Forum:Wikiquette

In the FAQ, I didn't see any advice on this matter. My question concerns etiquette for deleting a paragraph in an article because I think it's inaccurate. I don't feel presumptuous correcting spelling and tweaking grammar, but I'm a little wary of deleting material someone put some thought into without considering opposing opinions (or seeing if there are any).

Specifically, my problem is with a paragraph in the Cardassian physiology subsection on their resistance to alcohol and anesthesia ("compared to other species") that I believe is a gross misinterpretation of. If my claims of inaccuracy were based on canon (e.g., dialogue attributed to the wrong character, etc.), I'd explain myself and edit, but my reasons for considering the paragraph inaccurate are based on knowledge of palliative medicine and literary figures of speech outside the immediate world of Star Trek. I added an explanatory subsection on Talk:Cardassian. What is an appropriate length of time to wait for responses, discussion, etc. on a talk page before going ahead with a proposed deletion? MultiplePOV 21:36, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
 * The rule of thumb around here is simply to explain yourself, and with a paragraph size deletion like that do it on the talk page. If you want to wait, wait about a day or so, then kill it. I think some of this stuff is more informal so as not to create the bureaucratic mess that is Wikipedia over here, as best as we can. --OuroborosCobra talk 22:14, 3 May 2008 (UTC)


 * When removing disputed content from an article, it is most often a good idea to actually move it (by copy&paste) to the talk page, while adding a small explanation for the removal. If you don't want to remove content (perhaps because you're not completely sure about your reasoning), another way would be to add a "accuracy marker" like incite to the paragraph. -- Cid Highwind 23:26, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
 * If you are really, really interested in honoring someone else's work, use the edit history to find out who added it, then go talk to him on his Talk: page. SennySix 23:31, 3 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the advice! I went ahead and made the deletion.  I'm absolutely sure I'm correct (as arrogant as that sounds).  Yesterday I'd already explained on the talk page and included the now deleted paragraph.  I spent awhile trying to pinpoint the origin of the paragraph and gave up.  I'll watch and see what happens.MultiplePOV 00:19, 4 May 2008 (UTC)