From: NSK nsk2@wikinerds.org
On Saturday 23 October 2004 13:36, Rebecca wrote:
What self-respecting encyclopedia gives me the right to write an article on my deceased cat?
I see no reason why the online WP couldn't have such an article. Obviously the 1.0 paper edition couldn't, but if you have disk space and you flag the "non-encyclopedic" articles as such, there is absolutely no problem.
There is no problem if what you are trying to do is something other than create an encyclopedia.
There is a _big_ problem _if_ what you are trying to do is create an encyclopedia.
Wikipedia is a project whose purpose is to create a free encyclopedia.
Encyclopedias should not contain "non-encyclopedic articles." You do not improve an encyclopedia by putting in non-encyclopedic articles, any more than you would improve the Superbowl by putting in a performance of _Hamlet_.
You say we are removing valuable content from Wikipedia. Well, all of this material is GFDL-licensed just like everythiing else, and you are perfectly free to copy it into Wikinerds.
Furthermore, if you are serious about the value of this material, and if _you_ have disk space, I believe the community here would be agreeable to set up some continuing arrangement whereby every article, prior to deletion, is emailed to you for inclusion in Wikinerds. The total volume is really not that large; far less than an active USENET newsgroup. if you check the deletion log, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Deletion_log , you will see that about 500 deletions were made on 22 October. Most were _extremely short_, less than 200 bytes each but even if we assume an average size of 5000 bytes that's only 2.5 megabytes. (I believe the real number would be well under 500K). And disk is cheap.
If you not sure you actually want content like "SOMETHING THAT PHILLIPPE GEORGE TUCK SAYS, FROM CALNE IN WILTSHIRE WHEN HE IS VERY VERY DRUNK AND I LOVE HIM LOADS" or "fvgkfcgyufdcyrfdrt7rsx5esasees== Headline text ==kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkmnjknjvyhi ancstdxydtsjsxtesb'ljasgvbjo..." or ""Hocus Pocus (novel)" (content was: 'poop')," we could send you only articles that are deleted as an outcome of the VfD process. That's only 20 articles per day; if we assume an average of 5000 bytes, that's only 100K per day. I think the real amount of traffic would be less than 30K per day.
Is Wikinerds interested in such arrangement?
Perhaps we could even set up a mailing list whose content is all the material deleted from Wikipedia. Anyone concerned about what is being deleted could subscribe.
-- Daniel P. B. Smith, dpbsmith@verizon.net "Elinor Goulding Smith's Great Big Messy Book" is now back in print! Sample chapter at http://world.std.com/~dpbsmith/messy.html Buy it at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1403314063/