From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"WP:SOLUTIONS" redirects here. For the "solutions looking for a problem" essay, see
WP:SLFP
.
Essay on editing Wikipedia
| This page in a nutshell:
Public relations slang, like "we offer solutions", is a good indication that an article is promotional and may not be notable.
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On
new page patrol
and
articles for creation
, one often comes across pages about companies that provide something called
solutions
. It might be something like: "Acme Corp provides cutting-edge
solutions
for optimizing business processes and boosting efficiency."
The Wikipedia article on
Solution (chemistry)
states, in the first paragraph, that a solution "is a special type of
homogeneous mixture
composed of two or more substances. In such a mixture, a solute is a substance
dissolved
in another substance, known as a
solvent
." One may also find
solutions
as the goal of
equation solving
.
So if one writes an article about a company that provides solutions, the very least the reader expects to know is what
solvent
is used and what
solute
gets dissolved in it; or else what kind of equation solving they offer.
There is of course another definition of "solution" which is commonly found on newly created pages, one that warrants considering the entire article
promotional
and, in the more extreme cases, tagging it for
speedy deletion
. This latter definition of "solution" is public relations slang that should be avoided in Wikipedia articles.
A non-notable company that offers "solutions" will not be made notable by replacing the word "solution" with another word, and may remain a strong candidate for deletion unless its notability is clear and is supported by its references. However, even a well-referenced article can be deleted if its content is considered overly promotional? offering "solutions" is a warning word of a promotional tone. Other similar words that warn of promotion are "
platform
" or "
infrastructure
" or other trendy
buzzwords
. Calling something "global" or "worldwide" is also often pure promotion: where else would it be? So just removing these words generally conveys the same information.
If you would like to move an article away from being promotional and toward neutrality, the word "solutions" can sometimes be replaced by "services", "products", "systems" or other words that more accurately describe what the company does or provides to customers.
Software
[
edit
]
The phrase "software solutions" in Wikipedia articles can often be fixed simply by removing the word "solutions" and leaving the word "software", like this:
Before: "FooBar Inc. provides
engineering software solutions
and consulting services to candy manufacturers throughout eastern Slovakia."
After: "FooBar Inc. provides
engineering software
and consulting services to candy manufacturers throughout eastern Slovakia."
Security
[
edit
]
Before: "FooSecurity provides
security solutions
to a number of Western countries, including the US and the UK."
After: "FooSecurity provides
ex-soldiers on contract who provide security services, bodyguarding, military advising and combat support
for a number of Western countries, including the US and the UK."
Waste
[
edit
]
Before: "FooWaste Management provides
waste management solutions
across Canada."
After: "FooWaste Management provides
garbage and sewage disposal services
across Canada."
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