On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 gwern0(a)gmail.com wrote:
It would seem we need a maxim to cover cases where
editors couldn't win online, so they switched to offline attacks - 'complaints are
an extension of editing by other means'?
The problem with this argument is that it assumes that the blots aren't
harmful. After all, if the blots really are harmful, and posting them
really is unethical, then complaining about that should be legitimate.
Besides, in this case, the lack of objection from any professionals was used
as an argument for keeping the blots (although with moving goalposts). Well,
if the charges stick, you might not be able to do that any more...