Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Nishan de Mel

 This page is an archive of the discussion about the proposed deletion of the article below. This page is no longer live. Further comments should be made on the article's talk page rather than here so that this page is preserved as an historic record. The result of the debate was delete. Smoddy (Rabbit and pork) 18:17, 25 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Nishan de Mel
Tagged with since February. The only things that it says about this Harvard economist is that he recently gave a series of important lectures on the topic of healthcare in developing countries, and that "in light of the recent Tsunami disaster, it would appear his work will take on increased importance over the next few years." Zzyzx11 | Talk 05:25, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete, not notable. Megan1967 08:28, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, the article was wrong - he's a lecturer at Oxford, not Harvard (where he got his BA). But having looked at all these minor actors and sportspeople get keeps on Wikipedia, I have to say I'm now going to employ the same rule to academics as we do to actors - verifiably employed by an important university, so keep.  Average Earthman 13:23, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Does your rule have a minimum rank, or does any academic qualify? Kappa 14:42, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * So teaching assistants should have articles? What about the janitorial staff?  Delete, article does not establish notablity. RickK 20:16, Apr 17, 2005 (UTC)
 * Maybe only the "academic" janitorial staff, like that guy in the movie. Kappa 20:55, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the bloody minded refusal to grasp the point. Since when is a cleaner an academic? He's a lecturer, for a top department in a top university. You want an arbitrary limit, fine, say it should be a university that could be considered to be in the world's top 50 . Average Earthman 17:42, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * You might want to start filling out List of Professors. RickK 20:55, Apr 18, 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, I see you've edited the Madonna article recently, so I'll be looking forward to your complete and comprehensive List of entertainers then. Average Earthman 16:24, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * No evidence that he exceeds the "average professor" test. Delete unless further evidence is presented.  (The argument that we set the bar too low for minor actors and sportspeople is no reason to propogate the mistake.)  Rossami (talk) 03:21, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Well, arguably being employed as a lecturer at Oxford University is a bit of a hint you're not just average. Average Earthman 17:42, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment: Not really. Every organization has average performers even when average is measured against the greater population.  With very very few exceptions, the standard deviation across individuals is much greater than the difference between the population means.  Rossami (talk)
 * Keep per Average Earthman's proposed standard. Kappa 21:21, 18 Apr 2005 (UTC) Delete per Uppland's findings below. Kappa 05:54, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Delete. I am usually all for keeping academics, but the only thing this guy has written that I can find – assuming it is the same person – is a 2002 Oxford M.Phil. thesis, Hyperbolic discounting and pensions, which I found in the OU library catalogue. He doesn't even seem to have finished his doctorate. / Uppland 20:27, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks for that research, I've changed my vote. Kappa 05:54, 21 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * I am Nishan de Mel. I've stumbled apon this page and am somewhat amused, I have no idea how this page came to be created. The picture associated with the page is certainly not my picture even though the information contained in it is basically accurate. The argument for my importance seems very dubious; and all the criticisms except the one which claims I have written almost nothing, seem rather well directed. Please feel free to write to me at: nishan.demel@economics.oxford.ac.uk for verification, and any other information. I myself do not think that I warrant a listing in Wikipedia.


 * This page is now preserved as an archive of the debate and, like some other VfD subpages, is no longer 'live'. Subsequent comments on the issue, the deletion, or the decision-making process should be placed on the relevant 'live' pages. Please do not edit this page.