Talk:List of Algerian flags

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 10:07, 25 September 2022 (UTC)
 * Rustamid Flag.jpg

Removing fictional and unsupported flags
I've removed a number of fictitious and unsourced "historical" flags from the list. There's a reason these flags don't appear (or have been recently removed) on the respective main articles for these states and dynasties. (For some of the "Moroccan" flags, for example, see this discussion.) Unfortunately there are many WP:OR, unsourced, or dubiously sourced flags in Wiki Commons, uploaded by editors who try to push them on various Wikipedia articles. Some of the images are now even explicitly tagged as "fictional" on their Commons file description pages. There may be more problematic flags in the rest of the list but these are the obvious cases I could spot. (Even the Umayyad flag may not be supported, judging by recent discussion and edits at Umayyad Caliphate.) The reality is that we don't know what the flags of many historical North African states looked like (especially older ones), or even if there was a single standard flag for each of them; we shouldn't expect every historical state to be represented here. R Prazeres (talk) 06:07, 24 November 2022 (UTC)

Unreliable sources and possible original research
The article has been greatly expanded recently with a number of flags that look very speculative. Many are only supported by citations to crwflags.com (or FOTW, Flags of the world). I've said this elsewhere: CRW/FOTW is not a reliable source. It is a website for flag enthusiasts that accepts contributions from volunteers and is not reviewed by scholars. Its own disclaimer states: "The quality of images and news varies very much: the website contains not only well-known flags but also sketches and rumours, often seized on the spot from a TV report or a magazine. In any case we disclaim any responsibility about the veracity and accuracy of the contents of the website." This should not be used as a source on Wikipedia.

In a similar vein, editors should be very careful about extracting flags from primary sources and presenting them as historical facts. Wikipedia's policy on original research explicitly advises against relying too much on primary sources. At the very least, any flags based purely on primary sources should have those sources cited clearly and contextualized inline (e.g. with inline attribution) so readers know what they're looking at.

Lastly, a few sections particularly raise questions: what does the "Misattributed flags" section mean? If these flags are "erroneous", why are they included here? And likewise, what are the (unsourced) "proposed flags" for French Algeria? Proposed by whom? Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a vexillology forum, I doubt these are appropriate unless they're actually discussed by reliable sources. R Prazeres (talk) 01:08, 16 March 2024 (UTC)