Wikipedia:Avoiding disambiguation pages

There are ways to reduce or avoid the use of disambiguation pages as the first page linked to a common term. The solution involves linking common alternatives in the top hatnote of the major page, when other meanings seem almost as common. When properly structured, then most disambiguation pages would be named "xxxxx (disambiguation)" rather than as the common term "xxxxx".

The growing use of disambiguation pages has led to the situation where many common terms have no longer led directly to the page of the common term, but rather to a disambiguation page listing that term and a few other common alternatives, plus numerous rare articles also listed which contain the term in the title. This increased use of disambiguation pages as the direct link for numerous common terms, could be called "disambiguitis disease". The cure would be to link other popular uses at the top hatnote of the main article, then link to "xxxxx (disambiguation)" as the last link in the hatnote. There is no need to rename a common term as a disambiguation page simply because there are 2 (or 3) popular common meanings for the same term. Instead the term should directly link to one of the main meanings, which has a hatnote listing the next-most common page, and finally linking a disambiguation page (in the hatnote) for the rare meanings.