FRIENDS, I realize I am not William Shakespeare or John Steinbeck, Charles Stross or Fred Saberhagen, but I demand my Wikipedia entry.
I had one, once. Heck, I had two over the years. Both deleted because I am not ‘notable’. Which is ridiculous, as I am very notable for a number of notable things. Admittedly, most of those things include the words pantslessness and obscure, but I’m still damned notable in my own strange way. I mean, I’ve published four novels and more than twenty short stories, a zine continuously since 1995, and a comic book.
Meanwhile, I have no Wikipedia entry. Meanwhile, there’s this.
So, I’m laying down the gauntlet: I’m going to sulk and complain until some Hero steps forward to add me to this ridiculous compendium of unreliable knowledge. I don’t care if the article is complimentary or filled with libel, if it’s fact-based or filled with unicorns and fantasy. As long as the guidelines are followed so the article doesn’t get deleted, I’ll be happy.
Because I have no Wikipedia Page. Meanwhile, there’s this.
I’ve set up a little widget on the side to monitor my WP status. Until an hero shows up to save me from obscurity, I will keep this blog on a war footing. Spread the word! Obscure author demands his due. Because if this is considered notable, then I submit that I am equally notable. Although possibly less horrible.
UPDATE 8-3-09: Damaso tried, and the page was deleted within moments. One starts to suspect an anti-Jeff Somers faction over at WP.
UPDATE 2 8-3-09: Jon Gawne, bless him, has created a preliminary page for me [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Jgawne/Jeffrey_Somers&action=edit] which he thinks may help if people add material to it. Thanks, Jon!
I tried once. I am obviously not worthy to wield the Wiki weapon, the one that will grant me powers of page creation.
I accept that.
I can only hope a champion will arise, someone versed in the obscure and anarchic rules that govern the website.
I mean, they deleted your page before I had a chance to update it! OMGWTF indeed.
See what happens when you blog after drinking whiskey?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Somers,_Author
Damaso,
Fail, as it has already been deleted! But I defiitely appreciate the effort.
According to this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Jeff_Somers
The problem appears to be the fact that no one believes I actually published books, or that one of them was review in the NYT Books in Brief, or. . .well, anything, really. Perhaps it’s a sourcing issue?
J
Can’t you send them an email and tell them you’re the real Jeff Somers and that they will experience the wrath of Winged Monkeys firsthand if noncompliance continues?
You could totally do that.
I’ve tried to help put stuff on the page, but it still needs a lot of work. So if people could help and try to get as much information on that page it would really help.
Dan,
I *could* do that. I don’t know if it will actually *help*, but I *could*. 🙂
besides, I find people tend to dismiss my threats of winged monkeys as idel. I don’t know why.
J
Garrett,
Thanks! We’re gonna do this thing. I’m gonna have a Wikipedia Page or I’ll sulk. And no one wants that.
J
Forget Wikipedia. You’ve been mention on something far grander and run by an actual community and not a bunch of chip eating, mouth breathing virgins, a page of real repute.
TV Tropes and Idioms.
Someone cooler than I must step forward and actually add more stuff for you.
The Wikipedia Nazis deleted a page I put up too. It was for a band’s new album. They removed it because the album didn’t have a title and release date, yet I found at least 5 other album pages with the same information missing. Then when the info was released suddenly there was this huge entry for the album.
I’d just keep creating the page. Just copy the code to a text file so you don’t have to do the work each time they delete it.
Well, hot damn, you’re right. Google Alerts have failed me. I have lost my faith.
Thanks for pointing it out to me! but, Enders, I still want my inaccurate and poorly researched Wikipedia page, dammit.
J
Jeff H,
Thanks for the advice. I don’t actually want to create it myself, though, as something tells me that would be vaguely inappropriate. Maybe there is some sort of monetary bribe I can offer the Wiki Folks?
J
As of now you have one – someone with time should go in and fill out deets on the books. In the meantime, I will vigilently defend this beachead.
Alex!
You rock. Naturally, it’s already been tagged as possible for deletion. MY GOD.
If someone wants to add some external references to Your Humble Author, here are some:
http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/07/01/bib/010701.rv105816.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=jeff%20somers&st=cse
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A546562
http://www.sffworld.com/interview/243p0.html