Talk:Hiram T. Smith
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This article refers to a true story told for generations in Maine, and the marker in Maine is well known among locals. The Aroostook war is the only time in US history governor declared war on a country, and many consider Private Smith the 'only' casualty of the war. Private Smith is a part of history in Maine, and of the US asserting its young government.
- He gets 32 google hits. Number 2 is this page. Not notable. -Amarkov babble 16:07, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
This is an encylopedia; there are plenty, and should be plenty of entries that do not show up much on google. The Internet doesn't have quite everything on it, especially from places like rural Maine. The Daughters of the American Revolution (created 111 years before Wikipedia) thought him notable enough to put a special marker on his grave site.
Also, the logic of using google to completely determine notable people has a flaw; I can find unnotable people who are get hundreds or thousands of hits, does this mean that they should get entries into Wikipedia?
From the criteria for speedy deletion: Non-notable subjects with their importance asserted: Articles that have obviously non-notable subjects are still not eligible for speedy deletion unless the article "does not assert the importance or significance of its subject". If the article gives a claim that might be construed as making the subject notable, it should be taken to a wider forum.
I believe I have asserted why the subject is important enough to warrant his own article, especially the mention of the marker being added by the DOTAR.
- I normally wouldn't solely rely on google hits, except for two problems. One, with your criteria, including the middle initial, which any good source would have, there are only THIRTEEN google hits. And two, this seems to be of no importance at all other than where you live. -Amarkov babble 16:31, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
- Oh, and Aroostook War covers everything important in the article. Add the information there. -Amarkov babble 16:32, 29 October 2006 (UTC)
1) I again say that searching is not the only criteria, which is even stated in the notability article on wikipedia as being one of several criteria. It does however meet the criteria of "Persons achieving renown or notoriety for their involvement in newsworthy events, such as by being assassinated." He acheived enough renown to warrant a special marker.
2) I don't live in Maine, but that doesn't make any sense anyways; there are thousands of people that are only of local importance, such as Charles Vance Millar, Mikhail Shchepkin, Sebastian Sailer, and even Ramveer Rai who are all listed in Wikipedia but most people outside of the local areas they are part of have never heard of.
3) You also didn't address my point of a person with thousands of hits being notable; do a search of my user name (Kraagenskul) on any search engine and you'll probably get around a thousand hits, but that certainly doesn't make my online persona notable. I could probably find better examples, as a thousand hits isn't that much for a search engine. Kraagenskul 18:01, 29 October 2006 (UTC)Kraagenskul
