[WikiEN-l] Deletionitis

[JAY JG]

>From: Tom Cadden <thomcadden at yahoo.ie>
>
>--- Matt Brown <morven at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I tend to the conclusion that what I really dislike
> > about the deletion
> > pages is the attempt to make policy in them.  Policy
> > issues should not
> > be decided lynch-mob fashion under a deletion
> > deadline.  In this way,
> > those who frequent the deletion pages - no matter
> > what "side" they're
> > on - are trying to set Wikipedia policy for the
> > community as a whole,
> > without attempting to involve the wider community in
> > that "consensus
> > building".
> >
> > -Matt (User:Morven)
>
>I agree. The problem is that one fanatical deletionist
>can propose vast numbers of deletions. The same group
>of like minded individuals can all en block vote for
>deletion. Then when someone comes along and says 'hey,
>this is ridiculous in this case' the chorus jumps up
>and says 'that's policy. We've deleted 'x' number on
>these grounds. If you oppose this you are opposing
>policy'.

That argument works both ways; when I looked over AfD recently I saw a 
number of voters whose predictable vote was "Keep. We always keep this kind 
of article".  And keep in mind, given AfD policy's inherent conservativsm 
(i.e. bias towards keeping articles), you need 3 "deletionists" for every 
"inclusionist" for this to happen, so this strategy works far better for 
"inclusionists" than for "deletionists".

And finally, again, please ratchet down the rhetoric; use of adjectives like 
"fanatical" (or frankly, even nouns like "inclusionist") cheapens the level 
of discourse.

Jay.

Jay.

Jay.