 | This is an archive of past discussions about Wikipedia:Reference desk. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page. |
| Archive 1 | Archive 2 | Archive 3 | → | Archive 5 |
New policy of If you know an answer, give only a very limited answer on this page. Just post a link to the Wikipedia article that contains the answer (although you might have to supply a few missing details, relevant to the specific question, here on this page) decided on by mike dill and LMS
Would it be reasonable to (as a policy) delete answers after a period of three months? I don't see that an archive of past questions serves much purpose... -Martin
- As long as we store all previous versions of a page deleting old stuff is no big deal. Just make sure to have it in the changelog, and possibly also a deletion log on the page itself, like on my talk page. --Eloquence
- Answers should not be given here -- they should be integrated into the body of Wikipedia, either in a new article or into existing ones. IMO, the answerer should give a link. The person who posed the question should delete the question & the link when they see it. -- Tarquin 23:54 Jan 1, 2003 (UTC)
- Hm. There's also the matter of questions that linger for months without answers, and people who don't come back to read the answer. Delete the latter after 3 months -- as for the former, not sure. We need to keep this page reasonably clean, but if they're valid questions we shouldn't delete them. Create an archive of "Wikipedia Wants To Know..." maybe -- Tarquin 00:10 Jan 2, 2003 (UTC)
h2g2 has an "ask h2g2" page - maybe this should be "ask Wikipedia"? Martin
- Does "Ask h2g2" function both technically (like the Pump) and informationally (like the Desk)? Because its name seems to suggest both. --Menchi 23:23 12 Jul 2003 (UTC)
- only informationally. They have various "feedback" pages for the technical side of things. I dunno, I just wonder if "reference desk" is a bit stuffy, somehow. Martin
At the top of the ref desk page, there should be an instruction to place new questions at the top (or bottom?). Which is preferred? Top makes most sense to me. ike9898 12:41, 22 Jan 2004 (UTC)
- Bottom Optim 13:14, 22 Jan 2004 (UTC)
- I have added a link for easy addition of questions, copied from the Village pump, which will put new questions at the bottom. HTH --Phil 13:40, Jan 22, 2004 (UTC)
Ok, we have questions on here that were posted in June. I think it's time for a little spring cleaning come early. → Raul654 01:35, Jan 12, 2004 (UTC)