>I am not sure I agree that a name in itself is *unduly* promotional, especially in a case like >Monmouth Museum.

Well the community is pretty sure about that, if you want to change that I suggest you start with an RFC. Personally I'm not annoyed by not for profits using promotional names and happy not to start off with a block for them. But considering how many times an active username can get plastered over the internet it seems obvious to me that our policy is sound in considering them promotional.

>As it is, we have PR professionals calling themselves some fantasy name making the same arguments, >whether they are justified or not. I'd rather know who they are, but YMMV. 

Knowing who someone works for is not the same as knowing who they are.

>It's a big fallacy to assume that by pushing things underground, they have ceased to exist, and that >appearances should be more important than realities.

That's a very different subject. The choice is not between pushing things underground and allowing promotional usernames. People can declare a COI without revealing who they are or putting things in their username. Declaring COIs  is a good use for userpages. Not least because userpages can be updated as editors shift employment and their COIs change.

WSC

On 29 April 2012 18:43, Andreas Kolbe <jayen466@gmail.com> wrote:
On Sun, Apr 29, 2012 at 3:23 PM, WereSpielChequers <werespielchequers@gmail.com> wrote:
I wouldn't dispute that it is transparent, whether that is a positive or a negative is another issue, transparency certainly works for some editors and unlike promotional names transparency is allowed. Even required for some sorts of COI editing. But as it includes the name of the organisation it is also promotional.


I am not sure I agree that a name in itself is *unduly* promotional, especially in a case like Monmouth Museum.

 
If PR agency Acme PR were to start to employ a bunch of spin doctors with usernames such as "Millie C from Acme PR" then it would be obviously promotional. Especially if they were active on wiki arguing that their clients criminal records should be expunged or at least given less coverage than their charity work.


As it is, we have PR professionals calling themselves some fantasy name making the same arguments, whether they are justified or not. I'd rather know who they are, but YMMV. 

It's a big fallacy to assume that by pushing things underground, they have ceased to exist, and that appearances should be more important than realities.

Andreas

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