This is an essay on the deletion policy. 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: AfD discussions should remain calm and civil; adherents of deletionism or inclusionism should avoid battleground behavior. |
Deep within the lower depths of our encyclopedia, a mostly silent battle has been raging. Bitter, pitiless and endless; reliable sources have held up the conflict as a possible cause for Wikipedia's stagnating new article creation rate.[1][2]
The site of this conflict is Wikipedia:Articles for deletion, widely known as AfD. The two factions are known as inclusionists and deletionists. Not all agree that these labels are helpful, and indeed many or most participants in AfD don't neatly fall into either camp. However, no better words exist for identifying the opposing philosophies.
This essay discusses the different perspectives that drive the conflict, in the hopes that once participants can come to respect the opposing camp, all will be able to conduct themselves in a collegial and constructive manner.