[WikiEN-l] filtering, etc.

[daniwo59 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/16/2003 8:48:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
zoecomnena at yahoo.com writes:

> --- koyaanis qatsi <obchodnakorze at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >Two points: one purely logical, the other political.
> >
> >1) the logical:
> >
> >Our goal is, and let me reiterate this for those of
> >you who have forgotten, to make a complete, factual,
> >NPOV encyclopedia.  The only viable, though tedious
> >and laborious, option in implementing filters on
> >wikipedia would be to cite who believes what about
> >which article--e.g. "George W. Bush believes this
> >article was written by an anti-capitalist scumbag." 
> >"Osama bin Laden says Allah will strike down the
> >infidel who gave voice to these words." "Robert
> >Mapplethorpe says this article is less explicit than
> >the dreams he had when he was 12."  Otherwise, when
> >we
> >decide what is "explicit" or "controversial," we
> >will
> >be labeling the articles with a POV.  It may be a
> >common POV, or an uncommon POV, but it will be a
> >POV. 
> >It will, furthermore, be the "official" wikipedia
> >POV.
> > Wikipedia is not supposed to voice a POV.  Voicing
> >a
> >POV = bad.  Contrary to mission.  Not voicing a POV
> >=
> >good.  In keeping with mission.
> >
> >Wikipedia is not your mother, or your thoughtful
> >well-intentioned son.  It is an encyclopedia.  In
> >keeping with the general purpose of encyclopedias,
> >it
> >presents information.  Some of you will not like
> >information.  Those of you who do not like
> >information
> >will be at the wrong site.  Don't complain to
> >Firestone because they sell tires and not pizza.
> >
> >2) the political:
> >
> >And, since you've brought the children into it when
> >they're not relevant, let me bring *you* into it
> >when
> >you are:  There are people throughout the world
> >dying
> >of starvation, some of them so desperate for food
> >that
> >they look through feces for undigested kernels of
> >corn.  Already I hear you saying "Whoa!  Hey!  the
> >details of your miserable life are too 'explicit'
> >for
> >me and my 200-pound 8 year-old son, driving down the
> >street in an SUV eating a McRibs Deluxe."  I say to
> >you, you are the posterchilds for miseducation, for
> >fear, for censorship and everything wikipedia
> >doesn't
> >stand for:  you've so come to love the weight of
> >your
> >own ignorance, that yoke on your shoulders, that you
> >miss its caress when it's gone.  Go in peace, but
> >please do go.
> >
> >kq
> 

Thanks, KQ. Well said!
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