CZ Talk:Policy on Self-Promotion

Regarding links to author-maintained websites

"You may not add links to articles with which you are associated. Instead, you must request that others do this for you (e.g., on the article's talk page). Adding such links will not count as a request; anyone who notices that you are associated with a website that you have linked from an article should remove the link to the talk page."

On a series of articles about the U.S. Constitution and related topics, I have added links to my site, to pages on my site with related information or, for example, full text of historical documents. In light of the above, is this not kosher? I did not add the links lightly - the information is truly related and backs up the article. If I add these links to the talk page, what guarantee is there (especially once there are tens of thousands of articles) that the links will ever be added? If they are added, should I never edit them? I think this policy works for some cases, but may be too restricting in others. steve802 14:00, 3 April 2007 (CDT)

First, let's consider existing links "grandfathered in." After all, I myself placed a link that violates the new policy on John Doherty (fiddler).  :-) Note though that while no one should remove previously-added links purely on grounds of this policy, they might still be reviewable and removable simply because other sources are better. No offense, but surely it's an open question whether you really have the best Web pages about the U.S. Constitution. Ultimately, we want to link to the best of the Web on every topic.

I think we need a series of operational "request"-type pages, such as CZ:Requests for link review, or perhaps something less specialized, like CZ:Requests for oversight. This way, if no one is coming to your assistance, you can ask for help. --Larry Sanger 14:29, 3 April 2007 (CDT)

Clarifying "closely associated"

I am thinking of writing an article on the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), which is run by a substantially different group of people each year. The entity behind Worldcon is the World Science Fiction Society, whose membership is defined as the members of the next Worldcon (or current one when one is in progress).

I'm on the staff of this year's Worldcon. This definitely rules out writing an article about this specific convention. Should it bar me from ever writing something on the general history of Worldcon? I feel that it should not, but would like to get confirmation.

At the 2005 Worldcon, I was a participant in one program item out of hundreds. Does that mean I also can't write anything specific about that convention? I don't feel this is "closely associated", but again, I'd like to get a ruling. Petréa Mitchell 23:16, 27 April 2007 (CDT)

This is actually a good question for the Topic Informant Workgroup (you could put the question on their talk page, perhaps). Personally, I don't see anything wrong with your writing about the general history of Worldcon--if, as you imply, you were a central part of that history. If you were, you could still write a history, but we would place it in the "TI" namespace and it would become reference material for us. --Larry Sanger 07:55, 28 April 2007 (CDT)

Er, well, I'm trying to say I'm not a central part of that history. Not even this year-- I'm just going to be sitting behind the information desk a lot... Petréa Mitchell