Wikipedia is often criticised for its focus on minor pop celebrities and childrens’ TV programmes from the 1970s, and for the poor coverage of the more significant but less frivolous figures of our modern word. Here is a case in point. Wikipedia used to boast an impressive entry on the Morning Star and Daily Express journalist, Neil Clark. It detailed his principled stand against immigration, particularly when it involved British Army interpreters who might otherwise be murdered by sectarian death squads in Iraq. It discussed his support for the late Slobodan Milosevic, both in power and on trial. Indeed, the only issue that Wikipedia did not properly canvas, was his candidature for David Lindsey’s British People’s Alliance.
With contributions from noted experts on Neil Clark, such as GreenGoddess and CityLightsGirl, the Wikipedia entry on Neil Clark was one of the highlights of the online encyclopedia.
But now, inexplicably, Neil Clark has been deleted from Wikipedia.
I have considered the reasoning that underpins the decision to remove Mr Clark’s entry. It is unconvincing:
Oh good grief! 17 out of 22 sources cited in the current version of the article are the subject’s newspaper articles and on-line diary entries, from which conclusions have been synthesized by Wikipedia editors; and another 3 are where another columnist has picked apart a few articles by the subject.
…
Clear WP:COI. Reeks of vanity. Fails WP:AUTHOR. Extremely limited 3rd party bio info online (I only found a 2 sentence bio from the Guardian: [1]). Being a stringer for some big newspapers and winning a minor award for blogging are not notable or extraordinary and do not justify a Wikipedia entry. Sorry to be as blunt as all that.
It goes without saying that these entries are grossly defamatory of Neil Clark. I would recommend that proceedings be issued in the Oxford County Court against Jimmy Wales, in person, as soon as is possible.