[WikiEN-l] Re: External links and self-linking to my site (NSK)

[dpbsmith at verizon.net]

> From: David Gerard <fun at thingy.apana.org.au>

> > a) It's not at all clear to me that http://portal.wikinerds.org/node/103 
adds 
> > much to the http://en.wikipedia.org/Homo_floriensis article
> > b) Even if it does, it's not clear that the Wikinerds link is the best 
> > source, or even a particularly good source for that information. It is 
not 
> > nearly as close to the source, or as authoritative as several of the 
other 
> > links that are already in the article.
> > c) NSK does have a clear promotional interest in wanting to build up his 
> > site.
> 
> I have no hesitation in reverting this variety of edit as spam, and usually
> in blocking the IP if it's an anon. I fully expect to continue as well.
> Because it is spam.
> 
> If it's not one of *the* *best* possible links the article could have, and
> it's not a reference used in the article, there's no reason for it to be
> there. Hence the frequent edit summary "Wikipedia is not dMoz". (Or Wikia.)

Well, sure. 

I said it was borderline, I said it was skating on thin ice, and I said that 
NSK shouldn't be surprised if people removed his links. 

If I found one of his links on a page that's on my watchlist and that I 
specially care about, I'd click on the link and read the page it linked to. 
If it struck me as pure spam, I'd probably delete it. But if it struck me as 
being egg bacon spam and sausage, I might figure "that's not got much spam" 
and leave it in. 

The actual Homo floriensis link under discussion struck me as being more like 
spam spam spam spam spam spam spam beaked beans spam spam spam and spam.

It is, of course, very easy for NSK to avoid the issue altogether, and he 
doesn't need to "leave Wikipedia" to do it.