[WikiEN-l] offensive photos policy

Thu May 13 01:21:39 UTC 2004

I tried sending this message before and it bounced back.  I don't think it 
went through and I am resending -- if it did get through, sorry for the repeat.

admit that I haven't been following this discussion in its entirety (in 
part because we've been through this before), and I apologize if I am 
making a point others have already made.

In some of the examples people have given, I think it is a mistake to 
construe it as a POV/NPOV issue in strict terms.  As Erik points out, we 
end up playing a simple numbers game, concerning how many people including 
or excluding a photo offends.  Surely there are more substantive criteria 
we can use here, ones that move us away from asking whether the photo is 
offensive (begging the question, for we must then ask, "according to 
whom?").  I'd like to propose two, related criteria.

First, is the photo necessary in order to convey important information.  In 
the case of a vagina, for example, a drawing can convey just as much if not 
more information.  On these grounds alone, why not go for the drawing (I 
think this specific matter came up some time ago)?

Second, is the image of a prurient nature?  I do not mean that if might 
offend some (our NPOV policy ensures that we will always offend some), but 
rather that some people cruising the web might fixate on the image for 
purposes external to those of an encyclopedia.  I am sure we can come close 
to a consensus as to whether this is likely or not.

I believe that even if an image is prurient in nature, if it is necessary 
to convey important information we should keep it.  If it is not necessary 
to convey important information, we should find an alternative.  In short, 
I am appealing not to "NPOV" but to "wikipedia is an encyclopedia."

I understand that we might still argue over whether something is prurient 
or not, or whether something is essential for communicating important 
information.  I just think it will be easier to reach a consensus on these 
questions than on the question of whether or not it is offensive.

Steve

Steven L. Rubenstein
Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Bentley Annex
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio 45701
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