This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: Deletion is one of the most consequential decisions we make here. Systemic bias is everywhere, including at articles for deletion. You should take special care to avoid systemic bias at AfD. |
This is an essay about systemic bias at articles for deletion.
Wikipedia's notability guidelines are purposefully and necessarily vague.
These guidelines are purposefully vague because applying them in practice demands a certain flexibility and brevity. They are necessarily vague because the concept of notability itself is not clear.
But vague guidelines make it easy for systemic bias to creep in. It is easier to dismiss a person as insignificant if they seem marginal. It is easier to dismiss coverage as insignificant if it comes from sources that seem marginal. [a]
Deletion is one of the most visible and consequential manifestations of systemic bias. When an article on a marginalized subject is deleted because it seems insufficiently "significant" or "important" to participants in the deletion discussion, this sends a powerful message:
Here is a non-exhaustive list of considerations to keep in mind when evaluating subjects for notability that may be particularly susceptible to systemic bias.
This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
This page in a nutshell: Deletion is one of the most consequential decisions we make here. Systemic bias is everywhere, including at articles for deletion. You should take special care to avoid systemic bias at AfD. |
This is an essay about systemic bias at articles for deletion.
Wikipedia's notability guidelines are purposefully and necessarily vague.
These guidelines are purposefully vague because applying them in practice demands a certain flexibility and brevity. They are necessarily vague because the concept of notability itself is not clear.
But vague guidelines make it easy for systemic bias to creep in. It is easier to dismiss a person as insignificant if they seem marginal. It is easier to dismiss coverage as insignificant if it comes from sources that seem marginal. [a]
Deletion is one of the most visible and consequential manifestations of systemic bias. When an article on a marginalized subject is deleted because it seems insufficiently "significant" or "important" to participants in the deletion discussion, this sends a powerful message:
Here is a non-exhaustive list of considerations to keep in mind when evaluating subjects for notability that may be particularly susceptible to systemic bias.