On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 1:58 PM, Durova <nadezhda.durova(a)gmail.com> wrote:
The Wikimedia Foundation takes this opportunity to
reiterate some core
principles related to our shared vision, mission, and values. One of
these values which is common to all our projects is a commitment to
maintaining a neutral point of view.
I find it a bit strange to talk of Wikimedia Commons as having a NPOV
policy.
Should commons allow images which are biased?
More concretely, in terms of photography, should photographs adhere to the
standards of ethics adopted by photojournalists?
++++
There are few suggestions more destructive than good ideas misapplied.
Let's look at a few featured pictures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Racistcampaignposter1.jpg
Blatantly racist and disrespectful of basic human dignity. Also historic
and very encyclopedic. It illustrates the en:wiki article 'Racism', also
the article on 'Disfranchisement after Reconstruction era (United States)'
and the individual biographies of two politicians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:J_accuse.jpg
Certainly not neutral: it accuses the president of France of gross
misconduct.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Trumpetcallsa.jpg
Again, not neutral. It's a war recruitment poster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Napoleon's_exile_to_Elba3.jpg<http…
Blatant trolling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Iowa_and_Nebraska_lands10.jpg
Try viewing this from the perspective of the indigenous peoples whose
ancestral lands were being sold.
Those aren't photographs, you might say? Apply the principle only to
photography? Okay, neutralize this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woody_Guthrie_2.jpg
And although this last one is not hosted on Commons and may never be (due
to
German law), think of the historic value here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vote_number_1b.jpg
I'd say they all (at least at a glance) neutrally depict their subjects.
Just as it's fine in Wikipedia to, for instance, quote a racist person,
presenting a racist poster is perfectly fine in Commons. Creating a racist
poster for commons, on the other hand, wouldn't be, in my opinion.