[WikiEN-l] ArbCom Legislation

[WJhonson at aol.com]

Wikipedia operates under the laws in Florida.  Somewhere in the system  it 
explicitely states that.
 
The Star Wars boy could only sue under two jurisdictions.  Either the  one 
where he lives, or the one where Wikipedia headquarters lives.  He  can't choose 
to sue anywhere in the world.  It would probably set a legal  precedent were 
some court in the US to decide that merely "naming" a person is  harassment or 
whatever.
 
Yes of course "mere reporting" can be libel.  But naming a person  cannot be 
construed as "libel".  Unless of course their name is "Ugly fart  head".  
Privacy laws (which is a very vague term) do not cover public  databases sources.  
A newspaper is a public database.
 
The cat is already out of the bag Ian, merely reporting on the case cannot  
be construed as "lynching" or "punching".  If you report on a murder are  you 
murdering the person?  If you report on a fire, are you setting the  fire?  If 
you report on fraud, conspiracy, rape, are you doing those  actions? No you 
are not.
 
A reporter shows what's going on, they don't hide from it on some moral  high 
ground while wearing blinders.  Our job is to show the world as it is,  not 
as we wish it were by hiding from it.
 
Will Johnson



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