2010/1/21 Gwern Branwen <gwern0(a)gmail.com>om>:
On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 8:25 PM, Apoc 2400
<apoc2400(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Is there anyone here who can do something about
this before it becomes an
> even bigger wheel-war?
Yes, the Arbcom has done something about it.
Specifically, it has
patted them on the head and said, 'good job, guys! Just be quieter in
the future'.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Reques…
Excellent and proper, per BLP. This isn't actually an IAR case, IMO -
it's clear by BLP.
The Committee hereby proclaims an amnesty for all
editors who may
have overstepped the bounds of policy in this matter. Everyone is
Good one.
our project. The Committee recommends, in particular,
that a request
for comments be opened to centralize discussion on the most efficient
way to proceed with the effective enforcement of the policy on
biographies of living people."
Yep.
Policy formation and change on English Wikipedia has been
fundamentally *broken* for about four or five years. Finally, enough
prions have accumulated to demonstrate actual symptoms of severely
advanced Mad Cow Disease.
Fortunately, we have enough sensible stuff encrusted in with the
prions that when the ArbCom have a mind to sensible action, they have
the tools they need.
Translation: BLP now means anything whatsoever
unsourced is evil & to
be burned with fire; anything is justified in pursuit of previous;
I believe that's what BLP meant in 2006, but I was just writing the
policy draft, so don't mind me.
IAR
now means flagrant admin abuses are justified if you can cite
imaginary bits of a policy, and other admins have to sit there and
take it;
"admin abuses" of users or of policies that BLP overrides? 'Cos it is,
and was always intended to be, a trump card.
silent mass deletions are now an acceptable admin
tactic.
That bit's not ideal, I'd think they should be listed first. Perhaps a
{{BLP-prod}}, where someone has a few days to put the references in.
OR THE ARTICLE DIES.
I particularly enjoy the 'innocuous
statements' point. It's
reminiscent of the best Cold War paranoia: your friend, your
co-worker, or even your dog could secretly be a Commie agent! No one
is safe! Not even *you*. I have a list of 55 unsourced
innocuous-seeming statements in the [[State Department]]...
I think you're getting a bit silly there.
- d.