Hi,sorry let me perhaps rephrase what I said. The issue of 'freedom' relates to the free and open nature of Wikipedia, i.e. that anyone can edit it. If we start introducing the requirement that one needs to have an e-mail address to do certain things (in this case upload pictures) then part of this 'freedom', this open nature in impinged. I'm not saying that I disagree with requiring people to have to provide e-mail addresses to upload pictures, indeed I am in favour, but it does take us further away from the original ideal of Wikipedia.
I am then merely commenting that the next step along the line may well be stopping unregistered users from editing and having to have an e-mail address to register an account. I mean I can never see that happening, well nowhere near the present time, but the issue that then raises is how open (how free) is Wikipedia? Would having to provide an e-mail address and having to register reduce the amount of vandalism on Wikipedia, my initial reaction would be yes. Would having such a system put off potential new editors, again I think the answer may well be yes, and so this is where the problem can lie in such a system, and why the open nature of Wikipedia is so often fought for and defended.
Do I think the ends justify the meanas with having to make people provide e-mail addresses to upload photos? Yes I do, and I feel that such a system may lead to more images actually staying on Wikipedia, and that surely is an advantage, as nobody like having to delete images when we simply don't know about their copyright status.
Oliver
On 6/28/06, Berto albertoserra@ukr.net wrote:
On 6/28/06, Oliver Coddington olivercoddington@gmail.com wrote: [snip]
The question ultimately is how far are we willing to allow Wikipedia
to
become less 'free' and whether we think any measure that does reduce
the
'freedom' on Wikipedia is worth it?
BTW, you are part of this discussion because you gave an email address or what? I simply do not undertsand what specifying an email address has in common with freedom.... On the opposite, it helps people who uploaded files in giving them the right to explain what they did, instead of remaining helplessly in the hands of us allmighty admins, as it the case now. Nothing that gives people menas for them to voice their opinions can be considered a limitation. Or is it limiting the admin's power that is feared here? Really, I don't understand...
Bèrto
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