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This page in a nutshell: Thenotability guideline suggests that there are two prongs to whether a topic merits an article: notability, and non-exclusion underWhat Wikipedia is not. In deletion discussions, editors can sometimes talk across each other by talking only about one prong.

Thenotability guideline states:

A topic ispresumed to merit an article if:

1. It meets either the general notability guideline (GNG) below, or the criteria outlined in a subject-specific notability guideline (SNG); and
2. It is not excluded under theWhat Wikipedia is not policy.

Therefore, meriting an article has two necessary conditions, or prongs: thegeneral notability prong and thenon-exclusion prong. Meeting Wikipedia's notability guidelines is not sufficient for a topic to merit an article: the topic must also not be excluded under theWhat Wikipedia is not policy. Similarly, not being excluded by theWhat Wikipedia is not policy does not mean that the topic merits an article: the topic must also meet Wikipedia's general notability guidelines.

In deletion discussions, editors often cite only one prong of merit, but rarely both. For example, for topics recently in the news, typical !votes might read:

• Keep. The topic is getting a lot of coverage in worldwide newspapers, clearly meetingWP:GNG.Incredulitiousness (talk),01:10, 1 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete perWP:NOTNEWS. This article is outside the scope of Wikipedia.BetterWithAge (talk),01:20, 1 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

It is difficult to readconsensus when some editors only cite one prong and other editors only cite the other prong, because the editors are merely talking across each other by addressing different aspects of Wikipedia's policies and guidelines.

If you are contributing to a deletion discussion in which editors with opposing !votes cite notability andWP:NOT, read what editors that disagree with your !vote say. Are their concerns about the topic'snotability (the general notability prong) or Wikipedia'sscope (the non-exclusion prong)? Try to address the same prong.

Here are more helpful !votes addressing both prongs of merit:

• Keep. The topic is getting a lot of coverage in worldwide newspapers, clearly meetingWP:GNG. It is too early to assess whether this will be news or not (WP:RAPID), so for now, do not delete underWP:NOTNEWS.Incredulitiousness (talk),01:10, 1 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Delete perWP:NOTNEWS. Also, notability requiressustained coverage, which this event is unlikely to have.BetterWithAge (talk),01:20, 1 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

So, when participating in relevant deletion discussions, consider addressingbothWP:GNG (or a specific notability guideline) andWP:NOT, not just one of the two prongs of merit.

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