In 2009, the membership of Article Rescue Squadron has more than doubled. At the end of 2008 there were 117 members,[1] just 9 months later, there are 277 members, making Article Rescue Squadron one of the largest Wikiprojects on Wikipedia.
The Article Rescue Squadron was put up for deletion in May of this year, the result of the discussion was keep. Thank you to everyone who supported this project in the MfD.
Five media outlets mentioned ARS
It was recently discovered that five media outlets mentioned the Article Rescue Squadron.
Article rescue squadron member User:Ikip studied one random day of Article for Deletion. In the study he found, 67% of all articles which were put up for deletion were created by editors who had 100 contributions or less when they created the article.
This means a lot of new editors are having their work deleted, which may have a negative effect on editor retention.
The full study is here User:Ikip/AfD on average day. Note the see also section which has some very interesting articles.
Journalists views on deletion
Journalists' negative views
New York Review of books: "a narrow, almost grade-schoolish notion", "bullies, who take pleasure in wrecking and mocking peoples' work", "Notability purges' are being executed throughout Wikipedia by empire-building, wannabe tin-pot dictators masquerading as humble editors.", "book burners"; [2]
Guardian: "self-promoted leaf-pile guards appeared, doubters and deprecators",[3]
Guardian: "There are some people on Wikipedia now who are just bullies, who take pleasure in wrecking and mocking people's work..." "Inside, Wikipedia is more like a sweatshop than Santa's workshop"[4];
Telegraph: "The notability debate has spread across the discussions like a rash", "Newer folks feel like they're wielding a machete, not planting new trees.", "…in the past few years Wikipedia has changed; it now takes short stubs and throws them in the trash can, and excoriates those who have the temerity to create them."[5];
Washington Post: "Why does Wikipedia have a "notability" standard at all?...Wikipedia already maintains rules concerning verifiability and privacy. Why does it need separate rules governing "notability"?"[6];
PC PRO: "For an example of the dark side [of Web 2.0] running out of control, though, check out Wikipedia…In the NYRB article Baker explains how Wikipedia continually struggles to repel vandalisation...but as a result is now ruled by bands of vigilantes who delete all new material without mercy or insight. This is such a strong claim that it needed checking, so I decided to attempt an edit myself…I wrote a roughly 100-word potted history of [The Political Quarterly]… within five minutes I received a message to the effect that this entry has no content…and has been put up for "express deletion…It seems Wikipedia has completed the journey by arriving at an online equivalent of the midnight door-knock and the book bonfire".[7]
Los Angeles Times, Wikipedia wars erupt: At the heart of the include-exclude issue is the idea of notability, which a Wikipedia policy page defines as "worthy of notice." The problem is that deciding what counts as notable -- and who gets to decide it -- is a hopelessly slippery pursuit...if even a small number of useful articles are being deleted in the name of keeping Wikipedia clean, isn't that like allowing a few innocent men to hang in favor of a lower crime rate? "Wikipedia's community has become so rushed, so immediatist, that it is not willing to allow embryonic articles even a tiny modicum of time to incubate"[8]
Info World Wikipedia topics are selected for inclusion on the basis of their notability, which is subjective and fosters discrimination and elitism, "the very things the Wikipedia is against." "Unlike academic journals and other legitimate reference sources, the Wikipedia has created new and anonymous elite 'editors' and administrators"[9]
The AgeMzoli's Meats was deleted in 22 minutes...The two weeks of furious debate that followed was summarised [as the following]: "The Wikipedia that Jimbo (Wales) originally created takes short stubs like the one he created and turns them into articles; stubs should only be deleted when there is no reasonable hope that they will ever cease to be stubs. Unfortunately, in the past few years Wikipedia has changed; it now takes short stubs and throws them in the trash can, and excoriates those who have the temerity to create them. This stub is being saved only because it was created by Jimbo."..."The old timers remember the early days when we used to say 'ignore all rules' and 'assume good faith', but people tend not to emphasise that now,"[10]
Slate.com "More on Wikability The arguments for a notability guideline don't hold up: Disptues these arguments:
"Wikipedia does not command infinite Web space. Servers cost money."
"Banning the notability guideline is an invitation to sock puppetry."
"Facts about nonfamous people are difficult to verify."
"Wikipedia articles about non-notables get policed less."
The Article Rescue Squadron Hall of Fame was developed in January 2009, as an expansion of the "examples of rescued articles" section on the main page. A small medal was created, which floats at the top right of a user's talk or user page, similar to the good article or featured article medal . Anyone can award anyone else this medal.
List of articles tagged for rescue
Keep up with all of the articles currently tagged for rescue, you can add this to your user page by adding:
This year the Article Rescue Squadron created two new templates, which any editor can use to invite new members
Invitation and Welcome
Add
{{subst:WP:ARSI}} to invite an editor to join the Article Rescue Squadron.
Hello {{SUBST:BASEPAGENAME}},
You have been invited to join the Article Rescue Squadron WikiProject, a collaborative effort to rescue articles from deletion if they can be improved through regular editing!
Please visit the project page to learn more about improving Wikipedia articles considered by other editors as based upon notable topics. ~~~~
Add
{{subst:WP:ARSW}} to welcome a new member.
Hi, WikiProject Article Rescue Squadron/Newsletter/20090901, welcome to the Article Rescue Squadron WikiProject! We are a growing community of Wikipedia editors dedicated to identifying and rescuing articles and content that have been nominated for deletion. Every day hundreds of articles are deleted, many rightfully so. But many concern notable subjects and are poorly written, ergo fixable, and should not be deleted. We try to help these articles and content to quickly improve and address the concerns of why they are proposed for deletion. This covers a lot of ground and your help is appreciated!
Some points that may be helpful:
WikiProject Article rescue squadron's (ARS) main aim is to help improve Wikipedia articles and content. If someone seeks help, please try to assist if you are able. Likewise feel free to ask for help, advice and clarification.
Sometimes we are asked to help rescue articles by people new to our notability and sourcing policies. If the article is not fixable we can help explain why and offer alternatives. Sometimes editors who are new to Wikipedia may perceive the deletion of "their" article as discouraging. Encourage civility and maybe even {{welcome}} them if they have only been templated with deletion messages.
The Articles for deletion (AfD) discussion is where the concerns regarding each article are brought up and addressed. To be an effective member of the project you need to know how AfD works as well as how to improve articles. Introduction to deletion process gives a good overview and some good advice for newcomers to deletion.
Our primary work is improving Wikipedia articles and content. A more dynamic list with article links and descriptions are located at our rescue list.
If you have another language besides English, please consider adding yourself to the list of translators available. Articles and sources that use non-English languages often need translation for those of us who cannot translate for ourselves.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the talk page, and we will be happy to help you.
And once again — Welcome! ~~~~
New tools for all of wikipedia
New notification for all new articles
Anytime any editor starts a new article the text above the text box states:
You can also start your new article at Special:MyPage/Article name. You can develop the article, with less risk of deletion, ask other editors to help work on it, and move it into "article space" when it is ready.
Article Rescue Squadron members petitioned for this change. Article Rescue Squadron hope it will allow more new users the chance to develop new articles without the risk of deletion.
Articles for deletion notification bot
User:Erwin85Bot is now up and running, thanks to User:Erwin. User:Erwin85Bot notifies the creator of the Articles for deletion. According to User:Erwin, the bot is also designed to notify "all authors [of an article] with more than 5 non-minor edits." The idea to create a new Articles for deletion notification bot was first discussed on the Article Rescue Squadron talk page, before being petitioned for on Wikipedia:Bot requests.
