Erik Moeller wrote:
On 7/15/06, Jimmy Wales jwales@wikia.com wrote:
I would vote "delete, nn - human dignity". A full explanation would be: For goodness sake, leave the poor woman alone.
It's a combination of factors, I think
I totally agree with that, to be sure. What I am asking is whether or not there is general agreement that *one* legitimate factor to consider is human dignity, personal privacy, and so on. I think so, and I think that most people think so, but I also think that there is a faction who disagrees, who thinks that we should barrel forward in all cases with information, so long as we can verify it.
- Did she actively seek out this publicity, or was it forced on her?
- Is there an identifiable "cult" surrounding her persona that goes
beyond narrowly limited demographic or subcultural subsets?
- Have other publications using reliable processes (not necessarily
print) picked up the story for some reason other than reprinting it? Has it ever transcended the "Offbeat News" section?
Yes. These are all valid questions, and this sort of question is what I think saves us from "slippery slope" absurdities like "what George Bush says he wants personal privacy?"
Human dignity is one argument among many that can be applicable in certain situations. It's not a catch-all.
That's how I see it, too. It is one factor among many.
--Jimbo