[WikiEN-l] Libel chill

[Jimmy Wales]

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> If the recent dispute had been guided by these principles it might not 
> have become as heated.  When a long-standing editor asks for an 
> explanation, and is told to ask the lawyers we aren't reading the same 
> page anymore.  It is quite understandable that people will react with a 
> "Them's fightin' words" attitude.  

I disagree quite significantly.  If a longstanding editor asks for an
explanation, and is told to ask the lawyers, I absolutely do NOT think
that it is understandable AT ALL that "them's fightin' words" is the
attitude in response.  That is just silly.  We've been working together
for a long time now.

I think Erik, in this case, would agree.  If the response had been
"Actually, Erik, do me a favor and leave this one protected, I can't
explain why at the moment, but please ask Brad if you need more
information, perhaps he can give it" then there would have been no
explosion.

> The person wielding the WP:OFFICE 
> cudgel needs to be sensitive to the community as well as the 
> complainant.  He needs to know from experience that any hint of secrecy 
> underlying his actions will raise the temperature of flames by several 
> degrees.

No, actually, I think the community understands that temporarily not all
information can always be made immediately public.

What got things wound up in this case was not the secrecy, but a wildly
disproportionate and unfair blocking and desysopping, when a
reprotection with a note of "Please ask me before unprotecting this one,
there are important issues here" would have done the job just fine.

--Jimbo