Occasionally, a wick will appear on a page's "Related to" subpage, but the page in question doesn't actually contain the link listed. In fact, sometimes nonexistent pages will appear to have this nonexistent link. This is called a "ghost wick": it is a ghost haunting pages past. There are a couple of ways these wicks could've surfaced, which are related to administrative/mod deletions and reversions
. The details aren't important.
Elimination of a ghost wick depends on where the wick is occuring.
On an existing page:
- If the page is a redirect, make a null edit. It might force earlier changes to the page to register. Please leave an edit reason so others know what's going on. If that doesn't work...
- If the page has content but no internal links at all, create one. Wicks only update if there's at least one wick on the page, so adding one will make the ghost wick disappear. If you feel there's nowhere to place an appropriate link, add a link arbitrarily (such as to the page itself), save the edit, and delete it after. Please leave an edit reason so others know what's going on.
- If the page is ghost-indexing (creating index bars on other pages even though it's not an index), do a null edit to its page type (under Page Info; in the sidebar on desktop, bottom of the page on mobile). If it's a redirect, you'll first have to break the redirect so you can access the page type in the first place. After you're done, restore the redirect.
On a nonexistent page:
Requesting removal of ghost wicks from ghost pages is the purpose of this thread.- Post the page where the ghost wick is supposed to exist.
- Alternatively, if the page is not in the Main namespace, you can recreate the page with "Ghost Wick" and a wick to the page, then add it to the Cut List where a moderator will delete it.note
Edited by Twiddler on Jul 8th 2023 at 1:55:52 AM
What should be done if a page has the opposite of a ghost wick? ComicBook.Plants Vs Zombies is linked to on Summary.Comic Books, but the latter doesn't show up on the former's related page.
"Squid has to go to market. He's had to go to market for as long as he's sucked water."
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
It's because a redlink on the latter is over 64 characters (the limit for page titles) - The Totally Stonking Surprisingly Educational And Utterly Mindboggling Comic Relief Comic. It'll have to be shortened somehow.
Edited by Twiddler on Feb 26th 2023 at 5:22:42 AM
The Totally Stonking Surprisingly Educational And Utterly Mindboggling Comic Relief Comic is 79 characters.
"The Totally Stonking... Comic" would probably have no loss of uniqueness?
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Friends forevermore
ComicBook.The Totally Stonking Comic Relief Comic?
I had a dog-themed avatar before it was cool.
I'm Sad Frogerson.
Union Series is leaving a ghost wick for IF Vs.
done
Changed the comic wick based on the cover and some online listings.
Both YMMV.Moving Pictures and YMMV.Warlock 1991 have ghost wicks remaining from the "Funny Aneurysm" Moment wick removal.
I put them on the cutlist.
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Elfstruck is making a ghost wick to ClockworkCreature
Dark Country is making a ghost wick to A Date With Rosie Palms
(she/her)
Done and done.
Macron's notes
And now, the recently TRS-ed Wing Pull, is showing a ghost wick when looked at from the NewPowersAsThePlotDemands Related page.
Is this related to being TRS-ed? I wonder. Perhaps not. 2015 Wing Pull Related Page says it has 57 articles listed, but a line checker says only 56.
Edited by Malady on Mar 9th 2023 at 9:11:10 AM
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Fixed . Not sure what can be done about
And Jerk-to-Nice-Guy Plot has the same issue, as seen in TookALevelInKindness.
EDIT: You Would Make a Great Model redirect ghost to ModelScam.
Edited by Malady on Mar 12th 2023 at 12:55:43 PM
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Found something actually fixable: Torchic Blaziken on NovelizationFirst.
"Can you see what I see?"
Quotes.Obligatory War Crime Scene contains a wick for Casual Danger Dialog despite seemingly not existing. The link directs to Obligatory War Crime Scene, which is actually a trope called War Crime Subverts Heroism, so some renaming must have happened here, as the Quotes page for that trope did have a wick for CDD.
Ever wanted to see the most inexplicably horrifying intro to a game ever?
Remade. Putting on cut list.
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(she/her)
That's done.
Captain Cryptic
Azok has a ghost wick to Wiki Word.
I'd also like a second set of eyes to look at You Know You Read Too Much TV Tropes When..., [Trope Name] Injokes and DrinkingGame.TV Tropes because they're still showing up as having Wiki Word wicks after I updated the namespace.
"My job here is done." "But you didn't do anything."
Fixed the ghost wick.
[Trope Name] Injokes has a "{{Wiki Word}}s" on it, but there's an edit lock on the page right now.
Looks like the others have been fixed.
ETA: Now the one on [Trope Name] Injokes has been fixed, too.
Edited by Twiddler on Mar 17th 2023 at 3:57:03 AM
Please recreate and cut Kesa Ange to get rid of a ghost wick.
(she/her)
That's done.
Macron's notes
Main.Talesof Arterra has a ghost wick to Bonus Boss.