[mb-users] Colon/period usage in track titles

[Andrew Conkling]

On 12/10/06, Aaron Cooper <cooperaa at gmail.com> wrote:
> IMHO, the colon makes much more sense.  We also use colons in
> http://wiki.musicbrainz.org/PartNumberStyle and
> http://wiki.musicbrainz.org/ClassicalStyleGuide to show relationships
> between a work (eg. a Symphony) and it's parts (eg. the movements).
> We also use colons in http://wiki.musicbrainz.org/ReleaseTitle to show
> relationships between titles and subtitles and disc titles, etc.

...which is why it's used after the work's name and before its
movement indications. It's already there, serving exactly this
purpose. The question is whether another is appropriate just after the
Roman numeral. I still hesitate.


> We could use the period if we don't want an overload of colons in our
> classical titles, but I think the colon makes more sense.  In the
> future, will it even matter that there are two colons when we can
> split up classical title information to works, movements, common
> titles, etc.?  The period would be just one more thing for people to
> learn about classical releases as I think people would assume the
> colon is the logical choice.

Tell me when that day is here and I'll participate in that discussion.

I think your argument about printed usage is the best one, although
even record labels can't agree on it (analogous to putting a hyphen in
a flat or sharp key). This is the most convincing argument yet, IMO.

Cheers,
Andrew