[Foundation-l] Adult and Illegal content on Wikimedia

Fri Apr 7 10:14:09 UTC 2006

> opinions like this that seem to encourage this type of content to remain
from Robert Horning
> The problems with such an article is more likely to be in its effect on
> the copycats and other unprofessional idiots.
> Calling on Jimbo to decide on something is a cop-out.  It's a sad
> admission that the community isn't strong enough to settle its own
> problems.
from Ray Saintonge

Which is precisely why I suggested having a constitution of some 
description.

If you don't want this type of content on wikibooks then you have to give up 
neutrality.  And you're going to have to be very specific.  I am working on 
a wiki project that educates how to start businesses.

I would hate for someone later on to declare that "capitalism is theft" and 
then go on to use that as a reason to remove my project.

NPOV may be adequately defined.  A textbook on how alarm systems work, how 
they're installed and how they may be disabled is not advocacy to break into 
homes, but it can be used that way.

There are two ways of defining rules:  everything is allowed unless 
specifically forbidden; everything is forbidden unless specifically allowed. 
You may wish to adopt the former.

How about a growing list that starts with the following:
- No book may describe how to perform any of the following actions:
        i)     torture
        ii)    murder
        iii)   all forms of violence from either public or private sources
        iv)   cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
        v)    xenophobia or discrimination based on gender, age, sex, 
pregnancy, race, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual 
orientation, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language or 
birth

You can discuss torture in an entirely neutral way (how to use a battery, 
water and jumper leads to cause pain, for instance), but the discussion of 
torture (as above) can be banned outright.  I would suggest that the list 
itself needs to be maintained by someone with an international legal 
background (no good having laws specific to any country) to offer guidance 
and a small team to act as "constitutional court" to decide on changes to 
these rules.  And don't defer to the Human Rights Commission, you may find 
that Libya is in charge of it again.

The above - by the by - is paraphrased from the South African constitution.

---
Gavin 