[Wikimedia-l] Who invoked "principle of least surprise" for the image filter?

Seth Finkelstein sethf at sethf.com
Thu Jun 21 13:33:03 UTC 2012


Reply-To: 
References: <CAHRTtW_LoeHFcPb6vUmw7BwOqJECuvSR1-gqNWcC7kmZ=NFCHA at mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <CAHRTtW_LoeHFcPb6vUmw7BwOqJECuvSR1-gqNWcC7kmZ=NFCHA at mail.gmail.com>

> Andreas Kolbe
> As Seth Finkelstein pointed out the other day, there is opposition to
> pornography both from the right, on a family values basis, and from the
> left, from feminists countering male bias. These are quite separate, but
> equally valid concerns.

Thanks for the mention. It's good to know that someone, somewhere,
reads what I write. But, just to clarify, let me stress I was being
merely *descriptive* there, rather than *prescriptive*. The context was
I had suggested that the Wikipedia _Signpost_ cover Larry Sanger's
recent material. Someone replied mentioning the antiporn-feminist view
(and opposing it). This originated from a gendergap list discussion,
but I didn't know that at the time, and so I was confused about why
Larry Sanger was being taken to be making those types of objections.
Hence I replied:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/Newsroom/Suggestions&diff=prev&oldid=495437291

"I don't think Sanger is making any sort of (my gloss) 
"gender feminist" critique, but rather taking the standard
(again, simplifying) "family values" type position. While someone
involved in the topic might have such a view, and certainly there have
been alliances of convenience, I don't see it as being a part of what
he wrote in specific and what's he's attempting to do (except again as
an alliance). He probably would object to the following
characterization, but I'd say he's taking the older right-wing
anti-porn stance, rather than the newer left-wing anti-porn stance."

This was not meant as my endorsing both sides. It was more along
the lines of Tom Lehrer's song "National Brotherhood Week":

"Oh, the Protestants hate the Catholics
And the Catholics hate the Protestants
And the Hindus hate the Muslims
And everybody hates the Jews"

As in:

"Oh, the Fundamentalists hate the Feminists
And the Feminists hate the Fundamentalists
And the Wingnuts hate the Moonbats
And everybody hates the porn"

There's many different issues which get lumped together. I do think
Larry Sanger raises *some* valid points, and it bothers me immensely
when he gets treated in the style of kill-the-apostate. But I don't
agree with everything he says or tries to do, and I feel I need to
repeatedly made that clear, since I get flack from some people who
want to use me as an available scapegoat for their dislike of critics.

Metaphorically, I've shed a lot of my blood in defense of
civil-liberties on the Internet (my regret over how this harmed my
life sometimes discomfits people). Anyway, these days, I don't feel
any desire to argue ideological pornography theories (it's not going
to matter here anyway). But I'm interested in how this all turns out
in terms of the various factions at odds with each other.

-- 
Seth Finkelstein  Consulting Programmer  http://sethf.com
Infothought blog - http://sethf.com/infothought/blog/
Interview: http://sethf.com/essays/major/greplaw-interview.php



More information about the Wikimedia-l mailing list