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 speedy keep. Per WP:SKCRIT#6. If you want to make a nomination, wait for it to be off of the main page. TonyBallioni (talk) 16:10, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Catherine Lynch[edit]

Catherine Lynch (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log · Stats)
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The article is of good quality but no reason is given for Catherine Lynch's notability. The arguments given so far are that she represents a stratum of British society in the early 20th century, used as an example of this stratum by a reliable source and so is notable. I observe that such an argument can be applied to virtually everybody (aren't we all examples of some segments of society?), and while social history researchers naturally rely on such examples for their studies, the examples chosen themselves are not necessarily notable.

If the source(s) believe strongly that this particular Catherine Lynch is notable, then the reason should be stated in the article and the article kept in consequence. Otherwise, I recommend deletion. I encourage the reader of this note to observe that I am not arguing that all "non-elit" people aren't notable, I am arguing solely about this Catherine Lynch. I hope we can have a discussion with the article's main author Iridescent and Gerda Arendt who reviewed it for DYK. See also Selina Rushbrook and Lily Argent for the same reasons.

[EDIT] There is a single scholarly source for Catherine Lynch, and it appears to be self-published.

Iry-Hor (talk) 09:51, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Similar concerns apply to the similar articles on Selina Rushbrook and Lily Argent. 31.75.77.137 (talk) 09:55, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
An excellent definition...of a secondary source :D —SerialNumber54129...speculates 12:52, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
A self-published one it would seem. The author herself worked (until retirement in 2013) at the West Glamorgan Archive Service and holds an MA.[4] Has not published much [5] - mainly local history.Icewhiz (talk) 13:03, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Crime-related deletion discussions. Icewhiz (talk) 10:26, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • A7 deals with WP:CCSI, not notability. Other than that, you're right on every point. As for a CCSI, prostitute and petty criminal are a dime a dozen so none there. Mr rnddude (talk) 11:46, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Serial Number 54129 First, shall we argue about the source itself then ? The publisher "Heritage Add-Ventures" is the publishing arm of a ventrue investment fund which might be best described as predatory publishing exacting extortionate fees from authors and readers. Second, this argument is a bit dangerous following it to its logical extreme means that any person mentioned in any book is notable enough. Just for Ancient Egypt you would have to include tens of thousands of additional article on nearly everyone because you will always be able to find a reliable source which published the original ancient source talking about this person.Iry-Hor (talk) 10:40, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
It is unnecessary to reply to every comment as you seem to be doing; please read WP:BLUDGEON. Whilst only an essay, it reflects community consensus regarding etiquette during proceedings such as these. Many thanks —SerialNumber54129...speculates 11:06, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Serial Number 54129 Just so I understand, me politely replying on a discussion page created for this purpose is bludgeoning ?Iry-Hor (talk) 11:24, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Newyorkbrad This can be said of the life of everybody! Your life and mine are just as illustrative as hers, only of a different stratum and era. How does that make us notable ?Iry-Hor (talk) 10:40, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
The fact that the subject is from a different era is precisely the point. After all, if we had this level of detail about a person from the period you specialize in, wouldn't you want to include it? I understand that this approach could be taken to extremes, but thus far it hasn't been. If we ever become overwhelmed by historical articles about "the life of everybody" then we can reconsider the position. Newyorkbrad (talk) 10:52, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Newyorkbrad Fair point but early 20th century and Ancient Egypt may not be a good comparison after all (my bad). The distance in time means that far more is known about random people of the early 20th century than of the 20th century BC and so the importance of recent individuals in exemplifying a wider society is diminished. However I am sensitive to your argument when I think about some decrees and letters mentioning corruption cases and the likes in eras of decline. Yet, in such case, the article is almost invariably dedicated to the source and what it says about the wider society, not on the person mentioned by the source. In general, litteracy was rare, writing costly and sources wouldn't talk about someone at length unless he/she was notable in some special way.Iry-Hor (talk) 11:44, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • Note: I've conducted a mass ping of the editors who were involved with questioning the notability of the article on the talk page. It is expected that somebody will notify them. I've also notified the IPs on their talk page as they contested the deletion. I'm going to suggest that somebody notify all the wikiprojects that may be interested in this article. I don't know how to do that myself. Mr rnddude (talk) 12:07, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • The AfD nom has been taken off the article because it's currently on the main page. That was intentionally done. Mr rnddude (talk) 10:55, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • It is inappropriate to put a current DYK article up for AfD... Period.BabbaQ (talk) 10:56, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • BabbaQ The article will be kept until the end of the DYK. AfD not appearing precisely for this reason. Article does not pass the WP:GNG argument because the only source is itself not reliable. DYK only offers proatection on the day the article shows up on the main page and does not constitute an argument for keeping the article on the long run.Iry-Hor (talk) 10:58, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
It might have been better to hold the nomination until tomorrow, but we're here. Actually, I suppose this article might never have been noticed for possible deletion if it hadn't been for the DYK blurb, which is an irony I'm sure Iridescent will note when he sees this. Newyorkbrad (talk) 11:05, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Iry-Hor was asked not to nominate this article while it appeared at DYK might I add. Did it anyway. But it is what it is. It will likely be kept anyway cosidering the rationales so far.BabbaQ (talk) 11:19, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
BabbaQ Your statement is false, I nominated the article and then Cwmhiraeth told me to keep it while it is DYK (see my talk page). Only later did Sagaciousphil further intervened on the talk page of the article.Iry-Hor (talk) 11:22, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Sagaciousphil I would genuinely like to understand how the subject's life provides an important insight into the history in that era and more precisely how it does so in a way that the life of anybody else from that era and social stratum does not ?Iry-Hor (talk) 11:03, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • Oh yes, my mistake. We require Category:Wikipedians who are Pharaohs. Thincat (talk) 12:02, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Thincat Aha ! I actually laughed at that (in a positive way, I am not being sarcastic). See Catlemur's argument below refuting your points.Iry-Hor (talk) 12:55, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
I still think her complete lack of internet presence (besides the article and this discussion) is incredibly damning. She wasn't even notable at a local level in the time she lived. I agree with Catlemur that Lynch is receive special treatment, probably because Wikipedia has been accused of gender bias. - HappyWaldo (talk) 13:47, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

The internet has been for a while now and no one posted anything about her until this article. To me, that is damning. - HappyWaldo (talk) 13:47, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]

Serial Number 54129 I don't see how you take the right to allow or not someone argument to "pass" because you find it "poor". Appealing to Wikipedia regulations won't help your case on this. Nobody has the right to decide if someone's else argument "passes" the "test" of his/her opinion, except in cases of insults/threat etc. which is not the case in HappyWaldo's comments.Iry-Hor (talk) 13:13, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Serial Number 54129 while you're reminding people of ATA, could you also let Gerda Arendt know that her "I like it" vote is on equally poor footing. You don't seem to have an issue letting bad arguments stand... just ones you don't agree with. Strike reason: hostile, and not good faith. Mr rnddude (talk) 13:21, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Very disappointing; I expected more good faith from you. The fact that I hadn't commented on GA's post may well be because I hadn't seen it (not surprising considering the word swamp this has turned into). —SerialNumber54129...speculates 13:28, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@Iry-Hor: Actually, all arguments made at AfD should amount to a fact-based case based upon Wikipedia policy; when an argument is made that is not based thusly, not only is it likley to (as I have done) be caled out, but the closing administrator will ignore it when they weigh the consensus. It is not my test; it is the test of consensus-by-policy; I understand you are not particularly experience at AfD so don't blame you for wanting it explained. Incidentally, it's not bludgeoning either: as the essay I pointed you to clearly says (Typically, the person replies to almost every "!vote" or comment). Cheers! —SerialNumber54129...speculates 13:25, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Ok I shall stop replying to comments, unless I am being asked to do so. That does not change my point that you cannot call someone's arguments "poor" and which should not be allowed to "pass". I don't see how you can invoke wikipedia policy on this, and this was my point (i.e. not that you invoke the policy on the discussion relating to deletion).Iry-Hor (talk) 13:28, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Serial Number 54129: maybe I'm being unfair, but you have been rather hostile to both Iry-Hor and now HappyWaldo. I'll remove myself from here further, as it is quite apparent that I'm ticked off. Sorry, and have a good day. :) Mr rnddude (talk) 13:32, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
An excellent suggestion for me as well :) cheers! —SerialNumber54129...speculates 13:38, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
  • And you base this assertion on what guideline? BabbaQ (talk) 13:54, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
"Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information" If you're arguing that her life is notable because it illustrates a larger class of people you would first have to define what that class is, i.e. place her life in a larger context. That hasn't been done. Twospoonfuls (εἰπέ μοι) 14:06, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Sexuality and gender-related deletion discussions. Icewhiz (talk) 13:38, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Wales-related deletion discussions. Icewhiz (talk) 13:38, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Women-related deletion discussions. Icewhiz (talk) 13:38, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
@Icewhiz: Do we know it's self-published? —SerialNumber54129...speculates 14:08, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
It would fail BASIC as being based on a single secondary source - regardless of being self-published - which we can assume it is as:
  1. Inability to locate the publisher on-line in any meaningful way (i.e. a website for the publisher or some description of the publisher).
  2. When locating books by the publisher("Heritage Add-Ventures"), it seems it only published 3 books by this author, as may be seen here - [6][7][8]. Publishers that are independent of their authors' will publish significantly more than a single author.Icewhiz (talk) 14:20, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Concern: My major concern is potential copyright infringement. With only a single source, how much of the article is copied wholesale from the book? I'm not sure if it is a problem for an AFD, and may only become an issue if actively sought out by the copyright holder, but it's something I feel I should note here. Macktheknifeau (talk) 14:13, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Comment: Further up the page there has been some discussion about how an interpretation similar to mine may make anyone who has been written about in a book notable. I think that is an issue for the GNG not this article specifically. If there are issues with 'scraping into notability' on the basis of a single quite well researched, reliable & independent source, they should be taken up at the notability guideline itself for a wider discussion.Macktheknifeau (talk) 14:13, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
GuzzyGEric Corbett It does not pass GNG because there is a single source on her. In addition this source is self-published.Iry-Hor (talk) 15:16, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
How does a single source by a self-published author qualifies for GNG ? This is a dangerous precedent to set.Iry-Hor (talk) 15:23, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
Because the guidelines at GNG don't specifically require multiple sources, only that they are "generally expected". Multiple sources being "generally expected" rather than "mandatory" suggests that there is room for single sources to qualify a person for general notability. I would also like to make a comment that you have repeatedly stated your views on the AFD, and perhaps it's time to take a break and let the AFd proceed? I'm not sure how much more you could add to the discussion. Macktheknifeau (talk) 15:41, 11 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]
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.