Wikipedia talk:Spam

Propriety of tag
Discussion on Zach Iscol talk page concerning applicability of advertising assertion tag. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2603:7000:2143:8500:E82A:7668:3088:CA29 (talk) 20:41, 21 April 2022 (UTC)

Source soliciting section
I was surprised today to read the WP:SPAM section, particularly the first two sentences:

I have definitely posted messages on article talk pages which explicitly solicit editors to use a specific external source to expand an article. I've used the template refideas, which has over 13,000 transclusions. Is this inappropriate? Does the word "anonymous" in the second sentence mean that it's OK for a logged-in editor to do this, but not for an IP editor?

I looked in the archive and it seems the last time this was discussed was in 2020 in Archive 5 (the thread that begins "The current consensus", which I can't figure out how to link to because of the brackets) by and, with WAID explaining the section was moved from WP:CANVASS in 2007 by.

Does anyone think this section accurately describes current consensus? If not, should we remove the section, or rewrite it? Levivich 21:56, 10 March 2022 (UTC)


 * Since I still don't know what it means, I have no idea whether it describes current consensus. (When you can't make a link easily, switch to the visual mode and make Parsoid figure it out.  It usually works, and if it doesn't, then we can file a bug report.) WhatamIdoing (talk) 01:03, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Aaaand the bug number is now T303572. @Matma Rex, you might be interested in this bug. WhatamIdoing (talk) 01:13, 11 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Levivich 15:29, 16 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Anyone object if I remove the section? Levivich 15:29, 16 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Perhaps revise to: Source solicitations are messages on article talk pages which explicitly solicit editors to use a specific external source to expand an article. Editors with a COI should follow Wikipedia policies and best practices scrupulously when soliciting editors to use a specific external source to expand an article.
 * A concern over 'anonymity' seems better phrased as a concern with a failure to disclose a COI, and particularly WP:PAY, which would also seem to more clearly reflect current consensus. There is a link to the COI main page at the top of the External link spamming section, but it seems helpful to also add relevant links within the section. Beccaynr (talk) 15:53, 16 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Thats a much better idea, thanks! I will make that revision if no one objects. Levivich 16:19, 16 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Done, with a few minor changes. Thanks everyone! Levivich 18:05, 18 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Looks good. I'd object to it being removed. I wonder if there are RfCs supporting the previous wording, "The current consensus on Wikipedia...". --Hipal (talk) 18:46, 18 March 2022 (UTC)

"Wikipedia:Promotional" listed at Redirects for discussion
The redirect [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Promotional&redirect=no Wikipedia:Promotional] has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached. Veverve (talk) 21:35, 8 October 2023 (UTC)

"Wikipedia:PROMOTE" listed at Redirects for discussion
The redirect [//en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:PROMOTE&redirect=no Wikipedia:PROMOTE] has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at  until a consensus is reached. Veverve (talk) 10:42, 17 December 2023 (UTC)

Mind reading
The opening lines say "adding references with the aim of promoting the author or the work being referenced". This occasionally seems to get interpreted as requiring editors to know the actual intentions of the accused refspammer. I think we are more concerned about the appearance or result. That is, if you cite the same source in 100 articles, we're going to be concerned about that because it looks like spamming even if your intentions might be as pure as new snow. WhatamIdoing (talk) 17:48, 26 March 2024 (UTC)