User talk:68.30.201.95

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[edit] Re: Carl de Boor article

Mr. de Boor:

I have a few suggestions concerning your father's article. I hope you will not consider it too impersonal if I present my points in bulleted form.

  • First, I strongly, strongly encourage you to register a Wikipedia user name. This will remove you from the set of anonymous contributors, allow you to assume responsibility for your edits, and make track-back much easier. Plus, the procedure is extremely simple.
  • Now I realize Wikipedia can be an intimidating place at first. The editing requires special code, there are certain expected standards, and help can seem inaccessible. However, there are definitely people here who will help you - you're speaking with one of them. I urge you to take a look at our welcome page, where you can begin to gain a background on how to write for Wikipedia, and what is expected of you as a Wikipedian.
  • So apropos your father's article: there are certain standards you must maintain should you desire to expand and improve the article.
  • First and foremost, you have to see how we write articles here. I will present some standards that are applicable to your father's article.
    • I recommending seeing "What Wikipedia Is Not". This will help guide you towards knowing what is acceptable content here.
    • This is very important: please see our policies on verifiability. Since this is an encyclopedia, "readers should be able to check that material added to Wikipedia has already been published by a reliable source." Unfortunately, your father's cooking finesse will not be found in a reputable source. It's certainly endearing, but Wikipedia isn't a curriculum vitae or a colorful biography. People seeking information on Mr. de Boor will want to know about his mathematical work and professional career; personal history is relevant, but only to an extent. (See also our policy on no original research.)
    • Now, I don't want to insult you, because I believe it's been adequately asserted that your father is sufficiently notable to garner an article. However, please consider our policy on relatively unknown figures, which asserts that one ought to "include only material relevant to their notability, while omitting information that is irrelevant to the subject's notability".
  • Now, concerning the upgrading of the article's status: it may or may not be possible. In any case, is it terribly important? Your father seems like a wonderful man, and has accomplished a lot in his field. Wikipedia may not be the ideal place to compose a full-length biography for him. However, as long as you abide by our policies here regarding article standards, it is possible the article could be upgraded.
  • The first step towards that point, then, is to have the article assessed. I am not part of an assessment team, and the folks over at our Biography department will be able to give good comments and an experienced opinion. To request an assessment, see the assessment requests. While you're there, scroll up a bit and take a look at the criteria for notability and article classes. You should be familiar with these, since they directly concern your question.
  • I think that may be all the help I can impart to you at this point. I hope you've been patient enough to read it all, and I wish you the best of luck editing here. Since you provided an email, I'll send you a link so you don't miss this little introduction of mine.

Happy editing! Feel free to contact me again with additional queries. Alekjds talk 00:35, 9 April 2008 (UTC)