[WikiEN-l] Freedom of Speech in WP

[Ray Saintonge]

Marc Riddell wrote:

>on 1/31/07 charles.r.matthews wrote:
>  
>
>>An argument I have produced before, is that bad language and aggressiveness as
>>a routine form of interaction appeals mostly to the young and male. It happens
>>that males 20 to 25 might be the most significant group here. I think it is
>>also the case that such forms of verbal interaction and self-assertion are
>>likely to put off many other demographic groups. So civility policy is one way
>>of trying to broaden the base of contributors, or to retain people who profile
>>is not a good match to those who think freedom of speech is mostly about the
>>right to be f****** rude all the time.
>>    
>>
>Interesting. You know, as I read all of the responses thus far, the one word
>that my eye and brain keep tripping over is "civility" - perhaps I am
>associating it with the word "proper" - and that's a button word for me. The
>only thing I have ever associated with the word civil is disobedience ;-).
>
At its root, ''civilis'', civil relates to the citizen and his role in 
society.  It's application appears to range from the practicalities of 
the codified state to an idealized form of people knowing almost 
intuitively how to get along.  We face that range regularly.  Thus 
"civility" becomes a quality in the relationship between the individual 
and the common weal..  In Johnson I see "Freedom from barbarity, the 
state of being civilized ... Politeness, complaisance, elegance of 
behaviour ... Rule of decency, practice of politelness". The duty of 
civil disobedience fits well with this.  I suspect that Jefferson would 
have approved of that.

You do well to be wary of "proper".  The emphasis there is more on the 
individual, hence property and proprietary.

Ec