[Foundation-l] Most read US newpaper blasts Wikipedia

Wed Nov 30 23:03:37 UTC 2005

Actually I don't really see the difference with a classical newspaper. 
They can very well damage reputations... and actually they do ! But just 
like freedom of the press, freedom of speech is more important than 
individuals and Laws allow special liability regimes for both the press 
and wikipedia.

Poe, Marshall wrote:
>  
> 
> 
> Mark wrote:
> 
>> And in this case, I don't see how ethical issues enter into it at all. 
> 
> Like this: deciding what you are going to say and what you aren't going
> to say is on some level an ethical or moral decision.  Similarly,
> deciding what you are going publish and what you aren't going to publish
> is an ethical or moral decision.  Now, we can deny this, but denial
> doesn't make it so.  In the case of the offended party in USAToday, WP
> (whoever that is) facilitated the publication of arguably libelous
> statements. Those statements harmed that individual. I can't speak for
> you, but this makes me uncomfortable.
>  
>> If the biography is inaccurate, it should be edited, and in fact anyone
> (including the    
>> offended person) can do so.  The ability to sue whoever first made it
> inaccurate is 
>> superfluous.
> 
> Maybe, but as someone said earlier, what if he hadn't found the article?
> What if it had seriously damaged his reputation? What if this damage
> extended to his ability to make a living and support his family?  The
> point about slander and libel is that the damage it does is very hard to
> undo.  Would correcting the article get this man his reputation back? I
> doubt it.
> 
> The basic problem here is that no one stands behind the factual claims
> on Wikipedia--no publishers, no editors, no authors, just some amorphous
> and constantly changing "community." I should add that I say this as a
> *big fan* of WP. It worries me.
> 
> Best, 
> 
> Marshall Poe
> The Atlantic Monthly
> www.memorywiki.org
> 
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