It occurred to me that there are three totally different situations which could be described "deletion":
Topic: The topic itself simply doesn't belong in Wikipedia, and even a brilliant article should be deleted. Examples: Dictionary definitions, un-notable people/groups. Solution: Delete and put a note on the topic. Article: The topic itself could belong in Wikipedia, but it doesn't deserve a whole article. Examples: Less well known songs of notable but not famous groups, less well known characters in fictional universes ("fancruft"). Solution: Merge with other articles. Content: The topic itself could make a good article, but this isn't it. As it stands it's worse than nothing. Examples: Copyright vio, substub, horribly POV etc. Solutions: Delete, reduce to stub, call for help to rewrite, trim, as appropriate.
Perhaps the format for AFD could be modified to split nominations into these three categories. This could reduce some hurt for some article "owners" ("It's not that your writing is bad, it just doesn't belong here"), and also make it a bit clearer when an article is being deleted for the wrong reason. Ie, it's in the bad topic section, but the dispute is about poor writing or lack of comprehensiveness.
Comments?
(I can't get to the wikipedia page just at the moment, but if anyone wants to copy this there and reply there, that's fine with me. Use my en login name Stevage.)
Steve
On 1/26/06, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Could people interested in fixing the problems AFD is causing in the wider world please come to [[WT:AFD]]? At the moment most of the responses to my message there are varying degrees of denial and/or indignation. I've pointed out that I put it there to point out the need for severe internal reform rather than a solution being imposed from without. But helpful suggestions on how to deal with problematic nominations/nominators and (not-a-)votes are most urgently needed.
And remember: just because a nomination or (not-a-)vote is in good faith doesn't mean it's not stupid or damaging.
- d.
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