Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Bob Shannon (computer programmer)

Bob Shannon

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Questionable Notability. "First BBS System for <specific antiquated computer>" with hints of a reference in a outdated COMPUTE!'s Gazette magazine doesn't strike me as particularity notable. ηoian ‡orever ηew ‡rontiers 06:08, 28 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Keep. Once notable, always notable, and at least one reference (in the form of the COMPUTE! Gazette article referred to) exists. References don't have to be online to be valid. - Eastmain (talk • contribs) 06:32, 28 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Can you tell me how to verify this assertion? Or for that matter, how designing not the first BBS system in existence, but rather one that worked on a particular system is notable? It seems to be a stretch. ηoian ‡orever ηew ‡rontiers 06:37, 28 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Keep IFF this content can be adequately sourced. Otherwise, baleet it. JBsupreme (talk) 07:39, 28 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Note: This debate has been included in the list of Software-related deletion discussions. -- Pcap ping 00:55, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Strong delete. Some of the info appears true [1], but not enough to pass WP:ANYBIO in my view. I just don't see how this is "a widely recognized contribution that is part of the enduring historical record in his or her specific field". Pcap ping 01:05, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Comment: A portion of the COMPUTE!'s Gazette article cited is available on the subject's homepage. —Korath (Talk) 01:09, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
- That hardly satisfies WP:GNG as it's 3-paragraphs in one article presumably not exclusively about him. There's no mention of him or his BBS in textfiles.com, which is generally accepted as reliable source per [2]. The is also no mention of him or his BBS in this list (the site of BBS: The Documentary), which has over 800 software listed. The fact that he says on his home page "Skeptics abound as per me calling myself the founder of the BBS System." is a good reason to be very suspicious of anything sourced from there. See CBBS, which matches the book source I linked above. Pcap ping 01:05, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Keep. Maybe especially since most of the sources pre-date Google. We shouldn't delete topics (even computer topics) just because publications discussing them are not readily available online. Understanding history of software (and the people associated with it) is an excellent thing for WP to document, and this seems like an obviously notable individual in that early history of PCs. LotLE×talk 01:33, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Delete. Sole claim to notability, or source of interest from a computer history standpoint, is his BBS Electric Magazine. A move there is worth considering if better sourcing turns up (I spent the last half hour digging in my basement for that Compute!'s Gazette issue, to no avail), but I'm not seeing anything that would pass WP:BIO. —Korath (Talk) 01:45, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Note. Most of this article was autobiographical. See the old AfD for another IP whose prefix matches this one, and admits to be Shannon. You may also want to read the comment made by Jason Scott Sadofsky (User:jscott) in the previous AfD. The claim that his is the 1st Commodore VIC-20 BBS is also dubious given that bbsdocumentary.com only lists one such system, and it isn't Shannon's; see [3]. The COMPUTE!'s Gazette snippet only mentions Commodore 64 as platform for "Electric Magazine". Pcap ping 02:18, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Delete No reliable sources to verify the claim made by the author of this autobiography. First BBS may be notable, but first for a specific computer would require very good sourcing showing significance. Verbal chat 16:53, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Delete Being the first to write a BBS system for a particular machine isn't especially notable, particularly since other 6502 BBS systems already existed. Mangoe (talk) 19:57, 29 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]