Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/James Clarke White (dermatologist)


 * 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 speedy keep per WP:SNOW. – bradv  🍁  22:24, 18 March 2020 (UTC)

James Clarke White (dermatologist)

 * – ( View AfD View log  Stats )

Contested prod. Many people teach, even at Ivy League institutions and get elected to organizations such as a national academy of arts and sciences but that in and of itself does not make them wiki worthy. For example, I belong to Mensa which by definition means I can verify my IQ is in the top 2%. Great, I’m smart. But I’ve done nothing to deserve an article about me.

And that’s my point. If this guy has done anything fascinating, it is in that four page long obit that was referenced in an edit summary and nothing was put in the article to indicate why he belongs here. Postcard Cathy (talk) 22:02, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Academics and educators-related deletion discussions. Postcard Cathy (talk) 22:02, 17 March 2020 (UTC)

It’s your opinion I’m boasting. But your critical analysis skills can use some work. As has been stated to me many times, simply existing doesn’t merit a wiki article. Simply belonging to a certain organization does not merit an article. The point, IMHO, of a wiki article is to teach people something. To be a basic lesson on the subject. NOTHING in this article tells me anything that differentiates him from the countless Harvard affiliated physicians I’ve met in my almost thirty years of living in the Boston area. If it isn’t in the article, as far as I am concerned, It doesn’t exist. Tell me what he did to gain acceptance to the Academy. If the sole criteria is his position at Harvard, then every faculty member should have a wiki page yet they don’t. So, I’m the article talk about his pioneering research, his publications, his awards, whatever it is that distinguished him from other dermatologists. Otherwise he is no different that my last dermatologist that I saw at a community based hospital.

The purpose of Wikipedia articles is to share information on the article’s subject, not to hide it and only let an enlightened few in on it. Significantly improve the article and I will change my opinion. Because I am as wise as I am smart! ;).
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Massachusetts-related deletion discussions. Postcard Cathy (talk) 22:02, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Maine-related deletion discussions.  CAPTAIN RAJU (T) 22:03, 17 March 2020 (UTC)


 * Keep passes WP:PROF 3 as an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. GNG doesn’t matter as PROF is explicitly set up as an alternative to the GNG as confirmed in RfCs and as noted in WP:N: a subject must either pass the GNG or an SNG. The PROF pass is enough. TonyBallioni (talk) 22:11, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Speedy keep ridiculous nomination, at time of nomination obviously passes both WP:GNG and WP:PROF, no valid deletion rational given (instead the deletion rationale appears to mostly consist of off-topic boasting by the nominator). —David Eppstein (talk) 23:14, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Keep Clearly passes WP:PROF. Best, GPL93 (talk) 00:00, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Speedy Keep passes WP:GNG and WP:PROF. WP:BEFORE is an important step in the AfD process. Lightburst (talk) 00:35, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Speed Keep Obvious pass of PROF even from the sources in the article when nominated ; if the nominator can't access the sources they could have simply asked.
 * If it isn’t in the article, as far as I am concerned, It doesn’t exist – Nominator needs to read and absorb WP:BEFORE before making any more nominations. That's not optional. By nominator's reasoning all stubs would be deleted.
 * I belong to Mensa which by definition means I can verify my IQ is in the top 2% – Well, see, I'm in the top 0.05% (plus I earned a Good Posture Certificate in 8th grade) which makes me smart enough to know that Mensa exists to act as a marker for people who are smarter than your average bear, but still not smart enough to know not to embarrass themselves by joining it (or at the very least not to say so if through some inadvertence they do join it).
 * EEng 05:04, 18 March 2020 (UTC)


 * Keep. Passes PROF #3. Almost certainly also passes PROF #5, as pretty much all professors in those days held established chairs. -- Necrothesp (talk) 11:03, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * That last bit you said isn't true, actually. But I'm beginning to get the vague feeling that this article will be kept. EEng 14:33, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * As far as I know, it is. The concept of personal chairs wasn't around until the latter part of the 20th century. Before then most university departments only had a single professor who held an established chair (i.e. one that always existed but was only held by one individual at a time, as opposed to an academic simply being granted the title of "professor" for their long service and distinguished career). We're only talking "full" professors here, of course. I'm British, so as far as I'm concerned lesser academics aren't in any way professors. -- Necrothesp (talk) 14:41, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I thought you meant a named chair appointment or "Distinguished Professor" appointment as called for by PROF #5. Now I see what you're actually talking about (I think) but those don't always qualify as named/distinguished. EEng 16:12, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * or an equivalent position in countries where named chairs are uncommon! In fact, such named chairs were fairly uncommon everywhere at the time, so this still applies. It covers most established chairs at major universities. If White held the Chair of Dermatology at Harvard, as he appears to have done, then he would certainly be covered. -- Necrothesp (talk) 16:58, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Man, these rules sure are convoluted. So maybe it really means "in countries where, or at times when, named chairs [etc etc]" (not that I'm suggesting such a change be made)? (You do realize, BTW, that I'm not arguing for deletion.) <b style="color: red;">E</b><b style="color: blue;">Eng</b> 17:12, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Keep Meets PROF. ~ EDDY  ( talk / contribs )~ 19:17, 18 March 2020 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. <b style="color:red">Please do not modify it.</b> 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.