QUOTE(Ottava @ Sat 26th November 2011, 4:39pm)
I'm confused as to why people would mention Veropedia - 1. the articles aren't really worked on once they are over there, 2. they aren't really built by experts, and 3. They don't really reflect the best articles (especially when the standards were so low back when it started).
A good idea would be to monitor the FAC and GAN articles as they come in, or those that should be either. Once you find good candidates on solid topics, you take the articles, you have an expert or too add to it and make it well balanced, then have a core group of copyeditors fix it up, standardize it, etc.
Basically, it would take the articles that the Wiki system can pump out to about 60-70% "good" and bring them the last 100%. You can especially fix errors like the popculture obsession, unreadably huge pages, etc. and show how the articles are fixed on a talk page comparison.
The benefits would be to keep them from being degraded, ensure that they are all high quality, and polish them to a recognizably good standard. Veropedia didn't do that.
All the wails and cries from the "FAC editors" on TFAC because TCO expressed some ideas regarding how FAC could be improved indicate that these editors are very invested in
things as they are. They care deeply about the babbles the receive, the credit, and their control over "their" articles. They would leave en
masse if any such "system" as you suggest were put into place.
FAC is not an altrustic place. People bring "their" articles for the "stars" and recognition and award counting. And they want to maintain control. They are editing for themselves and are now warring over their turf, against the perceived enemies of WMF, TCO, JimmyBulter and anyone else who has dares to raise a voice. FAC belongs to them!
How dare TCO! He will be plundered and revenge will be extracted, you can be sure.
FAC editors are not primarily looking to benefit the readers of Wikipedia at all. The fact the very few read their articles is immaterial to them. They are not interested in changing this. Remember, the majority of FACs are
not collaborations but are solo products of one editor. FAC is a walled garden, and the FA editors feel they are a privileged class within Wikipedia and should be treated as such.
This post has been edited by chrisoff: 
Are Feature articles worth their salt?, Feature article quality evaluation shows they're a crock
