"2 or 3 columns" - does it mean that 3 is the maximum? or can be 4, ...? in default behavior I mean on some really wide screen.
Topic on Talk:Contributors/Projects/Columns for references
I don't know the answer, although I imagine that there is a limit. One wouldn't want to see 10 refs in 10 columns, no matter how wide the screen.
If you are interested in the difficulty of reading on a really wide screen, then you may be interested the Reading/Web/Desktop Improvements project.
I played a bit with zooming on my test page and I couldn't find any limit. At least 11 notes in 6 columns can be easily be: w:ru:File:Zoom50.png
Some unmerciful and unstoppable prettyprint, to my eyes, starting from the 11th note (up to 10 notes is always in one column at any screen, test page)
Me personally - it never bothered me too much. With my page zoom which is comfortable to me (175%) - I never saw articles with more than 2 columns. Sometimes only - with 3 columns, and I considered it as a rather freaky layout - but a lot of freaky looking places at Wikipedia so like not a big deal :-)
Yet now there is a rather intense conflict at ru-wiki about the "references responsive" behavior. Basically speaking, both parts agree that at narrow screens notes should be in one column. But on wider screen (and more than 10 notes) one side would like to keep the current unlimited freedom (3, 4, 6 columns), the other one - some top limit (say, 2 columns)
This is why I decided to clarify all technical details.
Neolexx, it looks like the discussion was archived. Did editors come to a decision about the best approach?