[WikiEN-l] A call for moderation

[Jussi-Ville Heiskanen]

On 2/17/08, Jimmy Wales <jwales at wikia.com> wrote:
> Tim Starling wrote:
> > What is relevant is what offends people here and now. This one image in
> > question obviously does. It's a pity we don't have any representatives of
> > those offended here on this list to mediate a compromise -- it seems to me
> > that both the people suggesting compromises in this thread and the people
> > refuting them have very little understanding of what is actually necessary
> > to answer the objections of the moderate petitioners.
>
> I agree very much with Tim.  The Wikipedia way has always been to
> attempt to find a common ground which is widely satisfactory to all but
> the most unreasonable people.

I have read all that has been said on this matter on the mailing list with
some attention (and admittedly, frustration stemming from the palpable
intractability of the inherent issues). I find Tim's view eye-opening, as
usual.

> Here are two unreasonable positions:
>
> 1. Anything which offends me (or offends anyone) has to be removed from
> Wikipedia completely.

Fully agree that one won't ever fly as a basis of operations for any
community of ours.

> 2. Offensiveness is completely irrelevant to all editorial
> decisionmaking and in fact anyone who mentions finding something
> offensive should be mocked, and we should try to find even more
> offensive things to put in Wikipedia just to show them.
>
> Fortunately, both are straw-men positions not advocated by anyone.

I am not sure if it is useful to note, but purely logically speaking, the
second position you describe (no 2.) is not fully integral, but can be
broken into two separate positions, viz:

2. (a) Offensiveness is completely irrelevant to all editorial
decisionmaking.

2. (b) Anyone who mentions finding something offensive should
be mocked, and we should try to find even more offensive things
to put in Wikipedia just to show them.