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Debating "Deletionism" At Wikipedia

Posted by timothy on from the edit-this-story-one-comment-at-a-time dept.

Ian Lamont writes "In a strange turn of events, the Wikipedia entry for Deletionpedia — an online archive of deleted Wikipedia articles — is now being considered for deletion. The entry for Deletionpedia was created shortly after the publication of an Industry Standard article and a discussion on Slashdot this week. Almost immediately, it was nominated for deletion, which has sparked a running debate about the importance of the Wikipedia entry, Deletionpedia, and the sources that reference it. For the time being, you can read the current version of the Deletionpedia entry, while the Wikipedia editors carry on the debate."

16 of 484 comments (clear)

  1. Hmm... by freyyr890 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So that's like... meta-deletion?

    1. Re:Hmm... by Starayo · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't want an article on how the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe just because no one can prove it's not true.

      And I don't want all the bloody articles on the bible, but if they stay I'll be eaten by a grue before I let someone remove the FSM pages without a fight.

      --
      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:Hmm... by infonography · · Score: 5, Funny

      The neutrality of this section is disputed.

      Please see the discussion on the talk page.

      Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved.

      --
      Sorry about the writing. Robot fingers, you know? Cliff Steele in DOOM PATROL #23
    3. Re:Hmm... by philspear · · Score: 5, Funny

      After that ridiculous incident, I stopped relying on Wikipedia for anything substantive. Its accuracy can not be assured due to the bureaucratic toolboxes that moderate the site.

      We really do need that perfectly moderated and unbiased information website which provides you with the complete truth and is never wrong. I hear the Chinese government is working on one, but in the meantime there's this news channel called Fox which is fair and balanced. I mean, that's their catchphrase, so you know it's true!

    4. Re:Hmm... by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

      because at some point it was an accurate source of information ... right ...

      Yes, if you go back far enough: "This site under construction".

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. Deletionism? by DirtySouthAfrican · · Score: 5, Funny

    The politically correct term is "Intelligent Unpublishing".

  3. Delete it by russotto · · Score: 5, Funny

    It needs to be deleted, just to ensure that it ends up in Deletionpedia.

  4. Better solution... by Afecks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Just redirect it to here.

  5. Why not fork it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Make an Includopedia and a Deletepedia. That way everyone is happy.

  6. Re:Nope. by smittyoneeach · · Score: 3, Funny

    The question is: can Wikipedia become a sufficiently elitist snob-club to give Brittanica a chance for a comeback?

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  7. Deleting Deletionpedia... by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Don't even have to buy it. From doing a Google News search, it looks to me like the controversy over deleting the Deletionpedia entry is going to make it notable even if it didn't start out that way.

    In fact, the fact that the controversy over deleting the deletionpedia page is itself notable makes me very tempted to write a Wikipedia article "Deletionpedia Deletion Controversy"...

    On the other hand, I guess that might be pushing it a little too far, though.

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
    1. Re:Deleting Deletionpedia... by Nazlfrag · · Score: 5, Funny

      This just in: New Wikipedia 'Deletionpedia Deletion Contorversy' deletion controversy erupts as the Wikipedia Deletionpedia Deletion description is nominated for deletion. Delegates describe dangerous double dealings during dastardly deceptive deletions.

  8. Those articles have been deleted... by lazy_nihilist · · Score: 5, Funny

    We apologise again for the fault in the deletion. Those articles mentioning the deletion of the articles that have just been deleted, have been deleted.

  9. Funny Story... by Rutefoot · · Score: 5, Funny

    A couple years ago a wiki page was created about a friend of mine who ran a website, in addition to a wiki page about the website itself. It appeared to have been made by some fan who never made themselves known.

    It wasn't long of course before these deletion-happy admins nominated it for speedy deletion. The decision was proving to be unanimous. And, I for one didn't blame them. A wiki page for an administrator of a website seemed rather silly.

    My friend agreed. He didn't feel that he really should be on the site and decided to go to the deletion page and weigh in on the issue. He told the wiki admins who he was and that he wanted the page deleted thinking this would solidify the consensus that had for the most part already been reached. I think the quote was something along the lines of "I don't want to be on your gay-ass site, so I'd appreciate it if you just hurried up and deleted it before I leave you all with a fist-sized, mushroom-shaped bruise on all of your faces."

    Not surprisingly, all of the admins had a change of heart and all decided they wanted to keep the page.

    1. Re:Funny Story... by ymgve · · Score: 5, Funny


      "A couple years ago a wiki page was created about a friend of mine who ran a website, in addition to a wiki page about the website itself. It appeared to have been made by some fan who never made themselves known.

      It wasn't long of course before these deletion-happy admins nominated it for speedy deletion. The decision was proving to be unanimous. And, I for one didn't blame them. A wiki page for an administrator of a website seemed rather silly.

      My friend agreed. He didn't feel that he really should be on the site and decided to go to the deletion page and weigh in on the issue. He told the wiki admins who he was and that he wanted the page deleted thinking this would solidify the consensus that had for the most part already been reached. I think the quote was something along the lines of "I don't want to be on your gay-ass site, so I'd appreciate it if you just hurried up and deleted it before I leave you all with a fist-sized, mushroom-shaped bruise on all of your faces."

      Not surprisingly, all of the admins had a change of heart and all decided they wanted to keep the page."

      [citation needed]

    2. Re:Funny Story... by robthebloke · · Score: 5, Funny

      References:

      1. ^ "A couple years ago a wiki page was created about a friend of mine who ran a website". Rutefoot, 2008