Jeremy Cushman mets501wiki@gmail.com wrote:
migrating basically all userboxes which cannot directly help the project, and keeping ones such as languages, education level and expertise, WikiProject affiliations, time zones, locations, and a few others? Should a userbox like "This user was a boy scout" really not be migrated?
I was going to let this go, but then the Essjay New Yorker situation popped up. So, as a good wikipedia article should do, summarize at the top:
1. All user boxes that can't be verified internally should be migrated. 2. Add a clear, very visible, and short disclaimer at the top of every user page that summarizes: nothing on the page has been verified to be true or have anything to do with the encyclopedia - it can not be trusted. Users, including admins, can and do claim anything.
Analysis & review:
This user was a girl scout This user was a black belt This user was a highschool basketball starter This user was a little league player And this little user was a Ms. America contestant
If it were up to me, I'd only include those that can be verified AND do directly have some impact. Then the next question is what are you actually willing and have the resources to verify? Can you really follow-up on everyone who decides to claim they're a PHD? Maybe. A college grad? Good luck.
You can quickly confirm what people have done and contributed to internally and award them the boxes accordingly.
If they want to claim a time zone, who cares. Live in whatever time you like. A location? You can test language online, but that won't help you verify if someone is actually living anywhere and what are you going to do, send out the Wikipedia census crew?
The problem with userboxes in general is that they add a sense of authority simply by standing out and having formatting that is hard to achieve otherwise, like a seal on a paper document. This goes to the weight part of the policy in NPOV.
~~Pro-Lick http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Halliburton_Shill http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pro-Lick http://www.wikiality.com/User:Pro-Lick (now a Wikia supported site)
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