[WikiEN-l] Titanic, illustrated

Sat Apr 16 12:10:16 UTC 2005

Richard Holton said:
>
> You are right. I made some assumptions that I should not have,
> introduced things that did not belong, and expressed my main point very
> poorly.

Well none of us has behaved as well as we should.  I hope the discussion
is salvagable and I can contribute light rather than heat--I know you're
trying to do so and I want to express my appreciation for that.
>
> Leave out Christian or Islam culture, and think about a "conservative
> world view" -- although don't take "conservative" as a political
> orientation, but as a sort of moral world view that is shared by a
> great number of people of virtually all political leanings. Part of
> that "conservative world view" is sensitivity to exposed female
> breasts in public and especially in front of older children (kids
> under 2 or 3 often don't count).

Yes.  I think that's a fair summary of the worldview.

I don't think it should be either challenged or accorded undue influence
in the making of Wikipedia.   I have tried to emphasize the options
available to those who want to use Wikipedia in a way that won't conflict
with their opinions.
I'd give the same advice to a person who didn't want to see pictures of
bugs (which happens to be me, actually).  I don't like looking at them, so
I don't download them.  If I visit London Zoo, I know which parts of the
biodiversity centre to avoid and I know which parts are "safe" because
they will not trigger my phobia, which is mild as these things go. I'm
getting waking horrors as I type this, but I can handle it.
>
> Mocking people for their world view is not constructive. It does not
> further the goals of Wikipedia or Wikimedia.

Agreed.  We should differ over these things without being dismissive and
mocking.
I've been rubbed a bit raw by the insensitivities of others, too, so I
appreciate how it degrades the discussion without any beneficial effect.