On Tue, Dec 28, 2010 at 4:22 PM, Anthony wikimail@inbox.org wrote:
Wait a second. If "Wikipedia is not a dictionary" is about inclusion, isn't *it* that notability guideline?
What is a reliable source for a word? Do dictionaries count? If so, then wouldn't pretty much all words have reliable sources on them?
The various "What wikipedia is not..." standards evolved before the
notability guideline reached it's current form, so the ones dealing with inclusion/exclusion should probably be thought of as complementary policies. Notability is more or less a generic test. "Wikipedia is not..." standards dealing with exclusion are a non-exhaustive list of specific cases where something probably doesn't belong in Wikipedia regardless of it's notability
- they serve both as a shortcut around notability and an addendum to it
to cover the corner cases.
Reading it this way, and keeping in mind that our guidelines are just that, guidelines, that means that "not a dictionary" is it's own EXCLUSION test, aside from the INCLUSION test of notability. The same would go for any other exclusion test. Interpreting it as a guideline rather than a hard and fast rule, that means that "not a dictionary" stands on it's own. When it applies, the article probably doesn't belong here regardless of it's notability, but there may be the need to make exceptions.
There are a number of other "confusing" and misapplied parts of "What wikipedia is not." I would say one of the most consistently misapplied ones is to consider "Wikipedia is not censored." to be an inclusion guideline on it's own. The intent should be clear on that one - it means that offensiveness, obscenity, tastelessness, and any other reason to find content objectionable are simply not considerations - if the content stands under whatever other applicable content guidelines apply, then the content shouldn't be removed on account of someone's objection, BUT "not censored" isn't by itself reason to keep something - that's for other guidelines to decide.
Quoted every time we've had a policy discussion regarding material that was inappropriate for one reason or another. If you are getting a divorce and want to describe your wife's sexual behavior in detail Wikipedia is censored. If you want to include current troop movements Wikipedia is censored. Or unload an child pornography image. Examples go on and on.
Essentially all it means is that if extremely offensive or inappropriate material has been widely published we can't keep it out of Wikipedia.
Fred Bauder