Acceptance of Biographies
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The purpose of this essay is to explain the criteria that I am using in accepting and declining biographies at AFC. They will also apply to biographies at AFD. They also apply at DRV to the extent of whether the closer was reasonable.
First, special notability guidelines are sufficient. The general notability guideline is vague, intentionally so, and is meant to be supplemented whenever possible by special notability guidelines. Although most of the special notability guidelines are written so that they are used in connection with general notability, my own opinion is that a special notability guide is sufficient. It isn't necessary that a biography also satisfy general notability separately.
Second, it is easy in the twenty-first century, and was easy in the late twentieth century, to get what could pass as coverage by a reliable source. Therefore the general notability guideline should be interpreted strictly for living persons or recently dead persons, unless a special notability guideline is available. On the other hand, my own opinion is that any surviving coverage by a reliable source from the nineteenth of earlier century should be considered significant.