Encyc:Verifiability
From Encyc
If someone demands proof of a claim, it must be provided, or the claim may be removed.
There are many reasons for this. Encyc should be a reference work; it should deal in facts and clearly mark opinions. Readers are aided by links to good evidence. Finally, Encyc should be committed to root out defamation that might be posted on its pages.
If you've found that your unverified work has been removed, or that {{fact}} tags have been added, do not revert the tags or removals unless you have:
- Located a URL reference proving the claim
- Rewritten the controversial material such that the claims are noncontroversial
- Rewritten the controversial material to show that it is a personal opinion
Note that material is controversial by definition, if someone has removed it.
Also note that extremely unnotable personal opinions may be removed. This depends on context. For example, the former owner of a site may have relevant opinions about the site in an article, but this person's commentary may be less relevant in other subjects. Opinions may be tagged using {{opinion}}.
Blissyu2's opinion: This reeks of Wikispeach and really isn't needed. It would do a lot to ruin this place to have things like this. Look at how bad things like this have made Wikipedia.
- I obviously disagree. The admission of "[citation needed]" is one of the things the lets readers know that Wikipedia isn't as authoritative as it pretends. //One 18:23, 30 August 2008 (EDT)
I'm not a huge fan of tags, at least the way they are used by Wikipedia. Too often they are put in as a way of arguing, to help the writers get their point across to each other. This shows contempt for the reader who is just trying to get up to speed on a subject and could care less how the authors of an article feel about each other. It also uglifies the page and makes the encyclopedia look less like a traditional book and more like a computer project - something to be avoided. I think Jimbo has actually spoken up about this too, but of course I'm too lazy to go dig up a reference for that. Emperor 23:29, 31 August 2008 (EDT)
I am adding a link below to Fact tag to just show why Template:Fact should not be used. I am also adding a link to Encyc:Policies. Blissyu2 15:49, 18 May 2009 (UTC)
