Redirect

1. Redirect

A redirect in MediaWiki is a method of automatically forwarding a page to another page. It's a powerful feature used for a variety of purposes, from maintaining consistency in page titles to managing moved or renamed content. This article provides a comprehensive guide to redirects for beginners, covering their types, creation, maintenance, and best practices. Understanding redirects is crucial for efficient wiki administration and ensuring a user-friendly experience for readers.

What is a Redirect?

At its core, a redirect tells the wiki software, "This page doesn't contain content itself, but instead, send the user to *this other* page." When a user attempts to access a redirect page, their browser is automatically sent to the target page without any explicit action required. This happens seamlessly, appearing as if the user directly requested the target page.

Redirects are essential for several reasons:

• Maintaining Consistency: Wikis evolve, and page titles may need to be adjusted for clarity or standardization. Redirects ensure that users who attempt to access the old title are still directed to the correct, current content.
• Handling Typos: Users may mistype page titles. Redirects can catch common misspellings and send them to the intended page.
• Managing Case Sensitivity: While MediaWiki is generally case-insensitive for links, redirects can explicitly handle differences in capitalization.
• Consolidating Duplicate Content: If multiple pages contain similar information, redirecting one to the other helps maintain a single source of truth.
• Simplifying Navigation: Redirects can create shorter, more memorable aliases for complex page titles.

Types of Redirects

There are two primary methods for creating redirects in MediaWiki:

1. #REDIRECT: This is the most common and recommended method. It involves creating a page with only the following wikitext:

   ```wiki
   #REDIRECT Target Page
   ```

   Replace "Target Page" with the actual title of the page you want to redirect to. This method is straightforward and easy to understand. It's also the most efficient for the wiki server.

   *Example:*  If you want to redirect a page titled "Old Article Name" to a new page titled "New Article Name", the wikitext on "Old Article Name" would be:

   ```wiki
   #REDIRECT New Article Name
   ```

2. Using a Link: While less common and generally discouraged for primary redirects, you *can* create a redirect by simply placing a link to the target page on the redirect page. However, this method can be less reliable and less efficient than using `#REDIRECT`. It also displays the link text on the redirect page briefly before the redirect happens, which isn't ideal for a seamless user experience. It’s more suitable for temporary or minor redirection needs.

   *Example:* On a page meant to redirect, you could write:

   ```wiki
   New Article Name
   ```

   However, this isn't a true redirect in the same way as the `#REDIRECT` method.

Creating a Redirect

Creating a redirect is a simple process:

1. Create a New Page: Navigate to the title of the page you want to turn into a redirect. If the page doesn't exist, create it. 2. Enter the Redirect Code: Type `#REDIRECT Target Page` (replacing "Target Page" with the actual target page title) into the page's edit box. 3. Save the Page: Click the "Save page" button.

The page will now function as a redirect. When a user navigates to the redirect page’s title, they will automatically be taken to the target page.

Redirects and Search

MediaWiki's search functionality generally follows redirects. This means that if a user searches for a term that matches a redirect page, the search results will typically point to the *target* page, not the redirect page itself. This is generally desirable behavior.

However, it's important to note that the search index *does* include redirect pages. Therefore, if a redirect page has a significant amount of incoming links (see section on "What Links Here"), it may appear in search results, even though it doesn't contain substantive content.

Maintaining Redirects

Redirects require occasional maintenance to ensure they remain effective:

• Broken Redirects: If the target page of a redirect is deleted or renamed, the redirect becomes "broken." Broken redirects will lead to an error message. Regularly check for and fix broken redirects – tools like BrokenRedirects extension can automate this process.
• Redirect Loops: A redirect loop occurs when a redirect points to another redirect, which points back to the original redirect, creating an infinite loop. This will cause an error message. Avoid creating redirect loops.
• Unnecessary Redirects: Over time, some redirects may become obsolete. If a redirect is no longer needed, consider deleting it. This helps keep the wiki clean and efficient.
• What Links Here: Use the "What links here" feature (accessible from the "Tools" section of a page) to see which pages link to a particular redirect. This is helpful for assessing the impact of deleting or modifying a redirect. A redirect with many incoming links might be important to preserve, even if it seems redundant. You can also use this to identify pages that need updating if a redirect is changed.

Best Practices for Redirects

• Use #REDIRECT: Always prefer using the `#REDIRECT` syntax over simply creating a link for primary redirects.
• Be Clear and Consistent: Choose redirect titles that are logical and predictable. Avoid creating redirects that are confusing or ambiguous.
• Document Redirects: If a redirect is created for a specific reason (e.g., to handle a common misspelling), consider adding a comment explaining the purpose of the redirect. This can be helpful for future administrators.
• Avoid Excessive Redirects: While redirects are useful, avoid creating an overly complex network of redirects. Keep things as simple as possible.
• Consider Case Sensitivity: If case sensitivity is a concern, create redirects for different capitalization variations of the target page title.
• Test Your Redirects: After creating a redirect, always test it to ensure it works as expected.
• Monitor for Broken Redirects: Regularly check for and fix broken redirects.

Advanced Redirect Considerations

• Redirects and Categories: Redirect pages should generally *not* be added to categories. The target page should be categorized instead.
• Redirects and Templates: Redirects can be used within templates to create dynamic redirects based on certain conditions.
• Redirects and Extensions: Some MediaWiki extensions provide additional functionality related to redirects, such as the ability to track redirect usage or automatically create redirects based on certain rules.
• URL Rewriting: For more complex redirection scenarios, consider using URL rewriting techniques at the web server level (e.g., using `.htaccess` files on Apache servers). However, this is generally beyond the scope of basic MediaWiki administration.

Technical Analysis & Trading Strategies related to Redirects (Metaphorical Connection)

While seemingly unrelated, the concept of redirects can be metaphorically applied to trading and financial analysis.

• **Support and Resistance Levels (Technical Analysis):** A support level can be seen as a "redirect" for a price trend. When a price declines and reaches a support level, it's "redirected" upwards. Similarly, a resistance level redirects a price upwards downwards. [1]
• **Moving Averages (Technical Indicators):** A moving average acts as a dynamic redirect, influencing the direction of price movement. Crossovers of moving averages signal potential trend changes and redirection points. [2]
• **Fibonacci Retracements (Technical Analysis):** Fibonacci levels can act as redirection zones, where price may reverse direction. [3]
• **Trend Lines (Trend Analysis):** A trend line, when broken, can indicate a "redirect" in the overall trend, signaling a potential reversal. [4]
• **MACD (Technical Indicator):** The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator can signal trend changes, acting as a "redirect" signal for traders. [5]
• **Bollinger Bands (Technical Indicator):** Price touching the upper or lower Bollinger Band can be interpreted as a redirection point, suggesting potential overbought or oversold conditions. [6]
• **Head and Shoulders Pattern (Chart Pattern):** This pattern signals a potential trend reversal, acting as a redirection signal for traders. [7]
• **Elliott Wave Theory (Trend Analysis):** This theory suggests that market prices move in specific patterns (waves), each wave acting as a redirection of the previous one. [8]
• **Candlestick Patterns (Technical Analysis):** Specific candlestick patterns like Doji or Hammer can signal potential trend reversals, acting as redirection signals. [9]
• **Volume Analysis (Technical Analysis):** Changes in volume can confirm or deny trend changes, acting as a "redirect" confirmation signal. [10]
• **Mean Reversion Strategies:** These strategies rely on the idea that prices will eventually "redirect" back to their average. [11]
• **Scalping Strategies:** These short-term strategies aim to profit from small price "redirects" or fluctuations. [12]
• **Swing Trading Strategies:** Traders attempt to capture "redirects" in price swings over a few days or weeks. [13]
• **Day Trading Strategies:** Focuses on exploiting intraday price "redirects" and short-term momentum. [14]
• **Breakout Trading Strategies:** These strategies capitalize on price "redirects" after breaking through resistance or support levels. [15]
• **Position Trading Strategies:** Long-term strategies identifying major trend "redirects" and holding positions for months or years. [16]
• **Gap Trading Strategies:** Exploiting price gaps, essentially abrupt "redirects" in price, to identify potential trading opportunities. [17]
• **Relative Strength Index (RSI):** An oscillator used to identify overbought or oversold conditions, signaling potential price "redirects." [18]
• **Stochastic Oscillator:** Similar to RSI, it helps identify potential price "redirects" based on momentum. [19]
• **Average True Range (ATR):** Measures market volatility, which can indicate the potential magnitude of price "redirects." [20]
• **Ichimoku Cloud:** A comprehensive indicator used to identify support, resistance, and trend direction, acting as a roadmap for price "redirects." [21]
• **Donchian Channels:** Similar to Bollinger Bands, they identify volatility and potential price "redirects." [22]
• **Parabolic SAR:** Helps identify potential trend reversals, signaling price "redirects." [23]
• **Heikin Ashi:** A type of candlestick chart that smooths price data, making trend "redirects" more visible. [24]

These are analogies, of course, but highlight how the concept of redirection – a change in direction – is fundamental in both wiki organization and financial markets.

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