[WikiEN-l] Re: troubled

Wed May 12 10:20:53 UTC 2004

>> How much is lost if we "mask" an image that a
>> significant number of people find offensive?

>Quite a bit, in my opinion. By doing so, we emphasize this particular 
>bias. For example, if we censor images of body parts (connected to their 
>body *cough*), we emphasize the bias of modern US society against nudity, 
>a bias which is by no means universal.

>Of course you can argue that by not censoring ourselves, we become biased 
>*against* that viewpoint. But that is not true if our lack of censorship 
>is consistent. Then we are merely biased in favor of being inclusive 
>which, in my opinion, is a necessary bias for an encyclopedia, just like 
>we are pro-knowledge rather than anti-knowledge and pro-neutrality rather 
>than pro-atheism or pro-theism, etc.

<feminist rant>

When we hide female genitalia (offending) while showing male genitalia (not offending), which bias are we exactly showing ?

</feminist rant>

It is nice to say we are pro-knowlegde and pro-neutrality and pro-whatever, but could we be consistent in what we are ?

When I used the term "censorship" to describe the decision of hiding the female genitalia behind a link, some people answered it was NOT censorship, since the information was available. I agree. I made a bad use of the terminology.

I think Nick argument is sensible. Little is lost when putting the picture behing a link. People can click on the link and the information is there.

Now, you appear to disagree with the idea that little is lost, and you base your argument on the fact we should not censor ourselves. So, hiding images behind links is censorship for you ? What is censorship exactly ? Making information is little bit less available ? Or plain removing information ?

ant

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