Why I love the Wikipedia deletion log

Wikipedia has only recently managed to grow out of its sorry adolescence of abundant inaccuracy into a resource which can actually be expected to provide reasonable results. But skeletons remain in one particular closet, and that closet has a name: Special:Log/delete.

Special:Log/delete is where bad articles go to die; it is a sorry Boot Hill of furious homophobia, self-aggrandisement, Dada, insults, spam and gibberish. Every time an article is deleted - ostracised by the Wikipedian democracy - its name and a snippet of its content are recorded here, tiny digital epitaphs for the lights that burned too brightly. Information has never been this stupid.

The Categories of Woe

1. Me

21:59, 12 March 2006 Naconkantari deleted "Harry Chappell" (content was: 'Harry Chappell has a dad(Mark Chappell), a mum (Foina Dennis), Three sisters (Florence, Lucy and Emily), And One Brother (Sam) He was born on the sixt...' (and the only contributor was 'Harry Chappell)

On encountering Wikipedia for the first time, many users find that one very important facet of the world is missing from the otherwise comprehensive listings: themselves.

I love this one for its detail. It transcends merely "Harry Chapell is the awesomest guy alive" to a full delination of Harry's social status, comprising, in fact, a genuine article about Harry Chapell. I want to know more. I care, and so does the world.

20:50, 12 March 2006 Angr deleted "Talk:Sangu delle" (talk page of deleted article. content before blanking was: 'Obiously this article was written by sangu delle himself. He calls himself as "of Africa’s most promising sons" and a "beacon of compassion". Somebo...')

"Hi, my name's Sangu Delle. Oh really ? You work in a bakery? That's cool. Well, I'm kind of working part time now. Yeah, I'm a beacon of compassion at the weekends, but on Tuesdays I wash dogs."

06:13, 12 March 2006 Academic Challenger deleted "Ornab Momin" (content was: 'Quite possibly the greatest person of all time.Ornab is the greatest.Ornab is also Batman.' (and the only contributor was 'I MaNMaN I'))

That's why you never see Ornab and Batman together.

2. Already covered elsewhere

18:54, 12 March 2006 JIP deleted "Yo Momma" (article contents are not encyclopedic, subject is already covered elsewhere)

It really is, if you're wondering.

3. Huh?

21:28, 12 March 2006 Francs2000 deleted "Brock wedlake" (content was: '{{db|Attack, possible nonsense}}The gigalow with the most belowHe be on the flo like they want some mocause he hits those hoes like they smoke so...')

A rapping encyclopedia. I can hear the American school boards jumping for joy from all the way over here. "Possible nonsense" is surely harsh - I think Biggie Smalls might have something to say about this desecration of his form were he still with us. Also, as every playa knows, this should clearly have been saved from deletion for the notable achievement of six rhymes in a row, which earns a X20 bonus modifier and +20 Eloquence in "Rapping".

15:53, 12 March 2006 The Epopt deleted "Togging" (content was: '{{prod| google search showed zero instances of this}}(verb - to tog, noun - a tog) Togging is the fusion of teaching and blogging in the classroom o...')

Togging. Makes sense.

4. If only we could

21:21, 12 March 2006 Harro5 deleted "BBC Radio Five Live"

5.Truth

21:03, 12 March 2006 Academic Challenger deleted "Lesbians in a tree" (content was: '{{nonsense}}''Lesbians in a tree'' is a collective term used to describe a group of females located in a plant."

Seems fine to me...

10:42, 12 March 2006 Obli deleted "Acute radiation syndrome" (content was: 'They would be dead by now sorry.' (and the only contributor was 'Ultratension'))

Again...

10:27, 12 March 2006 Kingboyk deleted "Matthew Wearne" (content was: '{{db-bio}}He thinks he's a biker.')

Tscheah. With his bikes. Who does he think he is? A biker or something? He's such a lame-o, I bet he wears BIG SHOES or something. I'm never going to the prom with him. OMG A NEW TOOL ALBUM...

6.Unintentional commentary

15:51, 12 March 2006 Mushroom deleted "Islamic Comedy" (redirect to nowhere)

I'd expect it to redirect to Islam, but I guess it's just not working.

7.Intentional commentary

08:08, 12 March 2006 Mysekurity deleted "Saucy Seth & the Clams of Death" (Deleted after 5 days on ProD. Non-notable band that played at high schools.)

Oh man! Where am I going to find out when Saucy Seth and the Clams of Death are playing at my high school?? If only there was some kind of link to a website which had information about the band...

8.BAMF!

06:49, 12 March 2006 Meegs deleted "James w nelson ii" (content was: '{{db|nonsense}}James William Nelson II is a BAMF!')

BAMF!

The Wikipedia deletion log is your friend and mine: a magical pool which refills with comedy on a daily basis no matter how much you drink.