Vital Wikipedia Articles (en.wikipedia.org)

Article summary

The article discusses the concept of vital articles on Wikipedia, which are articles that the community has deemed most deserving of high-quality content. There are currently 50,000 vital articles on the English Wikipedia, organized into five levels of importance. The criteria for determining vital articles include coverage, essentiality to other articles, notability, and lack of Western bias. The article also outlines the process for nominating or removing vital articles and the guidelines for closing proposals.

Main themes

• Wikipedia vital articles
• Article selection criteria
• Editorial bias
• Content quality
• Community governance

What commenters say

• Wikipedia's content is biased towards a Western liberal ideology, which is reflected in its treatment of certain historical topics.
• The bias in Wikipedia's content is a result of systemic issues in Western culture, rather than any fault of the editors themselves.
• The vital articles list is a useful tool for identifying important topics, but its methodology and criteria are subject to debate.
• The list of vital articles may perpetuate a superficial approach to certain areas of knowledge, and a more quantitative approach may be needed.
• The English Wikipedia's coverage of certain topics, such as the British Empire, is inadequate and lacks nuance.
• The Russian Wikipedia has been accused of rewriting history and distorting facts to conform to the Russian government's narrative.
• The vital articles list should be based on more objective criteria, such as the number of edits or controversy surrounding a topic.
• The list of vital articles is a useful starting point for learning about new topics and gaining knowledge about what topics are considered important in a discipline.