User:Aoidh/Essays/DistroWatch
 | This is an essay on DistroWatch and its use in notability discussions. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Since any Linux distribution creator can pay $220 for an immediate listing on DistroWatch, having an entry on DistroWatch does not contribute to notability per WP:SPIP. |
What is DistroWatch?
DistroWatch is a website that lists linux distributions (also known as distros) and is, with a few exceptions, an indiscriminate database of distributions. Many Wikipedia articles have been created about non-notable Linux distributions based solely off of their listing on DistroWatch, and the existence of a distro on DistroWatch is sometimes argued as evidence of notability in deletion discussions. DistroWatch even uses the potential of a Wikipedia article as a selling point: "Further good news is that once your distro is listed on DistroWatch, it will apparently be also accepted for listing on Wikipedia."
However, a distro being listed on DistroWatch is in no way evidence of notability on Wikipedia.
What does it take to get a distribution listed on DistroWatch?
According to the submission guideline getting your listing on DistroWatch requires little more than waiting for your submission to be processed, or if you're impatient, by paying $220 USD. They make it clear that "All you need to do is to buy an advertising banner and your distro will be listed straight away."
They do have a few very basic requirements; according to their FAQ, as long as you have a website, some documentation, and you're not violating anyone's copyright, they will list your distribution.
Is it reliable third-party source?
According to the submission guideline the information listed on DistroWatch is provided by the maintainers of the distribution itself, so the information listed is only as reliable as those maintainers themselves are.
Because DistroWatch does not distinguish between listings that go through the waiting list and ones that simply bought their way into a listing, we cannot determine whether any given distro's listing was purchased. Per WP:SPIP, paid materials are not a route to notability. Per WP:COISOURCE, the fact that you can simply buy an immediate listing means that DistroWatch has a conflict of interest regarding the listed distros, as they have a financial incentive to list them. Because of this apparent conflict of interest they are neither an independent source (per WP:IIS) nor are they a third-party source (explained here) for a given distro as listings are the direct result of a direct financial transaction related to the subject. Per WP:NOTRELIABLE, this apparent conflict of interest means it is no better than self-published content from the distro itself for verifying information, and is not a source that contributes to the notability of a subject.
DistroWatch and notability
Wikipedia's general notability guideline says that "A topic is presumed to be suitable for a stand-alone article or list when it has received significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject."
Because DistroWatch is of questionable reliability and is not independent of the subject, it does not contribute to the notability of an article about a Linux distribution.
There is also a more specific notability guideline called Wikipedia:Notability (software). This is a guideline meant to supplement the general notability guideline, and a read through makes it evident that a listing on DistroWatch does not meet any of the software-specific inclusion criteria.