Malformed article about a little girl

[Zoloft]

Dannielynn_Birkhead_paternity_case (T-H-L)

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, subject of a notorious paternity case.

A few rather inarticulate editors showed up and wrangled, and after paternity was settled, left, leaving an article which still contests the facts in some parts, and spells out the verdict in others. It's a mess.

This would have been trimmed down or deleted, in favor of a single paragraph in Anna Nicole Smith (T-H-L), in any professional, well-written encylopedia.

[The Wife]

Dannielynn_Birkhead_paternity_case (T-H-L)

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter, subject of a notorious paternity case.

A few rather inarticulate editors showed up and wrangled, and after paternity was settled, left, leaving an article which still contests the facts in some parts, and spells out the verdict in others. It's a mess.

This would have been trimmed down or deleted, in favor of a single paragraph in Anna Nicole Smith (T-H-L), in any professional, well-written encylopedia.

Indeed. An encyclopedia that exists for normal reasons would not drag non-notable children into the public eye. A case of disputed then confirmed paternity would be a small paragraph.

[lilburne]

Indeed. An encyclopedia that exists for normal reasons would not drag non-notable children into the public eye. A case of disputed then confirmed paternity would be a small paragraph.

One might ask whether any child is notable, even if they are the child of notable parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Leonor_of_Spain

[The Wife]

Indeed. An encyclopedia that exists for normal reasons would not drag non-notable children into the public eye. A case of disputed then confirmed paternity would be a small paragraph.

One might ask whether any child is notable, even if they are the child of notable parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Leonor_of_Spain

I don't know what to do about royalty. I don't think the world needs to know where she went to daycare unless it was Waldorf or Montessori. I also worked in daycare. She ate, she slept, she pooped, she sang songs, she sat in circles, she drew, she played house. Adults reminded her about hand washing--a lot.

[lilburne]

It is all part of the same wikipedia problem: the collation of trivia, gossip, and ephemera.

[The Wife]

It is all part of the same wikipedia problem: the collation of trivia, gossip, and ephemera.

Imagine if they keep up every reliably sourced true statement about her throughout her life. In her teens and after her fashion will be commented on.

It's like listing what Michelle Obama wore to each event which the media commented on. Morning newscasts give the run down of her dresses and the designers behind them. It doesn't warrant encyclopedia inclusion unless she does something shocking regarding her attire. Some topics are only appropriate for popular magazines and fashion magazines.

[culeaker]

One might ask whether any child is notable, even if they are the child of notable parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Leonor_of_Spain

Some children definitely are, such as child actors. Would anyone doubt that, had WP been around, Margaret O'Brien would deservedly have had an article before her 7th birthday? Or Jimmy Osmond certainly by his 8th? Children famous because of their parents are a bit dodgier, but if there is reliable coverage of what they did themselves then that could be worth recording. Or if you go by dead tree notability, every member of the Gotha, however young, is of course in the Almanach de Gotha.

http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/v ... duct=13798

[oscarlechien]

One might ask whether any child is notable, even if they are the child of notable parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Leonor_of_Spain

Some children definitely are, such as child actors. Would anyone doubt that, had WP been around, Margaret O'Brien would deservedly have had an article before her 7th birthday? Or Jimmy Osmond certainly by his 8th? Children famous because of their parents are a bit dodgier, but if there is reliable coverage of what they did themselves then that could be worth recording. Or if you go by dead tree notability, every member of the Gotha, however young, is of course in the Almanach de Gotha.

http://www.boydellandbrewer.com/store/v ... duct=13798

...the Gotha,..that's probably the only thing in the World that's less accurate than WP, since it's ALL based on gossip and PR puff. You wouldn't believe the lengths that people will go to just to be able to say that they're "royalty"...unfortunately, the truth always comes out in the end.

Rather an unfortunate comparison there....

[lilburne]

One might ask whether any child is notable, even if they are the child of notable parents.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infanta_Leonor_of_Spain

Some children definitely are, such as child actors. Would anyone doubt that, had WP been around, Margaret O'Brien would deservedly have had an article before her 7th birthday? Or Jimmy Osmond certainly by his 8th?

The issue is that WP would have an article that was 90% sourced from gossip magazines, and would feature weight, eating disorder speculation, and whatever else it could drag up. In the UK we have seen that Charlotte Church had articles written about her that were made up. WP would have contained the lot.

[The Wife]

The issue is that WP would have an article that was 90% sourced from gossip magazines, and would feature weight, eating disorder speculation, and whatever else it could drag up. In the UK we have seen that Charlotte Church had articles written about her that were made up. WP would have contained the lot.

Exactly. Sourcing to gossip magazines is abnormal for an encyclopedia.

BTW, I see what you wrote is now being attributed to me because of formatting. I like it because it makes me look like I'm on the ball. Maybe I'll learn from this and start stealing smart things you write in the future. Only some will notice.

[HRIP7]

Exactly. Sourcing to gossip magazines is abnormal for an encyclopedia.

Large parts of Wikipedia are functionally a news aggregation site rather than an encyclopedia.

For news events like the Japan tsunami last year, that's great. For many other things, such as biographies, it's a catastrophe.

[Vigilant]

Exactly. Sourcing to gossip magazines is abnormal for an encyclopedia.

Large parts of Wikipedia are functionally a news aggregation site rather than an encyclopedia.

For news events like the Japan tsunami last year, that's great. For many other things, such as biographies, it's a catastrophe.

I'd say it's more than just news aggregation. Look at the list of AD&D monsters or pokemon characters or Dr Who episodes. The largest and most fervently tended articles are these leavings of pop culture.

[HRIP7]

Exactly. Sourcing to gossip magazines is abnormal for an encyclopedia.

Large parts of Wikipedia are functionally a news aggregation site rather than an encyclopedia.

For news events like the Japan tsunami last year, that's great. For many other things, such as biographies, it's a catastrophe.

I'd say it's more than just news aggregation. Look at the list of AD&D monsters or pokemon characters or Dr Who episodes. The largest and most fervently tended articles are these leavings of pop culture.

Oh, sure. Although much of the pop culture stuff is also sourced exclusively to news media (news media in the w-i-d-e-s-t sense).