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Quote: "Start class"
The article has a meaningful amount of good content, but it is still weak in many areas, and may lack a key element. For example an article on Africa might cover the geography well, but be weak on history and culture. Has at least one serious element of gathered materials, including any one of the following:
* a particularly useful picture or graphic
* multiple links that help explain or illustrate the topic
* a subheading that fully treats an element of the topic
* multiple subheadings that indicate material that could be added to complete the article
A picture of William Melmoth? This is very unlikely, given his dates. There are probably engravings from frontispieces, but such a thing would hardly improve the article. What the author looked like is not germane. Elements should be added when needed, not when absent.
Links: I defy anyone to suggest, much less demonstrate, that the article is not properly linked.
Subheadings that treat an element of the topic: This is a biography of Melmoth gathered from the new DNB. The NDNB is 2004 and represents best scholarship. "Subheadings" should be employed when an article is long enough to need organization or when there are major topics introduced. In this case, there cannot be any such. Introducing more material on his work of religious reflection would not be germane to a biographical article and should be handled by an article on the work. Otherwise, there are no subtopics beyond paragraph level.
Subheadings that indicate material that could be added to complete the article: This has no such coatracks.
It is manifest and obvious that this article is not "start class." If the person offering an assessment does not believe that it's B class, then it would be well for him or her to explain the exceptions from B class rather than to simply state that the article fits "start." This article does not use intralinear notation, per its author's preference. Other than that, it is fully referenced and has been edited by more than one person and has been reviewed. Whatever else, this is not "start class."
If nothing else, I should very, very much like to hear what I failed to discuss in the article that belongs to the biography and which is necessary for it. Geogre (talk) 11:17, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
Geogre, remember the argument between Zeal-of-the-Land Busy and the puppet in Bartholomew Fair! Who are you defending the article to? If one pays even passing attention to any ratings of anything at Misplaced Pages, they will will only distract and irritate one. The best defense of any Misplaced Pages text is the tacit one of supportive references. This "vetting" process is only as useful as you find it to be. --Wetman (talk) 13:44, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
Oh, I had done my usual, with these things, and simply changed the assessment. However, the original "start class" assessor came to my talk page and told me to review the policies and revert myself. He also told me that I should use the talk page of the article. Well, not being one to act all arrogant and everything, I figured I'd demonstrate that I knew the categories pretty well, and I would use the article talk, and I would not revert. People who do assessments need to answer for their actions. There is something inherently arrogant about even sallying forth on such a campaign. People who do so need to have figured out why they need to assess, how they can assess, and that they are qualified to assess on any subject. Otherwise, they need to be humbler. Geogre (talk) 19:39, 18 April 2008 (UTC)
Start class Biography rating according to MILHIST standards, including:
(1) - referencing and citation - only a single citation and a single reference
(2) coverage and accuracy - unknown; however, at only four paragraphs, it is generally likely that there could be more in depth coverage of the subject, if any such data exists, and it almost certainly does for a subject included in the source cited
(3) structure - no sections, which is a minus
(4) Grammar - good
(5) Supporting materials - only one reference cited
As someone who has used such encyclopedia-like sources myself, I know that such tertiary sources are generally considered less than the best. Clearly, there were other works which the source used referred to when compiling their entry, including possibly primary and secondary sources, both of which are generally preferred. Article alsmost certainly falls short of B class based only one a single source, if for no other reason than that it has not been established authoritatively that the single source cited is generally objective. Granted, in this case that is likely, but it cannot be established without multiple sources. John Carter (talk) 14:55, 23 April 2008 (UTC)
So, he's a soldier now? He's a Christian soldier, but what you say is wrong anyway. A single reference is sufficient. "If any such data exists?" "Such data" confirms what is in the article. At only four paragraphs, it is more than complete for a man who produced one major work and who lived a life out of the public eye. The structure has no sections, but then you complain that it's only four paragraphs. Which is it -- too short to be good, or too long to not have subheads? Supporting materials are fine. I'm glad you use tertiary sources. This article uses the DNB, and I'm sure they do have a bibliography, and I'm sure that someone at Oxford could go to the special collections to look at the 18th century biographical dictionaries. I'm sure that someone now could find references to articles about Melmoth's genre or the importance of, but those would be about the book, not the person. It's clearly not "start class," and he's clearly not Milhist. Utgard Loki (talk) 15:02, 23 April 2008 (UTC)
