Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Michael E. Arth


 * 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: with no discussion of the significant work done to the article since the delete nomination and sole supporting opinion, no consensus. When I say "Significant work" I do not mean that the article now meets WP:BIO - that has simply not been discussed sufficiently and I do not attempt to make any judgement on whether it does. Consequently this AfD should not prejudice a re-nomination. --Sam Blanning(talk) 14:28, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Michael E. Arth
Non-notable biography. "Michael E. Arth" gets 65 Google hits with only 17 unique results. "Michael Arth" gets about 500 results and a lot don't relate to the subject of this article including a t-shirt designer, a principal, and a young Democrat member from Harvard. Metros232 18:11, 11 July 2006 (UTC) "DO NOT DELETE" This article is still being edited to Wiki standards. Even if 1/5 of those 517 Google hits refer to Arth, isn't that notable? I read somewhere that 250,000 art prints of his have been sold. He has a published book. There have been a number of articles written about him. (signed) LynnD Don't delete. How about instead a less notable length for a less notable biography? elikqitie 01:39, 13 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Delete - non-notable. --PresN 21:01, 11 July 2006 (UTC)
 * See also Articles for deletion/EUNICE. Uncle G 10:42, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

DO NOT DELETE: This biography has been reduced in size and wikified. 03:39, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Metros232, I came up with 18,700 Google hits on Michael E. Arth and 28,100 hits under Michael Arth, for a total of 46,800 hits. I have no idea how many are unique to this particular Michael E. Arth, but after looking at several random pages, I'd say it's a lot. He was also a rock poster artist in the early 70s, and fine art posters he did in the 70s and 80s are still in circulation--so it's the same Arth, as artist, house designer/builder, urban designer, writer etc, etc.. He's had a lot of incarnations and at least a few of them are notable 04:16, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Oddly, a second search through Safari came up with over 160,000 Google hits for Michael E. Arth and Michael Arth. Curious. Pablo Picasso brought 810,000 hits. There is probably only one Pablo Picasso though vs. maybe 4 or 5 Michael Arths. 04:25, 14 July 2006 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lynndunn (talk • contribs)


 * 18,700 and 28,100? I have no clue what you're talking about.  I did my Google searches again and came up with 68 and 597.  Not even close to your search.  Metros232 11:02, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Metros232, That's strange. Do you have some finely tuned search system? If so,I'd like to get that. I reran the searches. I now realize that for my Safari search it was going through Yahoo, not Google. Sorry about that. So I ran both Yahoo and Google. I came up with a total of 185,700 for Yahoo and a total of 47,000 for Google. I copied them here for you to see:

Yahoo search:

"1 - 10 of about 66,700 for Michael E. Arth - 0.17 sec" "1 - 10 of about 119,000 for Michael Arth - 0.24 sec. (About this page)"

Google search:

Web Results (Michael E. Arth) "1 - 10 of about 18,900. Search took 0.10 seconds." (Michael Arth)Web Results 1 - 10 of about 28,400. Search took 0.29 seconds.

Anyway, my point is that Arth is at least somewhat notable. I reduced the size of the bio to reflect his somewhat notable status. For that reason, I say DO NOT DELETE! 13:20, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Counting Google hits is not research. If you want to make an argument for having a biographical article on this person, please demonstrate how he satisfies one or more of our Criteria for inclusion of biographies. Uncle G 19:01, 14 July 2006 (UTC)

Uncle G, the Google test IS listed as an "alternative test" for inclusion as a biography. I agree it should not be the only test. So, in addition to passing the alternative test (as has been demonstrated above) Arth has these points in favor of inclusion:

1. At least 30 articles written about him that can be read online

2. Coffee table art book, Introspective 1972-1982 published in 1983, and still available online. This book has an impressive amount of work, but doesn't even mention that he was also a rock concert poster artist for a while in the early 70s (the t-shirt connection cited above by Metros232 above was actually a link to Michael Arth's poster art, not another Michael Arth)

3. Hundreds of thousands of art prints sold during the time he was a fine artist 1970s and 1980s.

4. Designer and builder of the well-known 7 story "Casa de Lila" (1993) in the Hollywood Hills, and a number of other LA area residences.

5. Founder of New Pedestrianism, a variant of New Urbanism

6. Writer of many articles and the text of Introspective

7. subject of two documentaries currently in production: The Labors of Hercules: Modern Solutions to 12 Herculean Problems, and another one about building a new town in Kenya being produced by Canadian mutual funds expert Duff Young.

8. He rebuilt 30 slum homes and businesses in DeLand, Florida and received various awards for that. He's got another 92 homes and businesses in development in the Garden District. After he ran out the drug dealers he renamed "Crack Town" The Garden District. 19:53, 14 July 2006 (UTC)20:07, 14 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Weak Keep. Although this article is pretty poorly written, the subject barely passes WP:BIO.  Hopefully someone can re-write and expand at some point.  --Satori Son 13:32, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
 * Comment: I've tried to clean up this article somewhat.  With the original author's updates, it really is looking much better.  The section on "The Garden District" needs really pared down per WP:ADS, but I think the article is a keeper now. Would like some other opinions.--Satori Son 00:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)

Keep: Recommendations will be followed

This article will be rewritten and expanded. Suggestion at New Pedestrianism will be taken also--to merge material at New Pedestrianism with both Michael E. Arth and New Urbanism. 19:48, 18 July 2006 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lynndunn (talk • contribs)

CORRECTIONS COMPLETE. KEEP ARTICLE. 22:05, 18 July 2006 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Lynndunn (talk • contribs)
 * 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.