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This is an essay, a page containing the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. Essays may represent widespread norms or minority viewpoints, and they may be heeded or not based upon your judgement and discretion. |
Wikipedia is not working to a deadline. A small number of articles might make Wikipedia 1.0, but the vast majority will not and for the balance there is no deadline. There are two points of view on what this lack of a deadline means.
View one
We can afford to take our time, to consider matters, to wait before creating a new article until its significance is unambiguously established.
Wikipedia is not Wikinews and has no need to scoop anyone. Turn this into a strength by working on your article in your userspace or scratchpad until you have the best possible article, fully referenced, a masterpiece of neutrality. And if someone beats you to it, makes that first place in the edit history, so what? Merge in what you have and turn a stub or whatever into a good article. Wikipedia is not a competition either.
Above all, creating an article without establishing the basis of the content and its significance is a bad idea. There really are no points for being first; being the author of the best and most neutral content will earn you far greater kudos.
View two
We can afford to take our time to improve articles, to wait before deleting a new article until its lack of significance is unambiguously established.
Wikipedia is not paper and has no need to work towards a deadline. There is no finished version expected soon, and it is perfectly acceptable to let the editing process fashion an article up to our standards eventually. And if it takes a long time for that process to work, so what? Wikipedia is a work in progress, and will always remain so. There is no publication date and Wikipedia does not have to be finished today. It merely needs to have improved on yesterday. Perfection is neither desired nor achievable.
Above all, creating an article which is unfinished is the second rule of Wikipedia. That way you encourage other people to contribute; collaborating will earn you far greater respect.
See also
- Wikipedia:Editing policy
- Wikipedia:Don't panic
- Wikipedia:The world will not end tomorrow
- Wikipedia:Don't demolish the house while it's still being built
- Wikipedia:Potential, not just current state
- Wikipedia:Wikipedia is a work in progress
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 15 September 2008, at 17:18.
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