[WikiEN-l] Rampant Deletionism

Thu Nov 6 16:31:35 UTC 2003

On 11/6/03 11:22 AM, "Gareth Owen" <wiki at gwowen.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

> The Cunctator <cunctator at kband.com> writes:
> 
> 
> Are you seriously suggesting that the late Mr. Bowman, Eagle Scout and
> computer specialist is a reasonable target for an article in an encyclopedia.
> If so, then there is such little common ground between what we think belongs
> in an encyclopedia, that further discussion is worthless.

The great thing about Wikipedia is that you can IGNORE the entry.

It causes you no harm and kills no trees.

Moreover, there is now a permanent memorial to this "nonentity". 100 years
from now people may come to Wikipedia wondering who the ampitheatre is named
for.

> I'd be intrigued to see the opinions of others.
> 
> (Maybe a new server on non-entities.wikipedia.org)
> 
> 
> Are you seriously suggesting that the late Ms. Boyce, disco dancer, and
> devoted partner to Catherine, is a reasonable target for an article in an
> encyclopedia.  If so, then there is such little common ground between what we
> think belongs in an encyclopedia, that further discussion is worthless.

There is strong interest, and will likely continue to be for generations, in
the gay victims of September 11. Their deaths and the succeeding lives of
their partners--treated very differently from the heterosexual partners of
victims-- are political issues with broad repercussions.

> 
> Are you seriously suggesting that the late Mr. Murray, amateur athlete and
> golfing charity worker, is a reasonable target for an article in an
> encyclopedia.  If so, then there is such little common ground between what we
> think belongs in an encyclopedia, that further discussion is worthless.
> 
Funny, how in your one line description of Mr. Murray, "founder of a
sclerodema charity" became "golfing charity worker". I guess Jimbo Wales is
a "volunteer website contributor". Not very interesting. And George Bush is
a "federal employee".

I mean, can't you at least concede that at least John Joseph Murray did
something "important"?

The entry needs editing for style, but it's not an unreasonable subject,
even without the September 11 connection.