deletionpedia

{{short description|Website collecting deleted Wikipedia articles}}

{{Infobox website

| name = Deletionpedia

| logo = File:Deletionpedia logo.png

| logo_caption = Logo of the original Deletionpedia

| url =

| alexa =

| commercial = Unknown

| type = Archive wiki

| language = Dutch, English, French, German, Swedish

| registration = None

| owner =

| author =

| launch_date = 2008 (v1)
December 24, 2013 (v2)

| current_status = Inactive

| revenue =

}}

Deletionpedia was an online archive wiki containing articles deleted from the English Wikipedia. Its version of each article included a header with more information about the deletion such as whether a speedy deletion occurred, where the deletion discussion about the article could be found and which editor deleted the article. The original Deletionpedia operated from February to September 2008. The site was restarted under new management in December 2013.{{cite web|title=Homepage|url=http://deletionpedia.org/en/Main_Page|publisher=Deletionpedia.org|access-date=6 May 2014|archive-date=16 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316154326/http://deletionpedia.org/en/Main_Page|url-status=usurped}}

The site was based on MediaWiki.[http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Category:Deletionpedia:Pages_by_deletion_date Category:Deletionpedia:Pages by deletion date] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326184744/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Category:Deletionpedia:Pages_by_deletion_date |date=2016-03-26 }}, from the Deletionpedia website{{cite web|title=Deletionpedia statistics|url=http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Special:Statistics|publisher=Deletionpedia|access-date=6 May 2014|archive-date=14 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014234421/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Special:Statistics|url-status=dead}} It functioned as something of a "wikimorgue"; it automatically collected articles deleted from Wikipedia.{{cite news |url=http://www.cio.com/article/print/141650 |title=Wikipedia's Awkward Adolescence |last=Schneider |first=K. G. |date=September 26, 2007 |work=CIO magazine |publisher=International Data Group |access-date=27 September 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102125755/http://www.cio.com/article/print/141650 |archive-date=2 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}

In addition to categories preserved from Wikipedia, Deletionpedia had its own categories for articles, based upon the deletion criteria. Pages were organized by the month in which they were deleted, by the number of editors that had worked on a page and by the length of time the article had existed on Wikipedia.{{Cite web|url=http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Category:Deletionpedia:Pages_on_Wikipedia_for_1000_or_more_days|title=Deleted from Wikipedia - Category:Deletionpedia:Pages on Wikipedia for 1000 or more days - Deletionpedia|website=deletionpedia.dbatley.com|access-date=2008-09-18|archive-date=2018-02-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215084755/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Category:Deletionpedia:Pages_on_Wikipedia_for_1000_or_more_days|url-status=live}}

Information on the site stated site editors avoided hosting deleted pages that were copyright violations, pages with serious libel problems, pages the full revision history of which was still available on Wikipedia's sister sites, and pages which were set out to offend others.[http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Deletionpedia:Archive&oldid=1241010 Deletionpedia:Archive] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326184751/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Deletionpedia:Archive&oldid=1241010 |date=2016-03-26 }}, from the Deletionpedia website

Articles preserved by Deletionpedia were deleted from Wikipedia for a variety of reasons, from "being not notable" to "manipulation by political and business interests".{{Cite web|url=http://www.20min.ch/digital/webpage/story/Friedhof-der-Wikipedia-Artikel-23217219|publisher=20 minuten|title=Friedhof der Wikipedia-Artikel|author=Henning Steier|date=19 Sep 2008|access-date=20 September 2008|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040303/http://www.20min.ch/digital/webpage/story/Friedhof-der-Wikipedia-Artikel-23217219|url-status=live}} The site did not seek donations; its "donate" page formerly suggested that supporters donate to mySociety or to the Wikimedia Foundation instead.[http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Deletionpedia:Site_support Deletionpedia:Donate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802012103/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Deletionpedia:Site_support |date=2019-08-02 }}, from the Deletionpedia website

Version 1

The original Deletionpedia collected about 63,000 articles, which were deleted from Wikipedia from February to September 2008. Nearly 2,000 of the pages were more than 1,000 days old before they were deleted.

=Discontinuation=

The last viewable log the site made of Wikipedia was taken on 14 June 2012 of Anime Festival Wichita.{{cite web|title=log.1.txt |url=http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/log.1.txt |publisher=Deletionpedia |access-date=6 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615002244/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/log.1.txt |archive-date=15 June 2012 }}

The original content is still available to view online.{{cite web|url=http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Main_Page|title=Deletionpedia|work=dbatley.com|access-date=2010-04-20|archive-date=2019-09-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915093929/http://deletionpedia.dbatley.com/w/index.php?title=Main_Page|url-status=live}} In 2011, Jason Scott's Archive Team saved a copy of the website with WikiTeam tools and uploaded the copy to the Internet Archive's collection.{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/wiki-deletionpedia.dbatley.com|title=Wiki - Deletionpedia : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive|website=archive.org|access-date=28 December 2017}}

=Reception=

The Wall Street Journal cited it as a response to the culture clash that exists on Wikipedia between deletionists and inclusionists.[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121815517776622597 Wikipedians Leave Cyberspace, Meet in Egypt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106180219/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121815517776622597 |date=2018-11-06 }}, by James Gleick. The Wall Street Journal, August 8, 2008 The Industry Standard calls it "a [would-be] fine research project for sociology students to study what groupthink does when applied to a community-built compendium of knowledge".{{cite news |last1=Aleo-Carreira |first1=Cyndy |title=Deletionpedia: Where Wikipedia Entries Go to Die |url=http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/17/deletionpedia-where-wikipedia-goes-die |work=The Industry Standard |date=17 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918084710/http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/17/deletionpedia-where-wikipedia-goes-die |archive-date=18 September 2008}} Shortly thereafter, the Industry Standard again turned its attention to Deletionpedia, reporting that deletion of the article in Wikipedia about Deletionpedia was itself under discussion, suggesting that the article was not being considered for deletion based on "insignificance of the site" but rather "due to perceived criticism of Wikipedia itself".{{cite news |last1=Aleo-Carreira |first1=Cyndy |title=A Catch-22 for Wikipedia: Should the Deletionpedia Entry Be Deleted? |url=http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/22/slashdot-coverage-nets-deletionpedia-wikipedia-reprieve |work=The Industry Standard |date=22 September 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20091026164259/http://www.thestandard.com/news/2008/09/22/slashdot-coverage-nets-deletionpedia-wikipedia-reprieve |archive-date=26 October 2009}} Deletionpedia also made news at De Telegraaf, the website for the largest daily morning Dutch language newspaper,[http://www.telegraaf.nl/digitaal/1948286/__Rustplaats_voor_afgedankte_Wiki-bijdragen__.html Rustplaats voor afgedankte Wiki-bijdragen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219000948/http://www.telegraaf.nl/digitaal/1948286/__Rustplaats_voor_afgedankte_Wiki-bijdragen__.html |date=2012-02-19 }} {{in lang|nl}}, a September 2008 article from De Telegraaf and The Inquirer, a British technology tabloid website.[http://www.theinquirer.de/2008/09/18/deletionpedia-geloschte-wikipedia-artikel-zum-nachschlagen.html Deletionpedia: Gelöschte Wikipedia-Artikel zum Nachschlagen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919033051/http://www.theinquirer.de/2008/09/18/deletionpedia-geloschte-wikipedia-artikel-zum-nachschlagen.html |date=2008-09-19 }} {{in lang|de}}, an 18 September 2008 article from The Inquirer.

The site was more fully explored by Ars Technica[https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080922-deletionpedia-where-entries-too-trivial-for-wikipedia-live-on.html Deletionpedia: where entries too trivial for Wikipedia live on] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016092619/https://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080922-deletionpedia-where-entries-too-trivial-for-wikipedia-live-on.html |date=2008-10-16 }} an article from Ars Technica posted September 22, 2008 in an article that not only described aspects of the website but mentioned the controversy over deleting the Wikipedia article on Deletionpedia.

Statistics and version 2

The website was reregistered by a new owner, Kasper Souren, and operations began anew in December 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/deletionpedia-wikipedia-deleted-articles/|title=Archive of deleted Wikipedia articles reveals site's imperfections|last=Sankin|first=-Aaron|date=29 December 2013|work=The Daily Dot|access-date=25 March 2014|archive-date=24 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124022313/http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/deletionpedia-wikipedia-deleted-articles/|url-status=live}} As of February 2022, it had amassed 91,250 content pages, and 117,902 pages in total, with 239,847 edits. It had also acquired 4,020 users.{{cite web|url=http://deletionpedia.org/en/Special:Statistics|title=Statistics|publisher=Deletionpedia.org|access-date=7 October 2020|archive-date=21 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321022351/http://deletionpedia.org/en/Special:Statistics|url-status=usurped}}

The site appears to have stopped functioning in February 2023.{{cite web |url=https://deletionpedia.org/en/Main_Page |title=Main Page |website=Deletionpedia |url-status=usurped |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230213235303/https://deletionpedia.org/en/Main_Page |archive-date=February 13, 2023}}

Similar projects

There are similar projects for other Wikipedia languages, for example PlusPedia in German,{{Cite web|url=http://de.pluspedia.org/|title=PlusPedia|website=de.pluspedia.org|access-date=2021-02-14|archive-date=2019-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609200548/http://de.pluspedia.org/|url-status=live}} PrePedia in Polish,{{Cite web|url=https://pl.prepedia.org/wiki/Strona_g%C5%82%C3%B3wna|title=PrePedia – wolna encyklopedia|website=pl.prepedia.org|access-date=2021-02-14|archive-date=2020-06-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606011959/http://pl.prepedia.org/|url-status=live}} and Wikisage in Dutch.{{Cite web|url=http://nl.wikisage.org/wiki/Hoofdpagina|title=Wikisage|website=nl.wikisage.org|access-date=2021-02-14|archive-date=2014-08-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812191151/http://nl.wikisage.org/|url-status=live}}