[Foundation-l] RfC: License update proposal

[Anthony]

On Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 1:14 AM, David Goodman <dgoodmanny at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am proud of my work, not of my name being on my work. that's narcissism.
>

You should probably clarify what it is you're calling "narcissism".  For
that matter, you should probably clarify what you mean by "narcissism" in
the first place.  A common dictionary definition is "excessive self-love".
But as a philosophical concept that's quite incomplete.  What constitutes
"excessive"?  What is the "proper" amount of self-love?  And why does
wanting or not wanting your name to be on a work throw one over that
threshold?

In any case, I find it hard to see how, in this particular context, you
could be proud of your work but not at least prefer your name to be on it.
If you've achieved something of great value to yourself and to others, isn't
it better for you, and for everyone, if people know you achieved it?

This is not to say that there might not be circumstances where you're
willing to not have your name on your work, or, indeed, where for some
reason you wish to remain anonymous.  But I think there's an inherent
validity in the desire to be named in a work you produced in at least some
circumstances which arise in Wikimedia projects.  I certainly wouldn't
categorically dismiss that desire as "narcissism" (which may or may not be
what you intended to do above).