Message: 10
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 09:38:12 -0400
From: "Anthony DiPierro" <anthonydipierro(a)hotmail.com>
Subject: [WikiEN-l] defining Free Encyclopedia
To: "English Wikipedia" <wikien-l(a)Wikipedia.org>
"Anthony DiPierro" <anthonydipierro(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
Well, the email has been sent already, so why
don't we see what they
reply with? I hardly see how any kind of permission (or refusal)
from AP
could [be] bad for us: It clarifies our options, but we don't /have/
to
avail of them if we don't want.
First of all, refusal wouldn't clarify our options. If the image is
being
used in a way which is fair use, then it's fair use regardless of
whether or
not AP has refused to allow us to use it.
Ok, fair point. But if they refuse it would be a strong indication to
us to maybe only "go against them" once we got 100% agreement and a
rock solid case as regards our legal standing -- neither of which would
apply given the dispute. So this *would* resolve it in telling us "yea,
it may still be fair use, but it's really too hot to handle". None of
us, I think, would want to make the Wikipedia /ask/ for a lawsuit.
Besides, even the Associated Press is aware of fair use legislation and
I don't have reason to believe that they would maliciously exaggerate
their rights. Maybe I'm naive and overly optimistic in that.
Secondly, clarifying our options
doesn't resolve the dispute. Having options is exactly the reason we
have
the dispute. If we didn't have any options, we wouldn't have a
dispute.
Ack. War of words. What I mean is that some people think we CAN include
the pic under fair use and and some people think we CAN'T.
Once we know whether we realistically (ie. w/o asking for a lawsuit)
can include the picture that should for all intents and purposes remove
one of these alternatives (or alternating views if you prefer).
Besides, the
root of the problem _as I perceive it_ is that this is a
proxy political dispute:
The very people pushing hardest against that
picture's use and for its
removal on copyright grounds made edits that would seem to hint at a
political affiliation which might make them feel uncomfortable about
this picture. (That's not a judgment, just an observation.)
That's certainly not the *root* of the problem. It may be why the
problem
came to light in this particular instance, but the root of the problem
has
nothing to do with these details. The root of the problem is that we
haven't decided what it means to be a *free* encyclopedia. This needs
to be
resolved in a way which provides objective criteria for inclusion.
We've
started along on that path, but we've still got a long way to go.
Incidently, this is somewhat analogous to the problem of deciding what
it
means to be a free *encyclopedia*. We're farther along with that
definition, and have already come up with somewhat objective criteria
at
[[Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not]]. But we still resort to
[[Wikipedia:Votes for deletion]], still have ongoing inclusion
disputes, and
people still abuse the abiguities for political purposes.
My motivation was to settle the copyright
situation, yay or nay, so
people can THEN deal with it.
If we first wanted to wait till we had agreement,
we'd wait till
kingdom come.
I don't think that's at all the case. I'm probably one of the biggest
objectors to having non-free images on Wikipedia, and I've come a long
way
toward accepting some non-GFDL images as being "free enough". I
actually
think the majority of the problem is a lack of understanding rather
than
diametrically opposed viewpoints.
I think we can come to an agreement on what it means to be a *free*
*encyclopedia*. It would probably speed things up to organize the
effort,
and that's why I proposed as part of my platform when I ran for the
Wikimedia board to start a committee with the task of defining those
terms
by community consensus (i.e. what the term means to us). I think a
definition of the term "Free Encyclopedia", similar in concept and
spirit to
the GNU Project's definition of Free Software (see
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html), formed by the community
as a
whole and ratified by the board, would *be* an agreement, and I think
it
could be reached. Maybe I'm just overly optimistic.
I think most folks embroiled in the Image:TrangBang.jpg dispute really
don't care that much about the underlying and wider aspects. Please
don't see this as a personal attack of any sort, but it is my
impression that the general establishment of firm *free encyclopedia*
definitions and attendant ground rules is something that /you/
particularly care about (I would have written "pet project", but I
don't mean to offend). I think you're going to find that most parties
to the TrangBang image dispute will claim that the existing rules are
totally clear and sufficient, only the *other side* is so politically
skewed that they misinterpret the rules towards their ends, consciously
or not.
I don't think you're going to find huge motivation for the wider
"defining Wikipedia" policy initiative as you seek pursuing it -- not
among the parties to this dispute anyway, because either side thinks
the rules are already on their side and would perceive any
"(re-)definition initiative" as a policy change initiative that could
work against them.
For these reasons, if it's the wider policy initiative that you care
about, then this dispute IMHO is among the absolute worst opportunities
to push for it -- *even if* you're right and the rules aren't clear and
need improvement.
(btw. the image is now up again, so we're going round in circles)
- Jens
