While I agree that pre-emptive action to avoid harm is a good thing, I would like everyone to think again about the implications of removing policyspace or projectspace from indexing. I've had to shepherd a few newbies around, and each and every one of them has relied on Google searches of projectspace to orient themselves. People have developed an instinctive understanding of how Google organises information that is crucial for them when faced with our bewildering morass of internal policies. Without that, we get confused newbies or lost editors, neither of which is something we can afford.
Once again, I believe an addition to BLP indicating that courtesy blanking is recommended is the most reasonable, highest-gain approach here. It preserves useful discussion, but removes it from searches; but is not a blunt instrument, but one open to community oversight.
RR
On Tue, Apr 29, 2008 at 8:27 PM, Jimmy Wales jwales@wikia.com wrote:
Larry Pieniazek wrote:
I think this is, in general, the wrong way round. Rather than saying we should be waiting for people who have been harmed to come forward, we
should
be trying to avoid harm. By not indexing by default, we avoid harm. I
think
it's rather presumptuous to say "people need to come forward to us"...
when
we're the ones doing harm. I think it's rather short sighted and perhaps even mean spirited to say "only those who complain should be offered relief"...
I agree completely, and just now had this thread brought to my attention. I would strongly support an effort to remove a lot of non-mainspace stuff from the search engines.
I also support a very vigorous insistence on policies of courtesy, kindness, and human dignity, towards each other and also - equally - towards others.
I support the development of easier and easier mechanisms to delete offensive vandalism not just from the pages, but from the article history as well. There is simply no good reason for us to have extensive archives of hate.
We are here to do something positive and loving for the world, and it makes us proud to be a part of it. As Larry says, rather than waiting for people who have been harmed to come forward, we should be trying to avoid harm.
--Jimbo
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