[WikiEN-l] JohnQ / MaryMary - the clitoris guy

[Erik Moeller]

Richard-
> Ok then, consider a parallel case: For many years, the Encyclopedia
> Brittanica contained quite detailed information on the extraction of
> opitates from poppies (it may still do for all I know, but the only copy I
> have access to is 1970's) - probably enough for someone to be able to
> replicate it. Or perhaps the case of chemical recipies for explosives -
> should Wikipedia, in the interests of being NPOV and encyclopedic, include
> these?

Depends on whether they cross the threshold of potential legal liability.

> Some information is suppressed for the "public good".

This is wrong. Censorship will never increase the public good. Those who  
desire the information in question to do harm will find channels through  
which they can obtain it, since they are already willing to commit a  
crime. Meanwhile, those who need the information in order to prevent harm  
will have difficulty finding it.

The only forms of censorship Wikipedia should abide by are those demanded  
by United States law (or the respective local equivalents for the  
international Wikipedias).

Regards,

Erik