[WikiEN-l] Searchability of non-mainspace pages

[Risker]

Newyorkbrad, I've long wondered why any non-encyclopedia pages are available
to webcrawlers. XfDs and DRVs, where we will often have long and sometimes
unsympathetic discussions about the notability of living people, will often
become the top Google hit for individuals.  Users who edit under their own
names and run ever so slightly afoul of WP rules will have top google hits
about behaviour on what is (let's be honest here) *just a website*, with the
potential to impact them in real life.

Whether or not we have a better internal search process, these impacts
outweigh any benefit of making information browser-searchable.

Risker

2008/4/28 Newyorkbrad (Wikipedia) <newyorkbrad at gmail.com>:

> My attention has repeatedly been drawn to serious negative effects created
> by the ability of Google and other searches to search and display pages
> outside the mainspace, including pages such as XfD's, DRV's, AN/I
> discussions, and the like.  Some of these discussions have taken place
> on-wiki and others, I am advised, on discussion of OTRS tickets posted by
> affected persons.
>
> Given the visibility of Wikipedia results on Google and other searches,
> and
> consistent with the overall intent of [[WP:BLP]] on En-Wiki (and what I
> hope
> is its equivalent on other projects), we have a serious responsibility to
> ensure that the overall effect of Wikipedia content is a responsible one.
> This includes eliminating the likelihood that the first hit on the Google
> search for a living person is not (for example) a deletion discussion on
> how
> insignificant and non-notable that individual is, or a page discussing the
> ban of that individual (who might be a minor, for example) who chose to
> edit
> Wikipedia under his or her real name and made some mistakes in doing so
> and
> was criticized or even banned as a result.
>
> There has been discussion from time to time about implementing a technical
> modification such that only mainspace pages (or such other pages as the
> community might consciously choose) would be visible to searches.  In view
> of the number of concerns raised about the current situation where
> everything is searchable, it seems to me that the necessary changes should
> be developed and implemented quickly.
>
> The main argument in opposition to this change that I have seen is that
> the
> internal Wikipedia search capability is not as strong as the external
> search
> engines, so that it is desirable that the ability to conduct a complete
> external search be maintained.  I know that I have sometimes found it
> useful
> to be able to search all spaces within the site in, for example, looking
> for
> precedent cases while drafting EnWiki arbitration decisions.  It therefore
> would probably be desirable to upgrade our internal search capability.
> However, in view of the number of third parties affected by the current
> practice, I do not believe that implementation of the non-search
> capability
> should await this development.
>
> As a matter of disclosure, although I have raised this concern in passing
> on
> prior occasions, my attention has been focused (this is something of an
> understatement) on it again by an ongoing and extremely unpleasant thread
> concerning me on the Wikipedia Review site.  I understand that my concerns
> in this matter might be discounted for that reason.  Nonetheless, they are
> sincere, of long standing, and I urge that they receive priority
> attention.
>
> Newyorkbrad
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