User:SCZenz/Webcomics

= My thoughts on webcomics on wikipedia =


 * This is a place to collect my thoughts on webcomics being included in Wikipedia. Likely you've seen me link here from some place where I've advocated the deletion of a webcomic's article, or the general reduction of the number of such articles on Wikipedia.  I wrote this so that I could write my views in a coherent way, once, rather than repeating arguments on different AfD and talk pages. -- SCZenz

Note for new users
If you are a new user who has just arrived on Wikipedia to vote against the deletion of a webcomic, let me first of all say welcome! (Click here for some information on getting started at Wikipedia.) You should be aware that, in general, users with very few edits voting in AfD's are indestinguishable from sockpuppets, and their votes are discounted. I ask that you realize that Wikipedia is an online community, just like the webcomics community, and we have our own rules and ways of doing things--and if you want to contribute, you'll probably need to learn a bit about them. We're not judging your favorite webcomic, it's just that we generally include only the most notable websites and are trying to be consistent. To learn more of what I think about the issue, please read below.

My thoughts
Wikipedia is not the place for the comprehensive cataloguing of almost anything: not music, not people, not blogs, and yes, not webcomics. Generally editors look for "notability," that is whether an article ought to be included in an encyclopedia because it is distinctive in some way. A webcomic might be notable because:


 * 1) It has an exceptionally broad readership.
 * 2) It was groundbreaking in some way, e.g. a very early webcomic.
 * 3) It has been mentioned in some significant way in some other medium.
 * 4) It has received a significant award.
 * 5) It is written by an artist notable for other reasons.
 * 6) And I'm sure there are other possibilities too...

If one or more of these things is true, and verifiable, then the article should be included in Wikipedia. Otherwise, it should not.

The proposed criteria at WP:COMIC are too loose right now, and so are not taken seriously by the majority of Wikipedia editors. The only one that asks that a comic have significant readership, rather than simply existing for a long time, unfortunately relies on Alexa, which everyone hates. The criteria need to be rewritten somehow, to be more in line with, for example, WP:MUSIC. Think how many hard-working, skilled bands are excluded by those criteria! It's no disrespect to them, it's because we're writing an encyclopedia. The situation with comics must be similar to that of bands, for the sake of fairness and consistency within the wikipedia community.

I fear a clash of cultures on this issue, as webcomic fans who are unfamiliar with wikipedia arrive to protect their beloved comic's articles and feel personally attacked when they're labeled as "not-notable" or "unencyclopediac". It will be difficult to understand that "notable within the webcomic community" and "notable in the context of wikipedia" are two different things. I'm still trying to figure out how to deal with this.

Through all of this it is important to assume good faith and to be civil. I genuinely welcome any and all suggestions and comments on my talk page.