Template talk:Delete

To prevent the rampant Deletionism that's ruining Wikipedia, we should also make it clear that articles should not be requested for deletion for reasons such as:

• Notability (bullsh*t argument, we can still have a page about it)
• Style (improve it instead)
• Merged/Duplicate (make this a redirect instead)

Valid reasons for deletion are things like:

• Spam page
• Wrong name that nobody will search for (e.g. spelling error), page moved to correct name
• Wrong namespace (in those cases where we don't want the redirect clutter up the wrong namespace)
• Author request - if there was only one author

--Tom 20:40, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

Good idea. The style guide section regarding deleting pages should address this. If we decide that this is the way to go, then I can update BattleMaster Wiki:Style Guide and OOC Instructions. Also, with a smaller number of editors, we should be able to avoid rampant deletionism. --Indirik 21:51, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

True. It might need a bit of work, I just wrote down my immediate thoughts on the subject. --Tom 22:25, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

I think many redirects and double redirects should be deleted. I tend to delete any redirects I make when moving a page. The editors should always fix the links before deleting a redirect though.

I don't doubt that some redirects are useful(SMA -> Serious Medieval Atmosphere off the top of my head), but most are from pages being moved and are unnecessary once the links are fixed. The redirects that are useful I tend to discuss with fellow editors and get their opinion before taking any action.

Regarding author requested deletes, it shouldn't be a hard-line, but a general idea. If another(or several) person did some minor changes to it that shouldn't stop it from being deleted. In addition, sometimes there is only one author for religions and realms. I think they should stay in the wiki even if the author requests deletion. --Vita Family 10:41, 18 March 2009 (UTC)

Redirects that are desirable (i.e. the SMA redirect) should have notes made on the talk page to denote that they have been reviewed and deemed "OK". Are there any other comments on the proposed use of this template, though? Discussion about what constitutes a valid deletion, along with a simple checklist to follow before deleting a page, can be done on BattleMaster Wiki:Style. --Indirik 12:57, 18 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't agree on this harsh stand on redirects. They serve a purpose and don't cost us anything. We should definitely use them. Also remember that if someone new to the wiki searches for a term, say SMA, and finds the page doesn't exist, he might decide to add it without checking for the other term (in some cases, he might not know the other term). Or, for the various classes to redirect to the classes page (e.g. Mentor=>Classes, etc.) this also holds true. Redirects that result from page moves, yes - once all links are fixed, they should usually be deleted. --Tom 23:37, 18 March 2009 (UTC)