TechInfoDepot:Deletion process

The deletion process is the TechInfoDepot process involved in implementing and recording the community's decisions to delete or keep pages and media.

TechInfoDepot has three main methods of deleting pages. A page might qualify for speedy deletion if it meets certain specific criteria, and proposed deletion may be used to suggest that an article is an uncontroversial candidate for deletion. If not, then a deletion discussion must be held in order to form a consensus to delete a page. In general, administrators are responsible for closing these discussions; however, non-administrators in good standing may close them under specific conditions (see the section 'Non-administrators closing discussions').

Note: Office actions and declarations from the Wikimedia Foundation Board or the system administrators, particularly concerning copyright, legal issues, or server load, may take priority over community consensus.

Speedy deletion
The speedy deletion process applies to pages which meet at least one of the criteria for speedy deletion, which specify the only cases in which administrators have broad consensus support to, at their discretion, bypass deletion discussion and immediately delete TechInfoDepot pages or media.

Before deleting a page through the speedy deletion process, verify that it meets at least one of the criteria for speedy deletion, check the page history to assess whether it would instead be possible to revert and salvage a previous version and to determine whether there was a cut-and-paste move involved, and search for other information which may impact the need or reason for deletion:
 * The initial edit summary may have information about the source of or reason for the page.
 * The talk page may refer to previous deletion discussions or have ongoing discussion relevant to including the page.
 * The page log may have information about previous deletions that could warrant SALTing the page or keeping it.
 * WhatLinksHere may show that the page is an oft-referred part of the encyclopedia, or may show other similar pages that warrant deletion. For pages that should not be recreated, incoming links in other pages (except in discussions, archives and tracking pages) should be removed.

If a page is not appropriate for speedy deletion, the page must be edited to remove the speedy deletion tag—this will, in turn, remove the page from Category:Candidates for speedy deletion. Consider notifying the editor who suggested deletion.

When deleting a page through the speedy deletion process, specify the reason for deletion in the deletion summary so that it will be recorded into the deletion log. Quoting page content in the deletion summary may be helpful, but must not be done for attack content or copyrighted text. In some cases, it would be appropriate to notify the page's creator of the deletion.

Proposed deletion
The proposed deletion process applies to articles that do not meet the stringent criteria for speedy deletion, but for which it is believed that deletion would be uncontroversial. For instructions on handling articles that have been proposed for deletion, see TechInfoDepot:Proposed deletion.

Deletion discussions
The deletion discussion processes apply to pages which are formally nominated for deletion through an appropriate deletion discussion venue.

General principles
Although the steps for closing deletion discussions vary from one deletion discussion venue to another, a few general principles apply at all venues.

Consensus
Consensus is formed through the careful consideration, dissection and eventual synthesis of each side's arguments, and should not be calculated solely by the balance of votes.

Outcomes should reflect the rough consensus reached in the deletion discussion and community consensus on a wider scale. (While consensus can change, consensus among a limited group of editors, at one place and time, cannot override community consensus on a wider scale.)

If inappropriate canvassing has taken place, evaluate whether it influenced the outcome of the discussion in a way that compromised the standard consensus-building process.

Common outcomes
A deletion discussion may end with one of a number of distinct outcomes, with certain outcomes being more common at certain deletion discussion venues. However, three outcomes are common to all venues: keep, delete and no consensus.

A keep outcome reflects a rough consensus to retain (i.e. not delete) a page, though not necessarily in its current form. To implement a 'keep' outcome: close the deletion discussion as 'keep'; edit the page to remove the deletion notice; and record the outcome on the page's talk page using one of several venue-specific templates (see 'Step-by-step instructions' for details).

A delete outcome reflects a rough consensus to remove (i.e. not retain) a page, including its entire revision history. To implement a 'delete' outcome: close the deletion discussion as 'delete'; delete the page, and link to the deletion discussion in the deletion summary; and, if the page should not be recreated, remove incoming links in other pages (except in discussions, archives and tracking pages).

A no consensus outcome reflects the lack of a rough consensus for any one particular action. To implement a 'no consensus' outcome: close the deletion discussion as 'no consensus'; edit the page to remove the deletion notice; and record the outcome on the page's talk page using one of several venue-specific templates (see 'Step-by-step instructions' for details).

Note: Deletion discussions concerning biographies of living persons who are relatively unknown, non-public figures, where the subject has requested deletion and there is no rough consensus to keep, may be closed as 'delete' per the deletion policy.

Other possible outcomes include, but are not limited to:
 * Other outcomes by discussion venue
 * WP:AFD: "incubate", "merge", "redirect", "split", "userfy", and "soft delete" (treat the nomination as an expired proposed deletion, with the understanding that anyone who contests the deletion may request undeletion for any reason)
 * WP:CFD: "speedy rename", "rename", "merge" (including "upmerge"), "split", and "convert to list"
 * WP:FFD: "delete without prejudice to undeleting/re-uploading with an appropriate licence"
 * WP:MFD: "userfy"
 * WP:TFD: "redirect"
 * WP:RFD: "disambiguate" and "retarget"

Procedural closure
In certain situations, a deletion discussion may require a "procedural closure"—a null outcome based on the circumstances of the deletion nomination rather than the merits of the page being discussed. Situations where a procedural closure may be appropriate include:
 * The nominated page was not tagged with a corresponding deletion notice. Closers may, at their discretion, tag the nominated page(s) and relist the discussion instead of closing it.
 * The nominated page is currently linked from the Main Page. (If there are legitimate concerns, please use TechInfoDepot:Main Page/Errors to have the link removed before nominating the article.)
 * A subsequent deletion discussion which immediately challenges the outcome of the prior deletion discussion, where a deletion review clearly would be more appropriate.
 * The deletion discussion is listed at the incorrect venue, e.g., a discussion for a file that is hosted on Commons, or for a category listed at Redirects for discussion. This includes discussions which contain no substantive arguments for any course of action which would be covered by the venue in question.

A deletion discussion that is poorly formatted should not be closed for this reason alone, in order to avoid biting new users.

Early closure
In general, deletion discussions should remain open for at least seven days to allow interested editors adequate time to participate. However, under certain circumstances, discussions may be closed prior to the seven-day timeframe.

Closers should apply good judgment before speedily closing a discussion, since often it is best to allow the discussion to continue for the entirety of the seven-day period.

The nominator may withdraw the nomination at any time. However, if subsequent editors have added substantive comments in good faith, the discussion should not be speedily closed. A nomination should not be withdrawn in order to try to short-circuit an ongoing discussion.
 * Withdrawn nomination


 * Speedy keep

A "speedy keep" outcome is appropriate when the nomination unquestionably is an attempt to vandalize or to otherwise create disruption. For example:
 * Nominations which are clearly an attempt to end an editing dispute through deletion (possibly in an attempt to game the system), when dispute resolution would be a more appropriate course.
 * Nominations which are made solely to provide a forum for disruption (this includes editor harassment).
 * The nominated page is a policy or guideline. The deletion process is not a forum for policy concerns.
 * Frivolous or vexatious nominations (recently featured articles, for example). This includes re-nominating the same page with the same arguments immediately after they were strongly rejected in a recently closed deletion discussion.
 * The nominator is banned, so their edits are not to be retained. In that case, the nominated page is speedily kept while the nomination can be tagged with db-g5 and speedily deleted as a banned contribution. However, if subsequent editors have added substantive comments in good faith, the nomination should not be speedily closed (though the nominator's opinion will be discounted in the closure decision).


 * Speedy delete

When the nominated page unambiguously falls under at least one of the criteria for speedy deletion, particularly criterion G10 (attack page) or criterion G12 (copyright violation), it is not necessary to wait until the end of the discussion period.
 * Snowball clause

When the outcome of the deletion discussion is almost certain, such that there is not a "snowball's chance in hell" that the outcome will be anything other than what is expected.

Note: The "snowball clause" exists to avoid process for the sake of process, and should not be invoked in situations where a particular outcome is merely "likely" or "highly likely", or where there is genuine and reasoned disagreement.

No quorum
If a nomination has received no comments from any editor besides the nominator (or few in the case of AfDs), the discussion may be closed at the closer's discretion and best judgment. Common options include, but are not limited to:
 * relisting the discussion (see the section 'Relisting discussions');
 * closing as "no consensus" with no prejudice against speedy renomination (NPASR); and
 * closing in favour of the nominator's stated proposal.

Relisting discussions
The intent of the deletion process is to attempt to determine consensus on whether an article should be deleted.

However, if at the end of the initial seven-day period, the discussion has only a few participants (including the nominator), and/or it seems to be lacking arguments based on policy, it may be appropriate for the closer to relist it, to solicit further discussion to determine consensus. A relisted discussion may be closed once consensus is determined without necessarily waiting a further seven days.

That said, relisting should not be a substitute for a "no consensus" closure. If the closer feels there has been substantive debate, disparate opinions supported by policy have been expressed, and consensus has not been achieved, a no-consensus close may be preferable.

Relisting debates repeatedly in the hope of getting sufficient participation is not recommended, and while having a deletion notice on a page is not harmful, its presence over several weeks can become disheartening for its editors. Therefore, in general, debates should not be relisted more than twice. Users relisting a debate for a third (or further) time, or relisting a debate with a substantial number of commenters, should write a short explanation (in addition to the relist template) on why they did not consider the debate sufficient.

When relisting a discussion, it should be removed from the log for its original date (this does not apply at Categories for discussion) and moved to the current date's log where the discussion will continue. Scripts such as User:Mr.Z-man/closeAFD automate the process. The reasoning behind relisting may be indicated in the relist template as well.

Non-administrators closing discussions
In general, administrators are responsible for closing deletion discussions. However, at times the many discussion venues become backlogged. Editors in good standing who are not administrators may close deletion discussions, with the following provisions:
 * Deletion discussions must be decided in accordance with consensus and taking account of TechInfoDepot policies and guidelines. If you are not familiar with deletion policy or the workings of deletion discussions, please avoid closing discussions.
 * Non-administrators should not close discussions in which they lack the technical ability to act upon the outcome.
 * Close calls and controversial decisions are better left to an administrator.
 * In cases where an administrator has deleted a page, including by speedy deletion, but forgot to close the discussion, anyone may close the discussion provided that the administrator's name and deletion summary are included in the closing rationale.
 * Closing discussions in which you have offered an opinion or for a page in which you have a vested interest (i.e. a page that you have edited heavily) should be avoided. The sole exception is if you are closing your own withdrawn nomination as a speedy keep and all other viewpoints expressed were for keep as well.

Non-administrators closing deletion discussions are recommended to disclose their status in the closing decision. Decisions are subject to review and may be reopened by any administrator. If this happens, take it only as a sign that the decision was not as obvious as you thought.

Articles for deletion page
For instructions on closing Articles for deletion (AfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Articles for deletion/Administrator instructions.

Categories for discussion page
For instructions on closing Categories for discussion (CfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Categories for discussion/Administrator instructions.

Files for deletion page
For instructions on closing Files for deletion (FfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Files for deletion/Administrator instructions.

Possibly unfree files page
For instructions on closing Possibly unfree files (PuF) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Possibly unfree files/Administrator instructions.

Miscellany for deletion page
For instructions on closing Miscellany for deletion (MfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Miscellany for deletion/Administrator instructions.

Redirects for discussion page
For instructions on closing Redirects for discussion (RfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Redirects for discussion/Administrator instructions.

Templates for discussion page
For instructions on closing Templates for discussion (TfD) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Templates for discussion/Administrator instructions.

Deletion review
For instructions on closing Deletion review (DRV) discussions, see TechInfoDepot:Deletion review/Administrator instructions.

Transwiki
If consensus indicates a transwiki should take place, but you do not want to complete the transwiki process immediately:
 * 1) Add a new entry to TechInfoDepot:Articles for deletion/Old/Transwiki.
 * 2) Add the appropriate tag to the article:
 * 3) *Copy to Wiktionary
 * 4) *Copy to Wikisource
 * 5) *Copy to Wikiquote
 * 6) *Copy to Wikibooks
 * 7) *Copy to Wikibooks Cookbook
 * 8) *Copy to Wikimedia Commons

Pages with many revisions
The deletion of pages with long histories may impact server performance. As a precaution, therefore, deletions of pages with more than 5,000 revisions require the special "bigdelete" user right, which administrators do not have. Such deletions can be requested of stewards at meta:Steward requests/Miscellaneous.

Search all deletion discussions
Note: to limit search to only title of the page, enter search term preceded with intitle: example, to search for the word battleships in the full text, just enter:
 * battleships

to search for battleships specifically in the title of the page, enter:
 * intitle:battleships

to search for navy in the full text, but battleships specifically in the title, enter:
 * navy intitle:battleships