Wikisource:News/2006-04-03/Discussion renewed over reference data

Following an aborted proposal for deletion concerning Pi to 1,000,000 places, a discussion has begun at the scriptorium concerning the inclusion of reference data on Wikisource.

The discussion challenges the inclusion of such works as lists, source code, cryptographic data, and data tables. The question is a contentious one, with previous discussions  ending in an ambiguous compromise. Although many of the reference pages were kept, they were unlinked from the main page.

Proponents of inclusion argue that there is no other project suited to accept the texts, and that they are important reference materials that are not easily available elsewhere. Opponents point out that original research and unpublished works are outside Wikisource's stated inclusion guidelines, and that without active maintainers it is impossible to sort corrections from vandalism.