[WikiEN-l] Another conflict regarding linking to"attack sites"

[Daniel R. Tobias]

On 29 Apr 2007 at 13:42:38 +0100, Guy Chapman aka JzG 
<guy.chapman at spamcop.net> wrote:

> There are some editors who have been so viciously attacked that any
> link to these sites, however innocuous the individual page, feels like
> a mortal insult.  What's on these sites that justifies that pain?

That sounds like a similar mindset to the one that has produced 
politically-correct speech codes on university campuses; it's the 
idea that avoiding hurting the feelings of the most sensitive people 
is more important than allowing the vigorous exercise of free speech.

One thing I've always prided myself about Wikipedia was that it was 
unafraid to confront its critics head-on [Apply directly to the 
forehead...]. Rather than cower in fear of anybody who's attacking 
us, or cultishly try to shield the eyes of the faithful from anything 
that might disrupt the Wikipedian Worldview (even the Ayn Rand cult 
is known for trying to suppress heretical views, as when they urged 
their adherents not to read anything by Nathaniel and Barbara Branden 
once they were excommunicated), we've normally taken a position that 
there is much to be gained and little to be lost by being aware of 
everything being said about us -- from intelligent, thoughtful 
criticism to intemperate, ridiculous attacks, and everything in 
between.  We can learn from the constructive criticism, rebut the 
misguided critics, choose to ignore the utterly ridiculous, but in 
any case, it's a bad idea to try to forcibly suppress any of them; it 
just makes it seem like we've got something to hide or fear.

-- 
== Dan ==
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