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Hello, Sebastianmac01, and Welcome to Wikipedia!

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WP:ISNOT. Doug Weller talk 16:54, 11 January 2021 (UTC)Reply

Ark encounter deletion edit

Copy of your message from my Talk page
Recent Deletion

Hello! I am a very new editor to Wikipedia and uploaded my first edit under an entry for "Ark Encounter" the creationist, amusement park/museum. I noticed it was soon taken down by you on grounds of "not a guide." Can you provide more information on why you took it down, please? I'm still new to this is all. And I guess I'm supposed to sign off like thisSebastianmac01 (talk) 11:34, 11 January 2021 (UTC)Reply

Thank you for your message at my Talk page (and yes, your sign-off with WP:4TILDES was correct!). Regarding your edit to Ark Encounter, it looks like User:Doug Weller already responded to you above with a shortcut link ("WP:ISNOT") to the same guideline that I linked in the edit summary of the edit where I undid your edit, but I'm happy to explain in more detail. The Wikipedia essay entitled, What Wikipedia is not says this:

Wikipedia is an encyclopedic reference, not an instruction manual, guidebook, or textbook. Wikipedia articles should not read like... [a] Travel guide...

Basically, your addition about things to see in the neighborhood of Ark Encounter, sounded like the kind of thing you'd read in a tourist brochure, like the kind you see in hotel tourist info racks, or maybe on the website of Chamber of Commerce of the town where Ark Encounter is located, promoting things to see and do around town, which might include the Screaming Eagle Zip Lines nearby that you added to the Ark Encounter page.
But Wikipedia is not a travel guide, it's an encyclopedia, so that kind of information really has nothing to do with Ark Encounter as an encyclopedic subject, so doesn't belong there. Does that make sense? Think about what Encyclopedia Britannica would include if they were to write an article about Ark Encounter; would they mention the zip lines? It seems impossible to imagine they would, nor would they mention nearby restaurants, hotels, or other attractions. We are an encyclopedia, and neither do we. I hope this helps!
I just want to add my welcome to you, and say that I hope you like it here, and decide to stay. There are a lot of rules, which go by the name of policies and guidelines, but the really important ones are few, and you can read about them at the links Doug provided you in the welcome message above. If you like, you can start at the Five Pillars of Wikipedia, which mentions Neutral point of view as a core principle, and the paragraph explaining it links to three of the most important principles you should know about: WP:Verifiability, the use of citations to reliable sources, and the avoidance of Original research. Have a look at those links, then jump right in and WP:BE BOLD! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Mathglot (talk) 20:59, 11 January 2021 (UTC)Reply
I should add, that if you have any personal, business, or other connection to Screaming Eagle Ziplines, there are some restrictions to what you can say about them at Wikipedia, and you should disclose your relationship to them, if you do. Thanks, Mathglot (talk) 21:03, 11 January 2021 (UTC)Reply

Hello!

Thank you for responding! I was initially confused about why it was immediately taken down, but this provides more context. I was taken aback a bit by how quickly you had taken it down which felt a little overbearing on the rules to me or harping on what I provided since I had recently made the account. I found out about the exhibit through an anti-creationist video on YouTube which led me to check out the wiki page on it. Although I had found it through a politized narrative of the Ark Encounter, I understood that, by making an edit, I would be neutral. I read through the article, but I felt I could provide a broader scope of information after scrolling through the Ark Encounter website which links to the ziplines in question. The edit I had provided definitely sounded like a travel guide now that you explained it. Thank you for providing a deeper insight into that. Thank you for the welcome and even greater appreciation for offering yourself as a source of information! Do not worry, I have no connections to any company that runs ziplines, amusement parks, or religious-themed exhibits nor do any of my family have connections to it, as far as I would know. I appreciate the work you put in! Thank you!

Sincerely SebastianSebastianmac01 (talk) 10:02, 22 January 2021 (UTC)Reply