[WikiEN-l] Notability in Wikipedia

[WJhonson at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/27/2009 11:47:09 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
doc.wikipedia at ntlworld.com writes:


> Google books is fine, as is google itself.
> 
> Neither is a substitute for common sense.>>

---------------

The point being that now we can actually answer a question such as "Was the 
7th Duke of Marlborough really anyone special?"  If no book mentions 
anything about the person except their place in the descent of the title and a few 
vague claims than we can know the answer.  And know it based on some 
authority in the field.

A person who was the President of the Turkey Company in 1650 was certainly 
important in his day, regardless of whether anyone has heard of him today.  
Google itself, in terms of historic personalities is heavily weighted toward 
those who have living descendents as many many many webtrees will cite as 
many of their own obscure ancestors as can be identified regardless of 
notability.

However those people who did really interesting things in their day, who 
failed to create living progeny, get often overlooked in the short term just 
because their lives are told in books covered in dust instead of in glowing 
praise on some blue-haired web page.

Will Johnson




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