 10:08, 31 October 2011 (UTC)