As an elf, and after discussing it with other elves, I'd like to propose to the general membership (and let you all decide) if there should be an official rule, rather than just a guideline, that for all future adoptions and page submissions that the owner of the page must have climbed or attempted the mountain. The only valid exceptions I can see are for an active volcano that is unclimbable, but that you can still approach, or a sacred mountain where the summit is closed, but you can still get close to the mountain. In those cases, the author should have gotten as close to the mountain as possible, even if not officially trying for the summit.
For the record, I do have two such pages. I'll point them out outright so I don't sound like a hypocrite.
Krakatau: http://www.summitpost.org/krakatau/197245
Arenal: http://www.summitpost.org/volc-n-arenal/152388
For obvious reasons, I did not attempt the summits, but my information is still first hand and I have been as close as you can possibly get (and have provide information on how to do so), therefore I am personally familiar with the mountains. (If anyone wants to summit those mountains in those conditions, I'll transfer those pages to you!).
Other than rare exceptions like this, the author should have climbed or attempted the peak.
(Note: In the past I also adopted some pages on mountains I did not climb, but they were either deleted or transferred out long ago. That's in the past and I thought I was doing good, but agree that page submitters or adopters must climb the mountains that they submit or adopt).
We won't be able to make everyone happy, but would members like to make this an official rule, rather than just a guideline? It is really hard to make a great page for a mountain you are unfamiliar with. Plagiarism has also been a problem. There have been many mountain pages that are cut and paste jobs.
Thoughts and suggestions are welcome.