Wikimedia Bugzilla is closed!

This request is signed by 70 Wikipedians at the URL above. 

Please create an additional syntax for autoformatting dates that does not make hyperlinks to 
date pages. The current syntax conflates the two independent functions of autoformatting and 
linking. The current syntax is simple; it would be an advantage if the additional syntax were 
also simple.

The new syntax is conceived not as a replacement but as an alternative, retaining (1) the 
option to link to a chronological article where useful, and (2) the validity of the huge number 
of date-links already marked up in the project.

There are significant advantages to allowing autoformatted dates to be black rather than blue, 
where there is consensus to do so in an article. Specifically, reducing the density of blued-out 
links will:

(1) improve the readability of the text;

(2) improve the aesthetic appearance of the text;

(3) remove low-value chronological links that may lead readers to pages that are irrelevant to 
an article;

(4) increase the prominence of high-value links;

(5) reduce the spill-over effect, in which editors feel they should link centuries, decades, and 
bare years, months and days of the week; and

(6) reduce conflict on Wikipedia.

Some signatories have suggested specific mark-ups, such as <<date>>, but on balance it is 
considered best that the engineers use their expertise to choose the most appropriate mark-
up.