[WikiEN-l] BLP - a case study

[Marc Riddell]

on 3/28/07 1:30 PM, Jossi Fresco at jossifresco at mac.com wrote:

> The problem, Marc, is how do you enforce respect? We have seen it
> again and again and more so as Wikipedia becomes such a prominent web
> destination. It is soooo tempting to the anon visitor, seeing the
> article about this "Professor John P. Smith", which the anon knows,
> to add these "tidbits" of information from the local weekly, just for
> fun.
> 
> It is only when the shit hits the fan that we act and promptly remove
> that information.

Jossi,

I do hear you, and I know you are presenting to the real world here. I also
believe an honest, objective person can tell disrespectful bullshit when
they see it. But couldn't those edits, which clearly reek of such
disrespect, be treated as vandalism - and immediately deleted as such?

As a Community we don't tolerate personal attacks upon each other on either
the Talk Pages or this List, and the perpetrator is dealt with accordingly.
Equally, shouldn't any gratuitous, clearly disrespectful crap written into a
person's Article be regarded and dealt with in the same way?

Respect for another person must be an ethic in WP - it must be built into
the very culture. If a person needs to be taught how to respect someone, I
believe they need to go learn it outside of the Community - and come back
only when they are willing to practice such respect.

Marc