[WikiEN-l] Re: Biographies of living persons - new draft guideline

David Gerard wrote: I left some comments on the initial version. One thing I would found useful is that a dual document is produced. One to be adressed to the editor (the guidelines) and one to be adressed to the one editing his biography. Sarah initial version was confusing both public, while David's one is now totally oriented toward regular editors. I think both documents are needed. Now, one thing that is imho, strongly missing in David version is somehow the description of HOW a person might feel when she discovers very questionable statements about her all over the web... and has very little idea how Wikipedia works. She must really feel like a stranger falling in a strange land. I think that I can give this perspective, due to the number of times I had to answer one of these editors with a biography on OTRS. Some pretty cool, some totally abashed, some absolutely furious. While it is important to explain editors which guidelines to follow, it is also important to explain to them the dismay of those with biographies they perceive wrong (and which are sometimes wrong actually). And it is also important for the newbies to understand what is gonna happen to them, when they just feel like correcting what they think is wrong. Both sides are important to consider, not just one. Each time there is a dispute, there are two sides. Not one person guilty of fixing his biography and one side being in his full rights to "save" the encyclopedia from the bad censor. There are always too sides in a dispute and in this, I believe very very much in Sarah empathic approach. And again, I say this from the perspective of one who has precisely to deal with some enraged people on OTRS, mishandled by an editor. It is important to remember these guys are most of the time acting in all good faith. Aside from this, I believe the paragraph about legal threats is problematic. I wish that it is reworked. As a reminder, the FOundation may hold a responsability as a sort of publisher, when informed, it does not make an effort to fix a lie or a libel. But ultimately, the editor himself is liable. The editor is responsible of what he writes. Additionnaly, please remove phone numbers. Remove info-de, you are the english wikipedia, NOT the german speaking wikipedia. Remove personal email addresses as well, especially when they lead to Wikia (Wikia is not the Foundation). And if we are talking about neutrality, also see the one complaining side : the very expression "legal threat" is biaised :-) Thanks a lot in any cases for all those working on these guidelines. Legal issues over biographies, most of you know this, are currently a huge issue for the board, we really appreciate your help here to deal with this. The Foundation will suffer of any legal action, whether if right or wrong. ant