Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Leonard H. Tower Jr.

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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 Delete. Vanity, and WP:SNOW; this is not going to pass, but just invite more meatpuppetry. --Ryan Delaney talk 23:08, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Leonard H. Tower Jr.

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Wikipedia:Autobiography violation. --Aplhac 03:32, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

  • That policy specifically says "Deletion is not certain" just because it's an autobiography. Does this guy meet WP:BIO, the relelvent policy here? I'm not sure yet. --W.marsh 03:43, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Comment You have to love a guy who creates his own bio, that says he doesn't want fame and publicity. Fan-1967 03:57, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
    •  ;-} It comes from trying to do what others reasonably request. See my longer comment below. -Lentower 04:34, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep. We should probably have had a biography of Len Tower a long time ago. He is notable for his work in the free software community. --TruthbringerToronto (Talk | contribs) 04:20, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
    • "Has worked in the free software community" is not one of our WP:BIO criteria, nor should it be. Uncle G 14:24, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Possible Bias - Abstain If you wish to research some of the public record about my role in the GNU Project and the FSF, one place to go are the GNU's Bulletins (which I helped start). They are probably on http://www.gnu.org, though they may have been moved to http://www.fsf.org.
    • I think an exception should be made to the Wikipedia:Autobiography policy for this page, even though I started it, and it is about me. The reasons include:
      • My contributions are short. One fact. One preference. Two links to my web sites for those curious about me.
      • I don't plan to add to it. I'm not sure at this point what to do, if something false is added -- your feedback welcome on this.
      • I stood by and with Richard Stallman and did much work on the GNU Project and helped him, gjs, hal, and rjc start the Free Software Foundation (FSF) for over a dozen years. I was a founding member of the Board of Directors of FSF, and served on the Board for a dozen years.
      • I'm listed on the FSF page for that role. Yes, I added that entry as well.
      • I added that entry and filled out the rest of the Board's history and added the Leonard H. Tower Jr. article, because a number of people sent me e-mail asking why that history wasn't in the Wikipedia FSF article. I added the two links to my websites, because the articles for the other FSF Board Members had them, and it would help sastisfy people's curiousity about who I am. I didn't add the link to my bio.html, because I only wrote it to sastisfy requests from high school and college friends about what's life been like.
      • I be willing to see my preference changed into a quote, if that fits Wikipedia culture better.
  • Keep and improve; notable subject; WP:AUTO not really a problem here. Also, I have moved the TOC discussion to the article's talk page, where it belongs. AfD is strictly a place to discuss deletion. A better place for the TOC discussion might be the village pump, however. --MCB 05:50, 11 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Strong Keep Actualy, I don't think that there would have been the FSF if it wasn't for Len Tower. He also has supported the Free Software Movement since almost it's very beginning. Len Tower is a notable person and should be included in the Wikipedia.Org site. The really nice thing about Wikipedia is that we can learn about the people who helped to get us to where we are today.

--lile 21:36, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

  • Comment Bias disclosure: Len is a friend that I still see occassionally. I believe that his contribution to FSF (and the FSF's work) is significant enough to merit an article. However, the current version needs better sourcing. GRBerry 01:30, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep WP:AUTO should never be a problem with stubs. It appears he passes WP:BIO, by satisfying "The person made a widely recognized contribution that is part of the enduring historical record in their specific field" Ohconfucius 02:21, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep I have known Mr. Tower for decades and it is clear to me that he edited this page in order to make WP articles on FSF related maters, of which he was a major contributor, more complete and not for self aggrandizement. _HughDaniel 03:30, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep I don't think Len has an egotistical bone in his body. The content makes Wikipedia more useful. --Rich $alz. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.70.58.76 (talk • contribs) .
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep I've known Len for nearly 20 years and if anything the entry is far too modest. In many ways, I do not believe the FSF would have gone as far as it has without him. While RMS had the vision, it takes smore than that to make an organization run, and that came from Len. Len never asked for limelight, even when RMS received a McCarther award. He just kept doing, and that says a lot. -- Eliot Lear. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Gargleblaster (talk • contribs) .
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Strong Keep Why is this even a question? Len has been a widely known "tower" of the free software community since the beginning, and is integral to any history of the movement. And the comment above about "no egotistical bone in his body" is 100% true. If Rich Stallman wrote his own stub, would we be having this conversation? The entry is brief and to the point, and simply a jumping off point for others to expand upon. -- Becky Waring. Bwaring 14:03, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep Just adding my voice. Aside from his other contributions (noted above), Len played a crucial role in the FSF by acting to calm and clarify assorted discussions. RichMorin 22:32, 13 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep and expand. Subject is certainly notable and important in his field. Capi 01:57, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Very Srong Keep and definitely expand. Len is a class act. This isn't self-promotion, the article contains only history and fact. I too have known Len since the mid-80s. --Jim Thompson Gonzopancho 02:57, 14 September 2006 (UTC) —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 67.52.77.54 (talk • contribs).
Note: Anon's 4th edit; registered user's first was to sign this comment.
  • Keep Len has been a quiet yet effective advocate for free software since the free software movement began. Although they may be less visible, his contributions are at least in the same league as many of the other people with pages from the FSF entry. WinTreese 02:46, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep and Expand As noted elsewhere, Len has been a major, effective contributor to the cyber community through his quiet work behind the scenes in many organizations, not just the FSF. A trivial bio does not do justice to his efforts; a more complete description would make his role more obvious. -- Jim Duncan JNDuncan 20:37, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep and Expand Without Len and his contributions, the FSF would not have been able to accomplish nearly as much as it has. Ambar 02:03, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Keep and Expand Free Software wouldn't be where it is without Len. He's the unsung hero of the FSF, often bringing sanity and balance to the organization. The FSF is one of his more visible roles, but Len has contributed significantly in many other spaces, and has done a lot to make the world a better place. stephen g. wadlow 02:58, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's only edits are to this debate.
  • Keep and Expand Len was the quiet polite face of the FSF in it's founding years. He did a lot to get it going and got little credit. The page should be alot longer, Len is very modest about his contributions. Rob Robertson. Remarquian 03:08, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
Note: User's 2nd edit.
  • Strong delete. Doesn't like fame, but creates his own article? (see his website for similar evidence on modesty if you feel that to be a criterion). And maybe I'll write an article about myself and then get all my friends to create new user accounts and oppose its deletion when the time comes. - Samsara (talk • contribs) 10:39, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
    • Whether or not he is modest or likes fame is irrelevant to whether or not we should have an article on him. He is clearly notable, and an important subject in his field. No, I do not know him from anywhere. And no, I did not join Wikipedia 3 days ago, you're welcome to look at my contributions if you so choose. As for your claim that the keep votes are nothing but accounts created by his friends for the fact, a quick look at user contributions easily disproves that: myself, lile, Ambar, Ohconfucius, MCB, TruthbringerToronto... In fact it's funny you should mention "most keep votes" in your edit summary, since except for yours, all votes so far have been to keep ;) Capi 14:14, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Strong delete Lack of notability per WP:NOT (from my NPOV on this, his work doesn't merit any of the criterion for notability), violation of Vanity and Autobiography policies. However, unless the person tallying up this AFD does his work, the legion of first-time users and Len Tower friends coming to vote keep might end up turning this into an undeserved WP:SNOW job. Seems Mr. Tower, facing deletion for his self-bio, drummed up his fellow computer nerds to climb the barricades. I would think, for a self-bio, Mr. Tower could have at least written something longer than a pithy two-line stub. After all, most self-bio vanity articles here are poorly written, unwikified, and often long-winded. —ExplorerCDT 14:10, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
    • Comment: Most of the 10,300 google hits for "Leonard H. Tower" [1] are his contributions to way too many mailing lists, or webpages/documents he's signed. Google should not be taken as an account of this man's notability, because his google presence, like this article is self-generated. Further, a search for "Leonard H. Tower"+"Free Software Foundation"[2] bring up 517 hits, and "Leonard H. Tower"+"GNU" 699 hits [3] comprising chiefly of GNU's own newsletter, many e-mail list/group posts, and nothing else. No one outside of himself and his own circle have written anything regarding his contributions to GNU or FSF. Big reason why he fails the WP:NOT test. —ExplorerCDT 14:25, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Weak delete. I searched for sources on Leonard Tower, and couldn't find any reliable ones. I think we can source that he was a director of the FSF, but as it stands, that isn't enough of a reason to have an article. He has done so well at not promoting himself, I can't find any good sources about him. However, if anyone can produce a source that says anything beyond the basics about him, I would support keeping. I don't mind having a stub if it can grow, and I think he's notable, if sources can be found. Mangojuicetalk 17:14, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
  • Weak delete per Mangojuice. JoshuaZ 18:28, 15 September 2006 (UTC)
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.
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