User talk:RyanSaathoff

Campaign websites
A bit about external links and campaign websites: Campaign websites almost always fail WP:ELOFFICIAL because of their promotional and transient nature. However, we regularly make exceptions during political campaigns in the External links section of the individuals' own article. They don't belong in any other articles except perhaps if there was an article specifically about an individual's political campaign. --Ronz (talk) 16:26, 29 June 2014 (UTC)


 * I think you are mistaken. Almost every election page on Wikipedia has external links to each candidate's official website, and is considered standard procedure for such pages. Here are three different examples to prove my point (none of which have I contributed to): United States Senate election in Kentucky, 2014, United States Senate election in Louisiana, 2008, Nevada gubernatorial election, 2010. Especially considering many candidates that are either independent or of a minor party do not regularly have a page of their own, it seems fairly logical to include all official websites in the external links. RyanSaathoff (talk) 18:19, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
 * I've gone ahead and removed campaign website links from the examples you gave. Other problems exist, but that's no reason for creating and keeping further problems.
 * It would help if you would review WP:EL.
 * Campaign sites are promotional and transient, so have little if anything encyclopedic to offer short term, and far less long term in the rare cases where the websites are actually maintained. --Ronz (talk) 18:55, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Then you have a long ways to go, as there are literally hundreds (if not more) of campaign websites in the external links of election pages. And while I understand the WP:OSE argument is often not accepted, I feel that for continuity purposes that website links should be included. Election pages give people the ability to become more informed on a race, and the candidate's websites, I would argue allow for that as well. And I also disagree with the notion that having links are strictly promotional. By including all campaign websites, no endorsement is made, but more information can be digested by the populace, especially regarding candidate's stances on the issues. RyanSaathoff (talk) 19:09, 29 June 2014 (UTC)
 * I agree, we have a long way to go. --Ronz (talk) 20:30, 29 June 2014 (UTC)