Matthew Brown wrote:
On 6/16/07, Todd Allen <toddmallen(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
I wouldn't go so far as to say it would kill
off the project, but I
believe it would be bad for it. We're not attempting to create "Who's
Who in Academia", we're attempting to create an encyclopedia. By
covering subjects which are barely of note, very little information
exists for, and will be forgotten completely ten years from now, we are
giving them undue weight simply by inclusion. That violates NPOV, which
-is- a core principle.
That's a rather novel interpretation of NPOV.
-Matthew
_______________________________________________
WikiEN-l mailing list
WikiEN-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit:
http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
Nah, I really don't think it is. (Actually, I'm quite sure I've
heard it
at least a few times, though I couldn't tell you where.) Why do you
think so many non-notable or marginally-notable bands fight to have
their article kept? Mainly, because by putting an article in something
purported to be an encyclopedia, we are asserting that, in some real
way, that topic is one of importance to human knowledge through the ages.
That may apply to the president of a major university. It most certainly
does -not- apply to all its faculty, especially when all that we can
reliably source is "X was a professor of Y at Z University." That can
very easily be mentioned on one line in the university article, or a
list ("Faculty of Z University from year A to year B") if it must be
split out. Of course, in many cases, it may not be terribly important
-who- it was at all.
I'm really not sure how "undue weight" is a novel interpretation of
NPOV, that's been in it as long as I can remember. By putting a subject
in a separate article, we're giving it a certain amount of weight. By
putting it in a list or main article, we're giving it a different
amount. How much weight is appropriate should be a careful case-by-case
consideration, not just "Ah, let's have separate-page articles on every
(professor/album/minor pro sports player/5-person "census designated
location"/train station/...)". In many cases, the appropriate amount of
weight is a list entry, not a full article. In others, it's not to
mention at all.