Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Disappearance of Madeleine McCann


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.  

The result was Keep, no need to keep this open any longer. Seems to be a WP:POINT nomination -- after all, article is a WP:GA. Only delete votes seem to be WP:IDONTLIKEIT. Non-admin closure. Ten Pound Hammer • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps•Review?) 00:09, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

Disappearance of Madeleine McCann

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11/08/07- Nominated for Deletion. Reason: Wikipedia Policy- "Content not suitable for an encyclopedia"

Seems appropriate to add this to the deletion nomination too [→ AA (talk) — 22:59, 11 August 2007 (UTC)]



DELETE - Ok, The Madeleine McCann story is a tragic one and anyone who reads the tabloids has been 'briefed' day in and day out since May on whats happening with the case. however, short of etching her face on the surface of the moon, everything has been done to raise public awareness about her. Loads of children are reported missing every day/month/year, so what makes this disappearance so sensational that it has to be publicised on Wikipedia? If new legislation is passed because of the case or if it turns out that she went missing because of neglegence that leads to procecution; then it may warrant an entry but there is nothing exclusive here that indicates this case deserves any sort of special treatment. One example in contrast (and consequently a significant article) could be the Jamie Bulger murder which was essentially the first instance of horrific child creuelty which was VERY high profile and set a benchmark in legal prosecution being taken aginst children and not their legal guardians. Or another example of a significant article would be the video game 'Manhunt' which conseqently led to an investigation into the link of violent video games to violent behaviour after the murder of a Leicester youth in 2004. As things stand at the moment, The McCann story simply doesnt warrant the attention it's receiving, let alone on a site that is used for academic and common knowledge purposes. If you're looking for updates on her, read the papers. Once her status is established, by all means produce an article IF something unique arises from the circumstances. but this is an irrelevant article for an encylopedia site. Irrelevant and of no historical value. Frequency24 11/08/07 22.24 GMT


 * Speedy Keep. The media attention alone warrants an article. Whether it deserves that much attention in the first place is irrelevant. &mdash;Xezbeth 22:31, 11 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Speedy Delete. Tabloid nonsense, does this article belong amongst other works on this site such as political profiles and entries for world leaders? Wikipedia shouldnt be used as a media enhancement tool. Will the McCann story last beyond the end of the year? no. And if thats the case then what value does this bring? There's already countless websites and appeals active, why does an article influenced by media and celebrity deserve INSTANT attention? 23.44, 11 August 2007 (UTC) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 79.67.10.182 (talk • contribs).
 * Comment - This article is not 'influenced by media and celebrity' - we have taken great pains to ensure a balanced and neutral point of view which can be contrasted to many of the websites and appeals to which you allude. We have volumes of material on porn stars, reality show contestants, pop stars etc all of whose notability has been established by the media. The test is whether the article meets WP:N and this article does, easily. TerriersFan 23:10, 11 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Speedy Keep. I second "The media attention alone warrants an article. Whether it deserves that much attention in the first place is irrelevant." Especially when we consider similar cases like Amanda Dowler's disappearance warrant their own entries. 77.99.8.53 23:02, 11 August 2007 (UTC) Cheese
 * Speedy Keep - This is a GA, sourced, balanced and encyclopaedic, easily meeting WP:V and WP:N. It is important not to take out concerns on possibly over-the-top press coverage on a perfectly decent Wikipedia article. TerriersFan 23:03, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Speedy Keep - Obviously "the media attention alone warrants an article". Madeleine's parents visited the Pope, went to Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, her father went to America, countless celebrities made appeals...the issue was even reported in China and Japan! -- Ishikawa Minoru 23:10, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * DELETE - I'm all for sourced well written pieces on Wiki, however theres too much speculation and conjecture around the circumstances of the case to make it a factual article in an encyclopedia. Wait for the case to come to a conclusion before establising this in Wiki. Anyone familiar with the Chris Benoit case knows the faults of jumping to conclusions. delete for now. 79.67.100.52 / 23.13 11 August 2007 (UTC) Easy E.
 * Comment - the fact that this is sourced, well written and doesn't jump to conclusions is evidenced by it being awarded WP:Good article by one of the most demanding of assessors! TerriersFan 23:28, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Comment - This is not a debate in the quality of grammar or academic sourcing. The nomination is for the article being "not suitable for an encyclopedia" which it is not until the event has concluded and Madeleine's status has been established. Frequency24 12/08/07 00.43 GMT
 * Comment - I was answering the points raised. On your point the fact that the girl's fate is unknown is utterly irrelevant to the encyclopaedic nature of the article. If you have any doubt take a look at the articles in Category:Unexplained disappearances and the sub-categories. TerriersFan 23:54, 11 August 2007 (UTC)


 * Speedy Keep - Absolutely notable and rigorously verified. To the nominator: please see WP:OTHERSTUFF Daniel C/T+ 23:19, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Speedy Keep. Obviously notable. Berserkerz Crit 23:24, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Speedy Keep. Satisfies WP:V and WP:N; well-written, and an all-around good article.  --Ratiocinate (t &bull; c) 23:27, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Speedy Keep may be mainly a media furore but the amount of references to it in print makes it notable and verifiable. Notability doesn't have to make sense.:)Merkinsmum 23:39, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Keep and a throwing down of the gauntlet. Keep as the article easily passes Notability as many have said above.  I ask that those who are arguing for deletion, provide an argument which proceeds from WP's policies or guidelines not just their own point of view.Greenshed 23:52, 11 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Comment and a picking up of the gauntlet - This is not based on personal opinion merely the fact that this article although well written and sourced should be kept until the facts of the case are known and concluded. for a "current event" article to be ongoing for over 3 months places it in the catagory of 'blog' rather than encyclopedia entry. Frequency24 12/08/07 01.01 GMT
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.