User:Andrewa/Requests for Stubification

This is just an idea at this stage, but feel free to edit it or comment on it in the talk page. It will be moved to the project namespace if and when I feel it's ready to try. Andrewa 00:54, 17 Dec 2004 (UTC)


This page does not replace, clarify, or modify any existing policy. It is just an optional procedure that can be followed within existing policy.

One of the components of Wikipedia is its system of stubs. A good stub encourages the development of a good article. In the early days some editors argued strongly that stubs should be deleted on sight, but they have become an accepted part of the project.

This page exists:

  • To facilitate and encourage the creation of good stubs.
  • To provide an efficient and non-confrontational alternative to VfD and cleanup.

Listing an article on VfD takes a lot more effort than listing it here, and that is the thin end of the wedge. The article must then be examined by several voters. So it's a considerable investment in many people's time. On the other hand, it gets results.

Listing on cleanup is easy and quick, but the time delay can be considerable. There are many options, and many different problems, and many, many listings. On the other hand, cleanup is non-confrontational, very laid back and very wiki.

This page is a third alternative. It fits somewhere between the two, more focussed than cleanup and less focussed than VfD. Like cleanup, any editor can respond to these requests, but like VfD the options are quite restricted.

The intention is to take some of the pressure off both cleanup and VfD by handling some of the easier cases which don't need to go there. And there are also other alternatives, see below.