[WikiEN-l] What Readers Say on Inclusion

Mon Oct 3 17:42:52 UTC 2005

On 10/3/05, Philip Sandifer <snowspinner at gmail.com> wrote:
> I just did a very informal poll among friends I have who do not edit
> Wikipedia, but who read it, on the matter of when an article should
> be deleted.
>
> I did not express my own opinion to any of them and solicit
> agreement. So the fact that they are my friends so, naturally, they
> agree with me doesn't play into this. On the other hand, the
> possibility that I am naturally prone to talking to people who
> basically agree with me, even on issues we haven't discussed, might.
>
It would help to know how large your sample size of friends was and
what sort of stuff they commonly look up.

I come across misplaced questions on a daily basis. Wikipedia
questions on the reference desk and reference questions on the help
desk, which shows that despite having glaringly obvious instructions
on a page, readers often don't have the sense to read it.

And then it's the readers who set their first steps into editing by
including garage bands, website and personal vanity. They wouldn't
have any objection to such stuff being included.

Trusting them on what to include would be madness.

--Mgm