[WikiEN-l] Radical redefinition of OR

[Jimmy Wales]

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> The lawsuit here is not a matter of having been so unfortunate as to be 
> caught driving drunk pure and simple.  The issues relate to how Langan  
> presents himself to the world in relation to those issues and 
> organizations which make him encyclopedic and/or notable.  The 
> references to the judgements may very well havew come from his opponents 
> in the case, but that is not the same as systematically sifting through 
> court records to find dirt on the guy

This is exactly what makes it original research.  You have looked at his 
life story, and looked at this lawsuit, and drawn the original 
conclusion (perhaps plausible, perhaps even correct!) that the case 
reflects negatively on him, showing perhaps something bad about how he 
presents himself to the world, etc.

That might mean that the lawsuit would make a fine basis for original 
research, to be published as investigative journalism in a newspaper, 
magazine, or book.

But it certainly means that it is original research: a novel conclusion 
being drawn from primary sources.

> I've taken time to think about this before answering, and I keep 
> arriving at the conclusion that it is not correct to suppress this 
> information.

Wikipedia is in no position to "suppress" information.  It is in the 
public record.  Should someone who is working at an institution which is 
properly tasked with doing original research want to do so, they are 
welcome to do so at any time, and we do not stand in their way.

But the fact still remains that this sort of thing is unquestionably 
original research of _precisely_ the kind that we need to avoid for the 
obvious reasons having to do with what makes an encyclopedia an 
encyclopedia, what kind of resources we have to vet such things, and 
what kind of door we open to crackpots, cranks, and POV pushers, if we 
came to the conclusion that original research is allowed in Wikipedia, 
in case we don't like the person involved. (!)

>  I had never heard of Langan before this came up.  Going 
> through the long talk page attached to his article I get the impression 
> that this guy is a streetfighter who is ready to do whatever it takes to 
> win his point.

Your not liking him is not a good reason for us to throw out one of our 
fundamental policies so that people with an axe to grind can dig up 
negative information about him.

--Jimbo