[WikiEN-l] 'funny cartoons' linked to in articles

[Gabe Johnson]

On 5/17/07, Sander Sepp <sepp.sander at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I normally only read this list, but now I'm posting because there is
> something that has been bothering me.
>
> The Template:"Illustrated Wikipedia" has been put on many articles. It
> has the text: 'This article has been illustrated as part of
> WikiProject WikiWorld.' and has a link to a cartoon. It is highly
> inappropriate to put these templates on articles. 'Funny' cartoons are
> inherently very unencyclopedic.
>
> There has been a deletion discussion of this template which ended in
> keep. The main argument of the keep-voters was that this series of
> cartoons is an 'official project' because 'it uses the Wikipedia
> Logo', and as such, it should have a link in an article just as there
> may be a link to Wikiquote or the Commons. Is it an 'official
> project'? Should we add it to
> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Our_projects ? I think not. To say
> that this is an official project, on the same level as, say, Wikimedia
> Commons, is ridiculous.
>
> Another reason for keeping was: "What is the point of the cartoonist
> creating the illustrations, if no one gets to see them?". If it seems
> that there is no point in creating illustrations, the logical
> conclusion should be to stop making them, not to put them on articles!
> We are here to write an encyclopedia, not to please illustrators or
> act as a gallery for their work.
>
> A new cartoon is made every week so the list of articles with these
> templates is growing. If the links to the cartoons were on talk pages
> at least it would not harm the articles. The way  it is now is not
> acceptable.
>
> links to relevant pages:
> list of articles that use the template:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Whatlinkshere/Template:Illustrated_Wikipedia
> deletion discussion:
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2006_November_21#Template:Illustrated_Wikipedia
>
> regards,
> Sander Sepp
> user:S_Sepp
>

Usually with this kind of thing, I'd say to keep it, but come on. Just
put it on the talk page. ~~~~