[WikiEN-l] Abusive editors

Wed Mar 9 22:51:28 UTC 2005

-------------- Original message -------------- 
Steven L. Rubenstein:
> 
> Silverback wrote: 
> 
> >but it is banned by NOR, unless a cite can be provided where someone else 
> >has used those very same words in subject at hand. 
> 
> This is still completely wrong. There is no requirement that someone else 
> has used the very same words. To follow this understanding of NOR would 
> mean that editors can't write anything, but can only edit together collages 
> of quotes -- this makes a mockery of the NOR policy. Paraphrasing does not 
> violate NOR. Period. Your position here will have only one consequence: 
> to make it harder to write good articles. Why would you want to do that? 

I agree if you are referring to the intent of NOR.   But in practice people can be very pickyune.  BTW, it is not my position, quite the opposite, I oppose the position, it is just my observation of practice.  Note that poor skyring, has not been allowed to use the word "republic" himself, but had to find a quote in order to use the word.

Unfortunately a local consensus can take owership of a word, select a less common definition of the word, label it POV, and deny its usage.   A good example is the word "regime" on the Iraq pages, if you are familiar with that dispute.
                -- Silverback