[WikiEN-l] What Readers Say on Inclusion

[Ryan Delaney]

Philip Sandifer wrote:

>
> Which doesn't prove anything, I'll be the first to admit. But I think  
> this is an important thing we haven't been asking - what do readers  
> think. 

It's an interesting point-counterpoint issue, because although Wikipedia 
is about providing what the readers want, many readers aren't at all 
concerned with the overall health of the project-- they are only 
concerned with whether it helps with their homework, or Livejournal 
debate or whatever.

I think most deletionists who are upset about people writing articles 
about themselves get upset because after putting in all this work to 
improve the project, someone coming in and writing an article about his 
band is seen as an appropriation of the work of others. Wikipedia is 
popular because of the work people put in to improve it, and that means 
that anyone using it to do self-promotion is to be (rightfully) shunned. 
Yes, the information about your garage band might be true, but that 
doesn't mean it's okay for you to use Wikipedia as your own personal 
vehicle to superstardom. We only want contributions from people who want 
to improve the encyclopedia; not people who want to use it to advance 
their own interests.

Now, the average reader doesn't care about this problem because they are 
only interested in th quality of the articles they are actually 
searching for. Does that mean notability has nothing to do with quality? 
No, I don't think so. But it doesn't mean it does, either.

- Ryan