[Foundation-l] and what if...

[Anthony]

On Sat, Dec 13, 2008 at 6:54 AM, geni <geniice at gmail.com> wrote:

> 2008/12/13 Jimmy Wales <jwales at wikia-inc.com>:
> > I would recommend that Russian Wikipedia adopt a policy similar to
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:USERBOXES#Content_restrictions
> >
> >  ># Userboxes must not be inflammatory or divisive.
> >  ># Wikipedia is not an appropriate place for propaganda, advocacy, or
> >  >recruitment of any kind, commercial, political, religious, or
> >  >otherwise, opinion pieces on current affairs or politics,
> >  >self-promotion, or advertising.
> >
> > I would also note that the sorts of people who deny the Holocaust are
> > generally the sorts of people who ought to be blocked on sight from
> > editing Wikipedia.
> >
> > --Jimbo
>
> That would involve blocking a significant chunk of our potential Arab
> editors. Holocaust denial has fairly popular in certain parts of the
> world.


Jimbo didn't say anyone who denies the Holocaust should be blocked, as
though Wikipedia should engage in thought-crime.  He said "the sorts of
people who deny the Holocaust are generally the sorts of people who ought to
be blocked on sight from editing Wikipedia".  High correlation, not
causation.

Anyway, in places where Holocaust denial really is widespread, it's probably
similar to young earth creationism beliefs here in the US.  Something you
probably could find a lot of people state that they believe if you did a
poll (Wikipedia suggests 44%), but not something that really is integrated
into their worldview.  But maybe I'm wrong, there.  Holocaust denial
certainly seems more dangerous than belief in young earth creationism.