[WikiEN-l] Return of the Essjay

[Sheldon Rampton]

John Lee wrote:

> I am not sure if the circumstances are quite congruent concerning  
> the Essjay
> issue. I understand his youthful indiscretion, being a youth myself  
> and
> having made many youthful mistakes. I certainly would not want this  
> being
> held against him in the future. But at the same time, I can find no  
> basis
> for deciding the article on the [[Essjay controversy]] should be  
> deleted
> that does not lie in some subjective valuation of morals.

I don't have a strong opinion on whether or not the [[Essjay  
controversy]] article should be deleted. I suspect that ten years  
from now it will be seen as a minor blip in Wikipedia's history, and  
by then the argument for deleting it will be stronger than it is now.

At present, however, I think there are practical reasons *not* to  
delete the article. The Essjay controversy is still only a few months  
old and fresh enough in memory that deleting it carries an aroma of  
Wikipedia trying to whitewash itself. Deleting it under these  
conditions is therefore likely to simply produce revived controversy,  
attention and edit-warring, which serves neither Essjay nor Wikipedia.

On balance, therefore, I think it is better to refrain from deleting  
it for the time being, but consider the issue again in a year or so,  
by which time passions will have cooled and it will be easier to  
consider the article dispassionately on its merits, rather than on  
the basis of personal sympathy for Essjay (or hostility toward  
Wikipedia/Jimbo/whatever).

--------------------------------
|  Sheldon Rampton
|  Research director, Center for Media & Democracy (www.prwatch.org)
|  Author of books including:
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|     Toxic Sludge Is Good For You
|     Mad Cow USA
|     Trust Us, We're Experts
|     Weapons of Mass Deception
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