User:Starstuff/Notability

Notability is a policy which states that certain subjects must meet a specific set of criteria in order to be considered important enough to warrant coverage in an article on the Harry Potter Wiki. The intent of this policy is to increase the informational value of content on the Harry Potter Wiki and prevent the proliferation of articles on low-importance subjects.

Fan fiction
Fan fiction — including authors, original characters, and stories — is not covered on the Harry Potter Wiki. Wikis that cover fan fiction include the Harry Potter Fanon Wiki and the Hogwarts Roleplay Wiki

Fan sites
A fan site must meet the following criteria to have a separate article:


 * Around for at least five years.
 * Large-scale, active presence in the Harry Potter fan community.
 * Wide readership and/or userbase.

Examples of sites that meet these criteria are the Harry Potter Lexicon, MuggleNet, and The Leaky Cauldron. Sites which do not meet all these criteria may be linked to at List of Harry Potter fan websites.

Parodies
A parody must meet one of the following criterions to have a separate article:


 * Produced by a well-known creator of satirical content and released commercially.
 * Examples include: Barry Trotter and ''Mad Magazine.
 * Produced by a fan, released non-commercially, and of lasting, widespread popularity.
 * Examples include: Potter Puppet Pals and A Very Potter Musical.

Parodies that do not meet either of these criteria are considered non-notable and will not be covered.

Podcasts
A podcast must meet the following criteria to have a separate article:


 * "On the air" for at least three years.
 * Episodes produced on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Podcasts that do not meet these criteria are considered non-notable and will not be covered.

Unofficial guidebooks
Unofficial guidebooks must be written by an author or authors associated with one of the major Harry Potter fan sites (see "Fan site" section above for examples) to be covered in a separate article.

Books that do not meet this criterion may be covered briefly at List of Harry Potter unofficial guidebooks.

Wrock bands
A wizard rock ("wrock") band must meet the following criteria to have a separate article:


 * Toured across a broad geographical region, such as a country or continent, not just played a few isolated shows in single city (e.g. Los Angeles or Toronto) or smaller geographical region (e.g. Florida or Ontario).
 * Recorded and released at least two albums.

Bands that do not meet these criteria may be covered briefly in the "hub" article List of wrock bands.

Real people
Anyone associated with the production of an official Harry Potter release — including the novels and their companion books, the films, and the video games — is considered notable and may have an a separate article.

Figures from fandom must meet the following criteria to have a separate article:


 * Founded and/or helps operate a major fan site (see the "Fan site" section above for examples).
 * Examples include: Melissa Anelli, Emerson Spartz, and Steve Vander Ark.
 * Produced one or more fan works that meet notability criteria.
 * Examples include: Neil Cicierega.

Characters
An unidentified character can have a separate article if there is unique, specific information available that can be used to distinguish them from other characters in the title of their article.

For example:
 * These characters' precise relation to a named character is known:
 * Bertha Jorkins's aunt
 * Molly Weasley's second cousin
 * Muriel's mother
 * It is known where these characters worked and in exactly what position:
 * Mayor of London
 * Owner of the Railview Hotel
 * Riddles' cook

However, if the only information available about an unidentified character applies equally to other characters, such as their gender and loyalty/affiliation (e.g. "Hufflepuff girl" or "male Snatcher"), then they should be covered in a "hub" article along with all other characters matching their description.

Wands
A character's wand only warrants a separate article if it meets at least one of the following criteria:


 * At least one of its characteristics is known (i.e., length, core, or wood).
 * It has been seen or mentioned at least once in a canon source.

Wands that do not meet either of these criteria are considered non-notable and will not be covered.