[WikiEN-l] Elimination of unreferenced articles drive?

[Mark Gallagher]

G'day Jossi,

> A Wikiproject to "eliminate unreferenced articles"?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Unreferenced_articles
> 
> This seems a bit excessive.
> 
> Thoughts?

There are three ways to deal with the problem of unreferenced articles:

1) Find references
2) Delete
3) Adopt an eventualist approach

The order of approach should be '1', then '3', then '2'.

If we come across an unreferenced article and we want it fixed, damn it, 
then the Right Thing to do, firstly, is to go looking to see if we can 
find reliable sources that verify what the article says.  If we find 
reliable sources, then we add them to the article, and remove anything 
that contradicts those sources.

If we don't find reliable sources, say: Does this article need reliable 
sources RIGHT NOW?  (e.g. BLP)  If so, move on to delete.  If not: Is 
this article ever likely to get reliable sources?  (Systemic bias vs 
notability)  If not, move on to delete.  Otherwise, adopt an eventualist 
approach, i.e. we have bigger problems to fix.

Finally, "delete" should be fairly clear, although I note there's quite 
a few people on AfD who don't know what they're doing.  Sigh.


Cheers,

-- 
Mark Gallagher
"'Yes, sir,' said Jeeves in a low, cold voice, as if he had been bitten 
in the leg by a personal friend."
- P G Wodehouse, /Carry On, Jeeves/