International Law

Are you sure Corey Worthington Delaney is Wikipedia worthy?

Last month I blogged about the discussions as to whether the infamous MySpace party teenager Corey Worthington Delaney deserved a Wikipedia entry (see here), and it seems as though the debate is still going:

MELBOURNE teenager Corey Worthington, also known by the surname Delaney, is set to finally get his own page on Wikipedia after an earlier entry was vetoed by users.

A heated debate among the website's contributors over whether or not the 16-year-old party boy deserved his own entry in the user-generated encyclopedia took place last month.

The majority of users who voted argued that the Melbourne teenager was notable only in connection to an event of short-term interest, and thus unsuitable for an entry.

The debate was reignited on Sunday when another page for Corey was made and subsequently nominated for deletion ? but this time around, the Corey supporters look set to keep it online.

Contributors in favour of keeping the new entry so far outnumber those who want it removed by 13 votes to 9.

"He's notable according to media all over the world (and has) 245 hits on Google News as Corey Delaney and 171 for Corey Worthington," said user Allstar.

A non-voting contributor said Corey's name had started being used as a reference to irresponsibility and teenage rebellion in Australia and information about the teenager should be available online.

"The name 'Corey Worthington' has entered the media vocabulary as a metaphor, at least in Australia," said user Orlady, quoting two stories from the Sydney Morning Herald.

"People who encounter his name in news stories like these and don't know who he is should expect to be able to look him up in Wikipedia."

User Mattinbgn, who voted to delete the original entry, said that the Corey saga was too trivial for inclusion on the website.

"Once again it is time that Wikipedia decided if it is an encyclopaedia or merely a recorder of mildly amusing but ultimately trivial events," they said.

"If this is kept, I look forward to articles on every dodgy used car salesman, nude wedding, school bully and fad diet that makes tabloid TV shows such as A Current Affair."

A final decision to keep or delete the new entry has not been made.

Read more here (from News.com.au) and see the debate on Wikipedia here.

Full post as published by Freedom to Differ on February 12, 2008 (boomark / email).