The Tragedy of Having a Wikipedia Page—and Then Losing It
Wikipedia editors are increasingly purging biographies of individuals deemed not notable enough for the platform. The process focuses on the verifiability of information rather than the inherent truth or importance of the subject.
Why it matters
This highlights the subjective nature of digital archives and the power dynamics involved in determining who or what is considered historically significant.
All three have had a biography on Wikipedia; all three of those biographies were considered for deletion this year on the grounds that the subjects were not notable enough to warrant a biography at all. Every day, dozens, sometimes hundreds, of Wikipedia biographies—of child actors turned LA realtors, retired ambassadors, soccer players who have played less than 10 minutes of professional soccer—are purged from the world’s free encyclopedia.
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