[WikiEN-l] Banality threshold

[Sage Ross]

On 10/1/07, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 01/10/2007, Sage Ross <ragesoss+wikipedia at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > In my experience, the biggest problems with notability deletions (both
> > A7 and via proposed deletion) is that so many (mostly new) users feel
> > blindsided by them.  The interface doesn't do an adequate job of
> > making clear what is expected from a new article (e.g., all
> > information is verifiable from reliable published sources, information
> > on living people is explicitly referenced, the article explains why
> > the topic is significant).
> > In the end, I think that is a much bigger problem than the actual loss
> > of marginal content that ends up deleted (nearly all of which is
> > unreferenced, even if the subject is actually meets notability
> > requirements).  That content really shouldn't be in Wikipedia (at
> > least in the form that got deleted), but new users are not made aware
> > of that ahead of time.  Our standards have changed so much over the
> > last year and a half or so that I think we need a much heavier-handed
> > interface for guiding new users through the article creation process.
>
>
> Your task:
>
> 1. Write this interface.
> 2. People don't read. How few words can you put it in? Can you be as
> harsh as the new articles page for IPs on Meta?
>

I'll try to mock something up, but something more like the Meta
interface (is there a difference between the regular and IP versions?)
would be a step forward.

One possibility would be to add the must-read text to the edit box
itself, along the lines of the preloaded template for the featured
picture candidate interface
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?action=edit&preload=Template%3AFPCnom%2Finit&editintro=Template%3AFPCnom%2Fintro&title=Wikipedia%3AFeatured+picture+candidates%2FExample&create=create+new+nomination
 (and have this be a preference that users can turn off, but default
on).

People may not read much, but reading rates will certainly go up if
the text can be passively ignored (i.e., if they have to delete it to
write their article).

-Sage