[WikiEN-l] CITE nazis

[Ray Saintonge]

Jimmy Wales wrote:

>Daniel P. B. Smith wrote:
>  
>
>>Once a "citation needed" tag is in place, there's no need to do  
>>anything in a hurry. The reader is adequately warned, other editors  
>>are informed.
>>    
>>
>In many many cases, this is true.  But not in all.
>
>The one that is absolutely imperative for all editors is to recognize 
>that "If this claim would be libellous if false, it is absolutely not 
>acceptable to simply put a 'citation needed' tag and hope for the best."
>
>It is extremely painful to see those.  "Lord John Doe was a porn star in 
>1943. <citation needed>"  In such cases, being a citation nazi is the 
>right thing to do.
>
>That is not the only case, but that is the one where it is absolutely 
>imperative.
>
The fallacy in this presentation is that it leaves the impression that 
the situations requiring urgent action dominate.  Libels against living 
persons clearly need urgent action, and even comments that would bring 
disrepute onto the deceased should receive swifter action despite the 
fact that one cannot legally libel the dead..  I'm sure that there are 
also other areas which require such attention as well, but let's not 
blow them out of proportion; they are a minority of situations.

We would do better supporting a relaxed atmosphere in the general case, 
and limitting urgency to enumerated situations.

Ec