Documentation Lifecycle

This wiki keeps some material that is no longer “current,” because it still helps with context: older designs, earlier policy language, implementation history, and things that shaped what exists today.

To keep that history without letting it steer readers incorrectly, some pages include a small “Document Lifecycle” block. It describes how to read the page.

The fields

Status

Status tells you whether the page reflects active guidance, or something retained for reference.

Current: Expected to match today’s policy or implementation. Applies to actively maintained procedures and info.
Stable: Still valid, but not changing often, like historical background or design principles. It’s not going to be up-to-the-minute, but it’s still relevant.
Superseded: Replaced by newer guidance. Read this for background, then follow the linked replacement page.
Historical: Describes a past state or earlier phase. Kept for reference.
Archived: Frozen record. Kept for posterity; not maintained.

The status is not a qualitative designation. We just want to help readers find the right information for their needs.

Time period

Time period answers: “When was this true?” It can be a date range (e.g., 2019–2023) or a named phase (e.g., “Connect v1 era”).

Classification

Classification helps explain how a document is likely to age. Policies may become superseded when replaced, while technical notes might become historical if a system is retired or abandoned.

When to add a context block

Add Template:Tl when a page might reasonably be mistaken for current guidance.

Common cases:

Older how-to pages that no longer match the service
Policy pages that have been replaced
Early design notes that are still interesting but not implemented
Pages kept mainly for institutional memory

If a page is clearly timeless (for example, general background that is still accurate), you may not need it.

Recommended practice

Keep wording calm and factual.
If there is a newer page, link it (use “Replaced by”).
Consider moving historical material out of primary navigation rather than adding louder warnings.
If you aren’t sure, consider picking Historical and adding a short summary explaining the scope.

Examples

Superseded policy

{{DocLifecycle
 | status = Superseded
 | period = 2019–2023
 | classification = Policy
 | replaced_by = Donut Assignment Policy
 | summary = This page reflects an earlier assignment process and is kept for delicious reference.
}}

Historical implementation notes

{{DocLifecycle
 | status = Historical
 | period = Packet Donut v1 era
 | classification = Technical
 | created = 2021-08-03
 | summary = These notes describe the initial design and implementation of Packet Donut. The system has evolved since then, but this history may be useful for understanding how we got to modern Microwave Crullers.
}}

Editing and maintenance

A page with a context block can still be edited. If you update the content, consider whether the status still fits. If you modernize the page, update the status to Current or remove the context block if it no longer adds value.