Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted a Wikipedia page. But then, there is this huge wide gap between wants and what you get. The “notability” criteria for Wikipedia is pretty stringent and I could never get in. With #tnks, I was hoping to qualify!

So lo and behold, moment #tnks started shipping, I head to Wikipedia and I create a page. I assumed that a published book is a big deal. But I was so so wrong!!

It took me a couple of hours to get the page up, format it to the liking of Wikipedia standards and get it running. And it looked beautiful! I gaped at it as if it was a piece of gold. I had pride of a new father in my heart. And this gleam in my eyes that could put a finely cut diamond to shame. And emotions that ran higher than the Mt. Everest.

Until… I see a notification on the #tnks Wikiepedia page, that it’s been marked for deletion.

Why? Because, it failed the “notability” criteria. It had to. After all who gives a f.. about a balding old man writing his first book? Encouragement, confidence, humanity could go down the drain. The rules are more important. Notability is important.

Ok.. I am over-reacting.

But, in less than a split second, I went from depression to denial to rage to eventually acceptance. I mean there are about 120 million published books in the world (as per a 2010 study by Google) and Wikipedia can’t really have a page about each of those. Can it?

I may claim that India has to be home to a much smaller number but I was surprised to read that in 2004, we published 80,000 new books in India. The number, these days has to be like 10 fold! Update. It’s just 90K as per this report. But still, in the last 100 years alone, India has created 90 lakh books. And #tnks is one of some 90 lakhs. Notable? Nah!

You know, may be, just may be, if the book does well, it would get notable. May be the wikipedia page happens then. I’d have to wait till then.

But I have a confession to make. Like any star-struck kid who wants a selfie with his favorite cricketer or actor, moment I got the wikipedia page formatted well, I took a screenshot.

Here.

Isn’t it beautiful?

May be someday, the page actually sees the light of the day. And it could. You never know about these things. Pray for me folks.

Till then!