[WikiEN-l] Nuke [[WP:CITE]] and [[WP:RS]]

[Sage Ross]

On 1/25/07, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> He isn't trying to change the policies. WP:CITE and WP:RS are current
> policies - it's the people that want to relax those policies that are
> trying the change policies. Perhaps they should fork?
>

Ahem... WP:CITE and WP:RS are guidelines.  But Robth puts it exactly
right.  There is pretty much a consensus that citations and the use of
reliable sources are good things that make Wikipedia better, ceteris
paribus.  It's an issue of emphasis.  No doubt CITE and RS, in some
cases, either turn potential contributors off of Wikipedia or inspire
the removal of valid information.  But they also inspire the addition
of sourcing (and perhaps the participation of editors who wouldn't
edit in project where sources carried less weight).  The goal in
writing or re-writing those guidelines should be to strike the optimal
balance between the positive effects and the negative effects.  But
both guidelines are central to the shift in Wikipedia culture over the
past year or so, in which we've seen drastic sourcing improvements to
the point where most editors realize that sources are expected, not
just encouraged.

-ragesoss