[WikiEN-l] Controversial user nicknames

Thu Aug 28 00:34:55 UTC 2003

Alex R. wrote:

>GFDL Sec. 4(B) states at least five of the major authors, so if someone is
>the major contributor and their name is not listed well, it does not matter
>how many users make subsequent edits, that original major contributor
>will have to be cited, otherwise whoever uses it will be subject to a
>lawsuit for violation of the copyright license as granted.
>
>Wouldn't that be interesting, user:Saddam Hussein suing some publisher
>for not using his pseudonym in violation of a copyleft license. Of course
>sometimes courts will find something so offensive as to not enforce the
>law. I recall a California publicity rights case of a dildo that was cast
>from a porn star's penis and the judge in that case refused to recognize
>that the "owner" of the penis had any rights to prevent a casting of it
>from being used without compensation. Perhaps that is the defense to
>use if one refuses follow the attribution rules under the GDFL for
>offensive names. Even though IAAL I cannot guarantee such an
>outcome, it would be an interesting case, I wonder if user:SH would
>be game to file such a suit should the occasion arise? Might be
>interesting publicity for Wikipedia! (Just joking)
>
It's too bad you're just joking.  A really good publicity stunt requires 
this kind of chutzpah..  You don't mind people calling you nuts as long 
as they keep buying the product.

It's very easy for some people to get carried away making up rules about 
every facet of life.  Every time a cat writes a rule to make himself 
secure against some merely perceived problem, he gives the mice an 
opportunity to find creative ways for circumventing the rule.  There are 
more mice than cats ... and far more cockroaches.

Ec.