[WikiEN-l] False AfD Nominations

[Nick Wilkins]

On 1/31/07, Phil Sandifer <Snowspinner at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> We really need a good policy on speedy closing AfD nominations where
> the nomination contains obviously false claims and whacking votes
> that are just plain idiotic. Case in point, http://en.wikipedia.org/
> wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Cyrus_Farivar_%284th_nomination%
> 29 where the nominator proclaimed that the article was kept because
> of the journalist's involvement in an Internet hoax. In fact, it was
> kept because this is a freelance journalist who has written for
> Wired, The Economist, and the New York Times. As anyone actually
> looking at the previous deletion debates would quickly notice.


<snip>

Personally, I'd support a speedy-close policy on any AfD with false
> information in the nomination, and a standard "comment removed due to
> obvious inaccuracy" template to put into place on the "discussions"
> for when people cite policies that don't exist, claim lack of sources
> where sources exist, or otherwise flagrantly decline to engage with
> reality.
>
> -Phil



Of course, in the interests of accuracy and full disclosure, you were
somewhere going to mention that the second nomination was closed by an
administrator who strenuously argued in that very discussion for keeping the
article?  And that the third nomination was closed as a no consensus?
Hardly convincing evidence that the previous discussions "were settled on
the grounds that Farivar is a journalist who has written in the New York
Times" rather than "because of the Slate article".  Or even that they were
actually settled.  This article really isn't the best example for your
proposal.

Are you going to deal with the argument put forth by Bwithh and others that
Farivar is not particularly notable among journalists?  Or should we just
ignore them and speedy keep the article?  I happen to disagree with them
when they say that Farivar is not notable enough for an article, but I
respect their opinions.

Give the discussion the full length, make your case, and trust that someone
with a clue will evaluate all the comments and reasoning and make an
appropriate decision.

-- Jonel