Template talk:Uc

Users without a user page

A great number of users with a created account are contributing without ever having created their user page.

When signing e.g. with the ~~~~ or being referenced from contributions as uploads, their user name appears as a redlink. In general their talk page had been assigned automatically so it could be linked - but many are doing worthy work for years without ever having a user page.

Linking instead to their talk page has the advantage that the redlinks can be avoided, and only one keystroke will lead to that page; otherwise two keystrokes are necessary, the first one to the user entry with only the talk page. But it may have a disadvantage: when a user page is created afterwards, the links will still lead to the talk page.

For linking to the talk page just change the {{U| template with an additional letter to {{Ut|.
The conditional user link {{Uc| will check whether user page, user talk page, ~commonswiki or talk~commonswiki exists, and link at the first success. It has the disadvantage that at least one existence check occurs, in the worst case (when none exists) four of these expensive accesses.

"Pseudo" user page

Another possibility seems better: when a user page is created with just a redirect to the existing talk page, all user name links will work as a user talk link and are not any longer red.
Such a page creation should be done by users not wanting a user page because of whatever reason. It can as well be created by anybody, which opens the question of a users personal rights. It seems no problem with obviously inactive users (we have a lot of) but can be seen critical with users permanently contributing and not assigning their page.
User page assignement by others should at least be summarized like "redirect page, to avoid red user links - page may be maintained by the owner due to wishes and preferences" and of course the right exists to let delete such a pseudo page when it is unwanted; deleted pages should never be recreated by others.

For a user Example the pseudo user page can be created with the only content #REDIRECT [[User talk:Example]]

Conclusion:

Nobody is forced to have a user page; but it is good habit, a courtesy saving others from additional work when at least a pseudo user page exists.