On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 6:16 PM, Fred Bauder fredbaud@fairpoint.net wrote:
On 2/15/11 3:17 PM, Nepenthe wrote:
Graphic material of any sort does not belong on the main page.
This seemingly obvious statement is actually a rather controversial opinion on Wikipedia, and there is currently no policy or guideline discouraging graphic material from appearing on the Main Page of any Wikimedia project that I know of. Any time I have prodded on this issue -- as a simple matter of editorial judgement, not censorship -- I have been met with a wall of opposition. If others share the opinion above, perhaps it is time for us to begin chipping away at that wall. Considering that our Main Page is the first impression for thousands of Wikipedia users, I think this could be a concrete and achievable step towards creating a more welcoming environment for a broader array of people.
Ryan Kaldari
It is clearly incompatible with a world-wide readership, but "no censorship" is strongly held. As I have said before, a frontal attack on this point is politically punishing.
I don't think it's incompatible with world-wide readership in general, but editorial judgement should let us keep it from front page appearances, for all the obvious reasons. We can be proud of articles or specific explicit images which are article-appropriate, without forcing them on unexpecting readers. That's not censorship, to avoid that.
I agree that it's politically punishing - in part because some who have pushed this were actually total abolitionists.