Link glossary pages for overloaded words

https://arbital.com/p/make_glossary_pages

by Eliezer Yudkowsky Jul 2 2015 updated Dec 17 2015


If your subject is using what sound like ordinary-language words in a special sense, create a glossary page for that word which somebody can use to quickly understand what special meaning that word has inside your subject.

For example, since 'energy' sounds like it could have an ordinary meaning, the page on 'energy (physics)' should be written to be friendly to someone who's coming in wondering "What does 'energy' mean in this context?"

On the other hand, a capitalized law like Conservation of Energy is clearly a particular special thing. It still needs its own linked page, but no special additional care needs to be taken to ensure that nobody mistakes the technical Conservation of Energy for the colloquial Conservation of Energy, since there is no colloquial meaning.