[WikiEN-l] We need a pedia split

[charles matthews]

"Cheney Shill" wrote

> Besides, the real point of my recommendation in this context regarding 
> pop-culture items (Pokemon, pop-stars, etc.) is to give them a holding 
> place outside the encyclopedia itself that is still part of Wiki until we 
> have better knowledge about where on the crap continuum they belong.

I don't know that there is much to say on this topic, that has not already 
been said often before.

What we know works is to look at

- articles that contain reference infomation, in the sense that some class 
of people are going to want to refer to it
- and which can be categorised clearly
- and which meet some minimum standards of writing.

We have never succeeded in defining encyclopedic knowledge more directly: 
notability is just a minefield, and everyone knows examples from popular 
culture where the stuff that has the high profile is the trash and the 
neglected or 'cult' is going to be what lasts.  Everyone is entitled to the 
mental shift that designates Star Wars backstory pages as off-wiki as far as 
they are concerned.  Why should we believe that finally drawing the line on 
inclusion is going to be possible?  It's a theoretical issue for academics, 
really.

Charles