Not Everything Belongs: Scope, Notability, and Deletion on Wikipedia ---WANG YIKE 5.1

As open and inclusive as Wikipedia may seem, it also draws clear boundaries about what doesn’t belong. The first half of the video “Understanding Wikipedia: The Scope of Wikipedia, Deletion and Notability” and Chapter 6 of Joseph Reagle’s Good Faith Collaboration reveal how Wikipedia defines its limits—and why those limits matter.

What Wikipedia Is Not

One of the most important community guidelines is actually titled “What Wikipedia Is Not.” As the video explains, Wikipedia is not a soapbox, a blog, a directory, or a place to publish original research. Its purpose is not to host everything—only notable, verifiable content that meets its standards for neutrality and reliability. This ensures the platform doesn’t get overwhelmed with self-promotion, fringe theories, or trivial content.

The concept of notability plays a key role. For a subject to have its own article, it must have received significant coverage in reliable, independent sources. This guideline isn’t about popularity—it’s about documentation and long-term relevance. When something doesn’t meet these standards, it can (and often does) get nominated for deletion.

Reagle on Conflict and Policy

In Chapter 6: Encyclopedia and Ego, Reagle focuses on how Wikipedia editors navigate conflicts about content, identity, and ownership. These conflicts often arise during deletion debates, especially when contributors have a personal connection to an article.

Reagle highlights the tension between openness (anyone can contribute) and discipline (not everything is acceptable). He explains how Wikipedians try to handle these tensions through policies, processes, and community norms rather than top-down control. For example, deletion isn’t just an act of removal—it’s usually preceded by open discussion on “Articles for Deletion” (AfD) pages, where editors present arguments for and against keeping a page.

This kind of transparency reinforces Wikipedia’s culture of collaboration and accountability—even when decisions are contentious.

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