 | This page in a nutshell: This project (RPDA) maintains a list of articles previously deleted, often due to ban evasion, but which may still have value and merit. The goal is to identify cases where deletion resulted in the unnecessary loss of content and provide a path for editors to review, improve, and potentially restore these articles - balancing prevention of abuse with expanding Wikipedia's coverage. |
It's a frustrating reality that some editors on Wikipedia are sometimes blocked as suspected/confirmed sockpuppets, even when their actual contributions are relatively constructive and well-written. In such cases, the standard policy is often to delete the articles they created, in order to discourage sockpuppetry, even if the articles themselves had merit.
This can result in the loss of potentially valuable content for the encyclopedia. While we must uphold policies against sockpuppetry, there may be a middle ground approach that allows us to preserve good-faith contributions while still addressing the underlying issues.
Although this project has been started on a personal level, once a certain number of members join, we can work towards formally establishing it as a WikiProject. If you share the goals of this initiative - to identify cases where deletion resulted in the unnecessary loss of content, and provide a path for editors to review, improve, and potentially restore these articles - please add your name at the end of this page to join the effort.
Article Inclusion Criteria
This personal project aims to maintain a "redlist" of articles that meet the following criteria:
- The article topic is not contentious, lacks any potential conflict of interest, and is not promotional, vain or otherwise problematic.
- Suitable topics include historical figures, contemporary non-controversial subjects, and topics that could benefit goodwill initiatives such as the Women in Red project.
- The article must demonstrate notability and preferably well written. If the article is not yet of good quality, the retriever must edit it to meet certain standards and ensure it is no longer a stub or largely problematic.
- All retrieved articles must be brought as drafts first, where the retriever can make necessary edits and improvements. Proper attribution must be given to the original creator per WP:CWW.
- Only experienced editors with a proven track record of constructive contributions and no problematic history may add or request articles to be added to the redlist. This is to combat any potential attempts at sockpuppetry or abuse of the redlist process. Editors wishing to contribute must demonstrate their good faith and commitment to Wikipedia's policies and principles. The redlist will be closely monitored, and any misuse will be promptly addressed.
The goal is not to circumvent policies, but rather to identify cases where the blanket deletion of articles may have been an overly blunt instrument, resulting in the unnecessary loss of content that could benefit Wikipedia. By redlisting these articles, we create a path for their potential rehabilitation and reintegration – or not, but expand and improve Wikipedia's content, while still upholding our core principles around sockpuppetry and article notability.
Interested editors are encouraged to review, edit, add/remove from the redlist, assess the quality and notability of the listed articles, and consider ways they might be restored or incorporated elsewhere in the encyclopedia. With care and diligence, we can work to improve Wikipedia's content while still maintaining the integrity of our editing community.