[WikiEN-l] User names (snip)

Wed Oct 15 03:21:20 UTC 2003

Dante Alighieri wrote:

>But, since the Wiki software keeps track of every edit by username, a
>username becomes a part of EVERY edit that the user makes. Therefore, while
>CHOOSING the name isn't a wiki edit, every subsequent edit has the name
>imbedded. This makes it subject to NPOV rules... assuming that the person
>makes at least one edit ever... and if they don't, what's the point in
>arguing?

I don't know why we're trying to draw some connection
between making a wiki edit and the application of NPOV;
a special command (like creating the username in the first place)
is not exempt from NPOV simply because it's not an ordinary edit.
These are entirely separate matters.

NPOV was developed for the content of encyclopaedia articles.
It extends easily to other reference material (like Wikibooks).
I don't believe that it adapts well to personal statements
(posts on talk pages, user pages, edit summaries, usernames),
and I would oppose any attempt to apply it directly to them.
To do so would be a category error.

This is yet separate from /other/ reasons to monitor those things,
such as etiquette, avoiding offence to other users, and the like.

-- Toby