[WikiEN-l] [Wmfcc-l] Living bio patrol on en:wp [[WP:BLPP]]

[Jason Potkanski]

On 9/10/06, Jason Potkanski <electrawn at electrawn.com> wrote:
> On 9/10/06, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 10/09/06, Jimmy Wales <jwales at wikia.com> wrote:
> > > Amgine wrote:
> >
> > > >>> For these and other reasons, en.wp should develop policy limiting
> > > >>> living persons articles to primary career facts and academic
> > > >>> achievements, current positions held or endeavors, and minimal
> > > >>> personal facts. By presenting a minimal set of biographic facts the
> > > >>> community can circumvent a large number of internal and external
> > > >>> conflicts, whilst avoiding maintenance issues and keeping the
> > > >>> articles relevant until such time as the subjects may be viewed in
> > > >>> historical context.
> >
> > > I think that way of putting it seems a bit extreme.  In the example
> > > under discussion [[Tom Delay]], it seems pretty clear that the article
> > > is much stronger due to the inclusion of much more than some minimal set
> > > of facts.
> >
> >
> > Yes. One bad example is not a reason to adopt a policy with the
> > specific goal of making living bio articles as useless as possible.
> >
> > I wonder what the readers want from Wikipedia bio articles.
> >
>
> Hard to say, but...
>
> * Legally, can't be libelous/defaming.
> * Probably don't want to read like a tabloid journal
> * Probably don't want to be like a book biography... "Mr X took a
> number 2 on Nov 5th, 1985 in the 2nd floor bathroom...he usually goes
> to the 3rd floor bathroom."
>
> Compared to a who's who or book biography.
>
> * Shouldn't be completely Positive smiley happy happy - all negatives scrubbed.
> * Should touch on recent events/litigation - up to date as of now.
> * Learn something interesting or unknown - trivia.
> * Make the person look human - care.
>
> That last one is the tough one...Not only do editors need to be civil
> with each other, they need to be civil with the subjects they right
> about. Underneath, they have families and bleed red just like you.
> Using [[Tom Delay]], you would think the guy belonged in the same
> class as Sadam Hussein or Slobodan Milosevic. (Not quite hitler or bin
> ladin).
>
> -Electrawn
>

right->write. Embarassing, but in retrospect, a good pun.