Why do you have to be famous to have a wikipedia bio?

[bluestateguy]

Why not allow bios for ordinary Americans?

I'm talking about taxi cab drivers, and folks who stock the shelves at Wal-Mart, waiters, hotel maids and factory workers. People who really get their hands dirty every day and actually work for a living; the people who really make this country, and the world, function every day. Why do you have to be famous or "noteworthy" to have a bio on wikipedia.

Seems kind of elitist to me. I'm a peppery populist.

[pitohui]

1. you want your private bio in the wikipedia ?

a friend of mine who is semi-famous says there is no greater hell than being famous and not having any money to protect yourselves from those who want to touch your fame

i believe bartcop has said something v. similar

no good comes of having your private life spread all over creation

if this be populism, you can keep that part of it, hotel maids prob. have enough trouble getting away from abusers and stalkers w.out creating a resource for more

[Maddy McCall]

3. I definitely see your point.

[Maddy McCall]

2. Social historians, including me, agree with you.

[Spider Jerusalem]

4. For one thing...

filling Wikipedia or any other reference work with the biographies of (let's face it) nonentities whose lives have not in some large way affected or altered the world through political, cultural or other contributions is an exercise in utter pointlessness that does nothing except significantly decrease the signal-to-noise ratio of said reference work. It's not elitist, it's realistic; a president, prime minister, composer, artist, writer, actor, playwright or poet has greater and more lasting impact on the world than a cab driver, and therefore it is those people whose biographies find their way into encyclopaedias and history books.

Not to mention that there's no conceivable reason why anyone would be consulting Wikipedia looking for the biography of Ted Smith, night clerk at the Circle K in Sheboygan, Wisconsin (in other words, the subject doesn't belong because it's outside the scope of usefulness for an encyclopaedia).

[bluestateguy]

5. It's very elitist

I stand with the people. I'm a Jacksonian Democrat.

[file83]

15. That Ted Smith guy sounds interesting...

I kid. I only kid.

[dorktv]

6. Being semi famous is fun if it is for something good.

[pitohui]

7. trust me it isn't

he is constantly being hit up for money that doesn't exist

too many people assume if they've seen your face and name around you must be filthy rich or at least that they have some claim on you and what money you do have

i've seen the pressure on him and it isn't pleasant at all

and he is a good person, but he can't possibly afford to finance every bum in three states and still keep a roof over his own head

[LisaLynne]

8. I have a friend like that, too.

He makes a decent living at what he does, but it's not the loads and loads of money that people assume it is. And my friend is the same way -- very kind and caring, so being begged for money really affects him.

Me, I'd just be like, "Get a job!" Just kidding. :)

[dorktv]

10. Weird...no one has done that to me.

Sorry about your friend. :(

[pitohui]

22. no offense but probably means you're not even semi-famous

i think that falls into the category we call a legend in one's own mind :-)

it's really awful recently as friend has also recently won a well-publicized lawsuit and the beggars can't figure out that plaintiffs don't really get all that cash, lawyers and taxes get it all

[dorktv]

24. Oh sure...I am locally famous.

http://www.er2004.com

Ran against JD Hayworth last time.

[pitohui]

25. aha, good for you

a politician might be in a different category of famous, people might see you coming and think you're going to ask them for money :-)

[dorktv]

26. um well..

yes...yes they do.

[AllegroRondo]

9. Its more about resources than elitism

its difficult enough to manage, update, catalogue, etc all the people 'famous' enough to warrant an entry.

If they allowed entries for EVERYONE, who would keep them up? Who would check to see if they were all updated and accurate, and not redundant? (ie, the same person under 2 names)

At least with "noteworthy" people, you can cross-check the data with outside sources.

[file83]

11. Let's make up a FAKE person and create some amazing bio behind it.

[msatty99]

12. Great idea file

The person's name is Evan Hunter. He is descended from Napoleon.

[file83]

14. Of course you chime in!! You're an excellent bullshit artist!! LOL

So, Evan Hunter was in the Peace Corps from 1973-1976 in Madagascar....

[msatty99]

20. Evan Hunter briefly had an affair with Joni Mitchell

when she spent a holiday in Madagascar in '74. The liason resulted in
a 'love child' who is the inspiration for the song "A Little Green"

[AngryAmish]

23. Evan Hunter won the Greater Milwaukee Open in 1978

[fujiyama]

13. You don't

I believe anyone can create a page on anything.

But if your article is not linked by another Wikipedia article it's very unlikely that bio will be read by many.

[Floogeldy]

16. It's Not Made By Great Men

No weak men in the books at home
The strong men who have made the world
History lives on the books at home
The books at home

It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men

The past lives on in your front room
The poor still weak the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home

It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men

The past lives in the books at home
No weak men in the books at home
History lives in the books at home
The books at home

It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men
It's not made by great men

All songs published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. (1979)

All songs written by Gang Of Four (Dave Allen, Hugo Burnham, Andy Gill, Jon King).

Lyrics reproduced with permission from members of the band.
Transcribed by Phil Hetherington, with thanks to Andy Gill for answering queries along the way.

[ghostsofgiants]

17. On that note, have you heard "Return The Gift" yet?

Fuck, I can't stop listening to it.

[Floogeldy]

18. Of course!

Now THAT is made by great men. ;)

[ForrestGump]

19. Because otherwise it'd be MySpace

no text (except this bit)

[Orsino]

21. The phrase "public figure" innoculates Wiki against...

...libel suits, to some extent. Private individuals could much more easily win such suits. Add to this the ease of fact-checking on public figures.

http://injury-law.freeadvice.com/libel_and_slander/public_figure_lawsuit.htm

These suits are a bit dicer for the public figure.

A public figure may be an elected or appointed (a politician) or someone who has stepped into a public controversy (e.g., movie stars and TV stars, star athletes). Public figures have a "harder road to toll" than the average person since they must prove that the party defaming them knew the statements were false, made them with actual malice, or was negligent in saying or writing them. Proving these elements makes the chance of a successful lawsuit slim.

[rug]

27. They're called obituaries.