Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Altruismas

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was delete. Sr 13 08:34, 4 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Altruismas[edit]

Hoax/Joke article. This has been posed as an actual holiday. there are no google hits, and the claims of the article are incredible. i went ahead and changed category assignment to fictional until it is resolved. i suspect the creator is the owner of the only website for event in question of which the article plagiarizes. also suspect sockpuppetry has been committed in removal of previous objections. apologies if i am mistaken. Some thing 03:43, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Delete This page should be delete because it is a possible hoax and if it is not a hoax it is not a notable enough of a holiday for inclusion into wikipedia.--†Sir James Paul† 03:57, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete per nom. Could find no support for it. --Evb-wiki 03:58, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete Appears to be made-up, either way, not notable. Interestingly enough, Altruismas was apparently just yesterday...Calgary 04:23, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete Something made up during the last days of school. MartinDK 07:53, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete aside from this I can find no reference to it, therefore made up. What's more worrying is that the creator is using this page to support the holiday's existence [1]. Hut 8.5 13:31, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete per WP:NFT. theProject 16:26, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete, made-up holiday. NawlinWiki 18:25, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete a hoax. Acalamari 18:27, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Keep It seems funny to me that this is being questioned as my family has been celebrating this holiday for over a decade. I was excited to see it finally posted about here and was just showing it to my new in-laws when I saw the hoax question. I can assure you that it is indeed real. Also, this deletion is being considered based on not having reliable sources on the internet... there are however printed sources referenced in the article and (although I haven't looked them up myself) they seem perfectly valid. I say most definitely keep this article. However, it ultimately makes no difference whether this article gets deleted or not, as I'm sure it will go on being celebrated (by myself and many others). It would just be a shame to see this holiday fall into more obscurity as a hoax as declared by the people on this website not doing the appropriate amount of research. -P.S. I edited this entry as I was not originally aware of the rules of notability, also I needed to adjust format and placement. However, the authenticity of this article and my vote remain unchanged. : )— Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.76.96.19 (talk • contribs)

Nevertheless, for something that claims to have "enveloped most of the European Union" and to be "celebrated throughout the U.S." to have only one Google hit (excluding Wikipedia and mirrors) is extraordinary, especially as that one website uses the Wikipedia page to back up its claims. No, this is made up, pure and simple. Hut 8.5 20:27, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Keep Hello, I am the one responsible for this entry and I believe I am responsible for wikipedia's appearance on the other site. (I have not yet been able to get a response from the author.) I wrote this article and submitted the link to altruismas.com because I thought those responsible might enjoy reading about it. (And I was, I'll admit, proud of this entry) Shortly thereafter, it appeared on their site. I have also alerted the moderator (hopefully) of altruismas.com as to what is happening here and have asked him (her/them) to remove the link from their site, or to at least point out that wikipedia is not promoting/backing up the holiday. Hopefully that clears up some of the confusion surrounding this. But, all of that is neither here nor there. I am here to defend the validity of Altruismas in hopes that it will remain on wikipedia. If it doesn't, at least I can say I tried. Firstly, addressing the comments immediately above in regards to having "enveloped most of the European Union" and being "celebrated throughout the U.S." These phrases were not meant to imply that all (or even a majority) of the E.U. and U.S. celebrate Altruismas. The intended connotation was that it is widely celebrated in terms of dispersement throughout these respective areas, albeit by small sects (for lack of a better word.) In other words, you may find people who celebrate it in every country (or state) but not by any means in large quantities. Poor word choice on my part, perhaps, and I shall adjust the phrasing shortly. Secondly, the cited (published and referenced I might add) books do indeed acknowledge Altruismas, its history, and its longstanding traditions. I know it is rare in this day and age to not have everything on the internet that you're interested in (this was actually an attempt to alleviate that condition with respect to Altruismas) be returned in a google search. But, it is actually an interesting ability of Altruismas to remain relatively unknown as the mass commercialization of this holiday would undermine what it stands for. I am a relatively new user of wikipedia and was definitely unaware of some of its finer points of etiquette. That being said, I realize now where my entry was borderline and that it could use some "fleshing out" as it were. However, despite its flaws, I think this article is well within its rights to remain a valid contribution to this project. If the powers that be deem it necessary to delete it, I will understand that to mean it was a failing on my part and an injustice to the holiday. I implore you to carefully consider the facts of this article and if nothing else, at least check the references. It does seem ridiculous to me to have to defend so strongly a fact that has been around as far as I can remember, but if all of this falls on deaf ears and this article disappears, rest assured Altruismas will as said above "go on being celebrated (by myself and many others)." Should it be deleted, I will also gather even more evidence to show you this isn't a hoax. (The sheer absurdity of it being touted as a hoax would make me laugh if I hadn't put so much effort into the parsimony and accuracy of this article.) I do not mean to seem bitter or spiteful. This is just an important topic to me. Also, if you're reading this discussion and happen to celebrate Altruismas, please say something. Thanks for your time and I apologize for the lengthy comment.Wmartin1900 21:32, 29 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment; I get the joke, and as far as hoaxes go this is very well written, but Wikipedia isn't the place for it. Add it to Uncyclopedia instead. It appears that a lot of work has gone into altruismas.com, I just wonder if it was worth the effort for something that's not that funny? Or maybe this is part of a genuine attempt at a larger hoax? Masaruemoto 01:29, 30 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Strong Keep Let me preface by saying that I don't celebrate this holiday and didn't believe in it either. I decided to follow the advice of Wmartin1900 and look up the sources (I work in a library so this was relatively easy). Reference number one- MacDonald, M. The Folklore of World Holidays (1992) Altruismas is actually one of the first holidays mentioned as the book lists holidays by their chronological order. Page 44 contains the entry which, among other things, talks about Altruismas' struggle with other pagan summer celebrations. "The rise of the power of the Church during the Middle Ages made it a struggle for any pagan ritual to survive, and Slover (Shortly to become Altruismas) was no exception." The entry is no more than four paragraphs, so while it might not be substantial, it is there. Reference number two- Shurgin, A. The Folklore of World Holidays, 2nd Edition (1999) Once again, Altruismas is listed toward the beginning of the book due its early origins (Paleolithic, apparently - I thought this fact alone was a sure sign that this article was a hoax.) In the second edition the article on Altruismas is much more substantial. Though it still only uses one and a half pages (p. 53-54, 8 1/2" x 11") the entry this time includes the story that Altruismas is based on (absent in the previous edition) as well as the traditions of the "Altruismas Stone." "Probably the most notable of the traditions associated with this obscure festival is the creation or decoration of 'Altruismas Stones.' These are usually nothing more than a colorfully painted rock..." It is from this reference that I believe the author of this article has drawn most of his information. The information on Altruismas listed at wikipedia very nearly reflects the information from this book. So, as bizarre as it sounds, in the light of this evidence I am forced to conclude that Altruismas is real (even if incredible.) I will be posting this in the talk article as well. Hope this helped clear things up.68.93.138.238 13:16, 30 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
comment frankly i'm amazed this article has not been deleted yet. where do i start. first off, this is not really a hoax, because the name "altruismas" could not be taken seriously by anyone. its a joke created to see how long the bureaucracy can allow such a falsehood to continue existence. whats problematic to me is that the joke isn't even that amusing. whats amusing is that someone has actually taken the time and effort to create this mythology using both a website, sockpuppetry, and possibly meatpuppetry (ie. wmartin1900, trever frost, IPs 130.76.... and 68.93....). i cant even say the lie was all that intelligent because the defenders in question have not even bothered to look at the sources they are claiming to cite. My interests as of late have included solstitial holidays, and i live next to a library, and i am actually quite familiar with The Folklore of World Holidays 1 & 2 (wonderful reference book, i might add). they are not in alphabetical order, nor in historical chronology as 68.93 mentions. they are in order of date, page 44 and 53 would be around chinese new year. (let alone neither has an altruismas or slover listed near the summer solstice, for those of you who want to continue humoring this). aside from deleting this article we may want to consider requesting blocks for all users mentioned if the charade continues to waist our time, as it is clearly nothing more than common vandalism.Some thing 20:16, 30 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment And finally someone actually does some research work other than googling. I hope all wikipedia entries aren't rejected with this little effort expended in the area of legitimate research. Also, This article was never meant to be funny, although it did end up being so. Finally, I have no idea why others chose to defend this article but I'm glad they did. Now, if only you guys can find the other fakes. Here's a hint, you'll actually have to get out of your chairs and into a library for these as well. Thanks for your time. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.93.138.238 (talk • contribs)
- Comment You seriously wanted me to believe this crap ? The 20th century and after. The return of Altruismas can most aptly be attributed to the Hippie Movement of the late 1960's and early 1970's. The personal freedom movement and the concept of "free love" were at their peak during this time and were the driving force behind the return of this all but unknown holiday. Hippie scholars were responsible for the in depth research required to uncover the long lost traditions of Altruismas. Their passion for this holiday arose from the fact that it embodied so many of the positive qualities of the human spirit that they stood for. It wasn't long before this passion ignited a fire that swept overseas and enveloped most of the European Union, being celebrated in various circles and small bands. In a sort of "boomerang effect" the celebration of Altruismas returned to the U.S. more popular than ever (which isn't saying much). Sections of Canada quickly took to the holiday as well. Today, Altruismas is celebrated in certain communities throughout the U.S. and is slowly gaining in popularity, though nowhere near that of its winter counterpart, Christmas. However, most experts agree that Altruismas will eventually reach a level of popularity on par with Christmas.. Also, I happen to have a master's degree so don't tell me to get out of my chair and visit a library. Finally, being Danish, I can tell you that midsummer has nothing to do with this. If you wanted to fool us you have to try a lot harder than this. I suggest you find yourself another hobby rather than disrupt Wikipedia. MartinDK 09:19, 1 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Delete Thanks a lot! I'm a bit ill (that's why I waste my time here) and I really enjoyed this stupid joke.Dan Gluck 15:00, 1 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

ARGH! Yet ANOTHER hoax-Christmas replacement! That makes 4 or 5 with the already deleted following {{hoax}} tagging Newtonmas, Agnosticalia, Athiest Kids Get Ppesents Day (Not sure about the capitalization) and another one I've forgotten... 68.39.174.238 03:02, 4 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.