The Curious Case of Marley S. McClean on German vs. English Wikipedia

Marley S. McClean is a name that finds a place on the German Wikipedia page but is notably absent from the English version. This raises the question of why this discrepancy exists and what it signifies in terms of her notability on the English Wikipedia.

Background and Notability

According to the German Wikipedia, Marley S. McClean was born in 1987. Her IMDb profile lists 10 credits, of which only one (also likely the last) is from the year 2005, stating that she was a "Girl Student" in a movie. Beyond this, her main claim to fame is being a child actor in six television series, none of which featured her as a main cast member or star.

Notability Criteria for Actors on Wikipedia

For an individual to be included in Wikipedia's articles, particularly for actors, they must meet certain notability criteria. These include:

Significant roles in multiple notable films, television shows, stage performances, or other productions. Large fan base or a significant impact on the field of entertainment. Unique, prolific, or innovative contributions to a field of entertainment.

Mrs. McClean clearly fails to meet the second and third criteria. There is no indication that she had significant roles in any TV series or film. The only notable mention is on a German Wikipedia page, suggesting a potential failure to meet the notability standards even on that platform.

Confusing Discrepancies on Wikipedia

Despite the clear lack of notability, Marley S. McClean's article exists on the German Wikipedia but not on the English version. This raises questions about the criteria and the decision-making process of volunteer contributors in different language editions of Wikipedia.

Why Was the Article Deleted?

On the English Wikipedia, the article was eventually deleted using the 'proposed deletion' process. This involved tagging the article for deletion, where it remained unchallenged for a whole week. No one objected, and no one requested its undeletion after the fact. The article could, in theory, be undeleted upon request, but given the sole reference to 'Johnny Bravo' (a potentially unreliable source by Wikipedia's standards), it is likely that the article would be deleted again under the more formal and binding 'articles for deletion' process.

German Wikipedia's Different Criteria?

Another possibility is that the article exists on the German Wikipedia because it adheres to different criteria or because it was never challenged. Wikipedia's content creation is heavily dependent on volunteer interest and contributions, and sometimes, articles simply do not exist because no one has the interest to create them.

Conclusion

The case of Marley S. McClean exemplifies the complex nature of Wikipedia's notability criteria and the often questionable decisions made by volunteer contributors. It raises important questions about the reliability and consistency of information on different language editions and the criteria used for inclusion.

For content creators and contributors, understanding these criteria is crucial in ensuring that information is presented accurately and meets the high standards of Wikipedia. For readers, it highlights the importance of verifying information from multiple sources.

Keywords: Wikipedia article creation, criteria for notability, proposed deletion process