[WikiEN-l] More slogans

[Gregory Maxwell]

On 8/25/06, Steve Bennett <stevagewp at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/25/06, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Your patent terse one-liner style fails to make it clear how this
> > contradicts "last word on nothing, first word on everything", assuming
> > that is indeed what you are applying. (Perhaps it's time to make the
> > jump to two-liners ...)
>
> There seems to be mild disagreement about whether "first word" means
> "chronologically the first to report" or "the inital source one
> consults". I'm thinking the second is more likely.

"first word" would be an unfortunate selection. Due to WP:NOR and WP:V
we are expressly forbidden from being the "chronologically the first
to report", although it happens a lot and has resulted in no small
amount of problems.  (We were technically the chronologically first to
report Seigenthaler's 'involvement' in the Kennedy assassination, for
example)  .. and as you point out that first word can be viewed in
that sense.

The use of the word everything is also a potential source of problems.
Wikipedia is not the "inital source one consults" about the rumors
that your classmate is HIV+.

Of course, we can only protect the stupid from themselves so much and
no matter what words we use someone would be able to find a problem...
but I think we could do better.