User:Steve M/Why did I tag your page for deletion?

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If you're reading this, it's probably because I tagged your page based on Wikipedia's speedy deletion policy while patrolling the new pages feed. Then, you came by my user page or talk page to leave me a message and to ask why I tagged your page. First let me assure you that I was not, in fact, the one who threw your hard work into the digital dustbin--that honor belongs to the administrator who was brought to attention by my tag. That user can undelete your page. As I am not an admin, I cannot undelete your page. However, I am capable (and willing!) to untag your page. However, you need to continue reading below to find out why I decided to tag it in the first place.

There are four major reasons why an article would get tagged and why I would tag a new article for speedy deletion: it is non-encyclopedic, it is a copyright violation, it is an advertisement or spam, or it is an attack page or other form of vandalism.

Non-encyclopedic pages
The most basic standard for inclusion in Wikipedia is notability--that is, whether or not the subject has received attention from the press or other reliable sources. Wikipedia is not a place to establish one's notability, and so things like the band you started with your friends, (even the ones that are so close to being noticed/signed/gigged) the shop down the street that sells good donuts, the hot guy/girl that sits across from you in study hall, or the sweet awesomeness of your best friend, don't belong in Wikipedia (unless they've been written about elsewhere, reliably and independently, first).

If your subject has been written about elsewhere, you have to say why. Creating an article that just says "Paul is a really good cook" doesn't provide a starting point for other editors to build on. Who is Paul? What kind of food does he cook? Who says he's good? How do we find out more about him? Now, an article that says "Paul Prudhomme is a world-class cajun chef who hosts the show Paul Prudhomme's Always Cooking! on PBS"...that gives you something to sink your teeth into!

And finally, articles which just can't become articles--articles with random text or no content (I'll generally give the latter about 5 to 10 minutes, and I suggest using the inuse template in the future)--get cleaned up here as well.

Copyright violations
Sadly, all the notability in the world can't save a copyright violation. Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia, and as such we must use free content (with a couple of fair-use exceptions). If you copied most or all of your article from another website, chances are near 100% that it's going to stay deleted. After all, with a handful of exceptions that text is copyrighted by the website you took it from, and its unauthorized use can land Wikipedia in a heap of trouble. You can write an article using the website as a source--but pure copying is a big no-no.

Advertisements or spam
Wikipedia is not an advertising service, and the community is very sensitive to being treated as one. If you wrote an article that reads like advertising copy--if it extolls the virtues of your product, uses marketing terms like "dynamic" and "capable" and "world-leading expertise" to describe your company, boasts about how your website is the fastest growing "ceramic-doll related forum on the internets" -- it's probably going to stay deleted.

Surprisingly enough, this includes companies you may not be associated with. An overenthusiastic analysis of a company by a genuine fan can be mistaken for something drafted by that company's marketing department (after all, it's not that difficult to fake). My first article, Madness Combat (cartoon series), was speedy deleted the same way as just discussed. If this is the case, then I'm sorry your article was tagged but you simply need to tone it down next time. Also, see reason one above about Notability. If no one else, outside of Wikipedia, has written about your company yet, it's highly unlikely that Wikipedia will be willing to be "Your Big Break".

Attack pages or other forms of vandalism
Writing an article saying "Becky is hot" is one thing. Writing an article comparing her ass to a bowl of week-old clam chowder is another. Wikipedia does not tolerate personal attacks of any kind, be they against editors here online or about the horrible people (and bad bands and corrupt companies) you know in the real world. While it's only natural to want to blow off steam every now and then, Wikipedia is simply not your punching bag or bulletin board. The same goes for pages created to vandalize or otherwise disrupt the project. Users who repeatedly create such pages will be blocked.

If you want your article or undeleted, it's definitely possible. Reading this far is a good first step and means you're serious about it. Keep in mind though, you need to ask the deleting administrator very nicely. They may or may not comply with your request, depending on the type of page that was deleted (i.e. a page deleted because notability was not established is much more likely to be restored than an attack page or pure copyright violation). Give them a good reason! Show them some sources for that unsourced, deleted article. If they still don't comply and you believe your article was deleted against procedure, you can list it for review at Wikipedia deletion review, although your time and energy would more likely be better spent writing a new and improved version from scratch.

I hope this helped answer some of your questions. If you're still confused, still have questions, want to leave a comment, or want to request to have your page untagged, feel free to leave me a message by clicking here. Be sure to sign your post with four tildes ( ~ ) so I know who you are!
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This page was originally (and brilliantly) designed and written by jonny-mt, and I obtained it via Alexf, with thanks.