[WikiEN-l] Harassment sites

[Jimmy Wales]

(Again, not making policy here, just engaging as an equal in a hopefully 
constructive discussion...)

Steve Summit wrote:
> At the risk of prolonging a discussion that's already rather
> egregiously long in the tooth, what do people think about those?
> One of the larger objections to BADSITES and its resurrection
> in WP:NPA#EL concerned the prohibition of links to attack sites
> even in talk and project spaces, even as part of sober discussion
> of the alleged personal attacks.  Is there still any sentiment to
> keep trying to ban those kinds of links?

Yes, but we have to be careful and thoughtful.

One thing I have seen recently is violations of No Personal Attacks 
through the posting of links to abusive websites.  I will make a 
hypothetical example.

A problematic editor who has a history of trouble with others and the 
Arbcom responds to something perfectly appropriate said by a well known 
Wikipedia admin, in the following fashion.

"Anyone who wants to understand what is going on here, should simply 
read [http://www.someattacksite.com/Admin_name.html this link]."

I think statements like that are an "incorporation by reference" of the 
material contained on the attack site, and should be removed immediately 
(and probably the problematic editor blocked at that point).

--Jimbo