G'day Geoff, <snip />
Although I believe we need a threshold for Wikipedia, we also should acknowledge that in most cases an article was submitted with the best of intentions: since we are knifing someone's baby, there is no need to express glee while doing so. It appears to me that there is a consensus that the words "cruft" & "notable" should not be used in AfD: would anyone object if I edit the opening page & explain that use of either of these words will result with the nomination being immediately closed as a Speedy Keep?
*Yes*. "Notable" is an important shorthand, and much less likely to cause offence than the other AfD tragic favourite "vanity".
"Cruft", well, I'm ambivalent. On the one hand, those who dislike the word "cruft" seem to be those who dislike the *removal* of cruft. On the other, if one were to take an inclusionist POV then merely disliking the removal of obvious cruft is not in itself a Bad Thing. Blast it. I guess "kipple" is out of bounds, too?