[Foundation-l] Lista Wildsteina

[Ray Saintonge]

The following is the beginning of a discussion on Wikisource. This arose 
when the contributor sought to have some pages deleted as part of a 
rearrangement of the material.

> "Lista Wildsteina" is a hot subject in Poland these days - it's a list 
> of people who used to collaborate with former secret service agencies 
> or were their victims, that's why it provokes various unwanted 
> reactions - it can't be exactly stated who was a secret agent and who 
> was a victim. After it is published here, possibly by Ausir - a 
> registered user - you should put a protection log on all its parts so 
> that people won't modify it. Consider it, please. With regards, Selena 
> von Eichendorf <http://wikisource.org/wiki/User:Selena_von_Eichendorf> 
> 12:32, 3 Feb 2005 (UTC)
>
>     The above description leaves me very concerned about whether we
>     should have this kind of material at all. My first impression is
>     that it is a list of people who are alleged to have participated
>     in certain kinds of wrongdoing. In the absence of further evidence
>     I would consider this material a defamatory and libellous attack
>     on the people listed. It is effectively a long series of personal
>     attacks, and contrary to Wikimedia policy on that basis. The
>     Wikimedia should have no role in the spreading of this kind of
>     thing. I cannot comment at this time about what implications the
>     material might carry under United States law.
>
>     Secondarily, there is no indication about who produced this list,
>     and whether the author has released the material under GFDL.
>     Eclecticology <http://wikisource.org/wiki/User:Eclecticology>
>     07:31, 4 Feb 2005 (UTC)
>
The subject has already generated considerable controversy on the Polish 
Wikipedia, though I do not understan Polish so I am unable to follow 
that discussion.  The material that has been placed on Wikisource after 
a brief explanation in Polish is a list of names accompanied by what 
seems to be a file number for each.. 

I believe that publishing this kind of material (assuming that I have 
interpreted what I see correctly) is utterly wrong in every respect.  If 
the effect would be to make Wikimedia complicit in any kind of revenge 
against these alleged collaborators, we would need to share the guilt 
for whatever form such revenge might take.

Unless I am advised that I have completely misinterpreted the material I 
propose to delete it all beginning tomorrow evening.

Ec