Nookipedia:Deletion policy

DRAFT PAGE - This is not official policy.

TODO:
 * Detail merging as an alternative
 * Cover files and other namespace rationale

This page covers Nookipedia's deletion policy.

Rationale
Any page may be deleted that is clearly nonconstructive or misplaced (vandalism, spam, hoaxes, non-sense, etc.). In addition, various namespaces will have their own common deletion rationales.

Articles
Articles may be deleted for a number of reasons, including (but not limited to):
 * Fandom / headcanon content
 * Covers a minor detail that is already covered by another article

Nookipedia does not have a defined notability policy. However, articles that cover a very minor element, or a subject that otherwise does not have much to be written about, should usually be covered as part of a larger, broader article.

Articles should typically not be deleted solely because they are short, need re-writing, or otherwise just need some help, unless they are in a completely unacceptable state with no improvement being done in the foreseeable future.

Files
Files serve three main purposes on the wiki:
 * Illustrating article subjects
 * Archival
 * Meta use (layout, Main Page featured fanart, avatars, etc.)

Files should generally fulfill at least one of those purposes. Excess unused files (such as screenshots that do not illustrate something not covered by another screenshot) may be deleted to reduce clutter and better comply with fair use. Unused files may still be kept for the sake of archival and documentation, and/or if there is foreseeable use.

Users may upload up to 5 personal images / fanart for use in their user space. Additional personal images after this threshold are at the discretion of Nookipedia staff.

Redirects
Redirects help users discover content through alternative names and common spelling errors. Redirects may be deleted when they are nonsensical or otherwise unlikely to aide anyone in the discovery of a page.

When moving a page, the redirect should typically be left intact, unless completely unrelated or unlikely to be useful. In the case of files, even if the file redirect is unused on-wiki, it may have been linked to externally, and preserving these redirects helps preserve discoverability. The exception is for very recently created files that are moved shortly after upload (such as to correct a spelling error).

User
Users are allowed a minimal number of page in their userspace for personal use that is unrelated to the wiki, such as to document their in-game island/town.

Users that go above and beyond what is reasonable may be warned and/or have pages deleted per staff discretion. Leniency may be granted to active, constructive editors vs. users whose sole purpose on the wiki is to use it as a personal host.

Process

 * Overview:
 * 1) Mark with Template:Delete
 * 2) Add rationale to talk page if needed
 * 3) Inform original creator (unless an exception below is met)

Pages may be marked for deletion using Template:Delete:

The reason field should be short (no more than a few words); additional details can be provided in the note parameter. When marking a page for deletion, editors must provide a reason. Additional reasoning may be added on the talk page, and it is encouraged if the deletion is likely to be discussed and debated.

Users must also inform the original creator of the page of the deletion discussion, unless:
 * page is blatant vandalism or nonsense
 * creator is obviously retired or no longer active
 * page was created by an IP address more than a month ago
 * page was imported from another wiki

Nookipedia staff review and delete marked pages with discretion. In clear-cut cases where a deletion would be uncontroversial (vandalism, non-sense, non-encyclopedic, etc.), staff may delete a page immediately. Otherwise, they will leave the page as-is until either (a) no objections are brought up in a reasonable amount of time or (b) the talk page discussion has reached a consensus.

Removing a deletion tag indicates that deletion has been rejected. Non-staff editors may not remove a deletion tag unless it was placed unconstructively.

Undeletion
If an editor believes a page was unfairly deleted, or deleted without proper discussion, they may request a second look at the staff noticeboard. A staff member who did not delete the article will review the case and, if they find it reasonable, restore the page for continued discussion.

If you would like personal access to deleted content, you may make a request at the staff noticeboard. Please state the reason you would like to access the content. Acceptable reasons include things like desiring to incubate the page; for research; or to transfer to another site. Deleted content will typically be placed in the requestor's sandbox, but may be provided through other mediums (email, Discord, etc.) on request.