Below are answers to
frequently asked questions about the corresponding page
Autofellatio. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please feel free to change this material in light of new discussion.
To view the response to a question, click the [show] link to the right of the question.
Photo of Autofellatio
Q: Why is there a pornographic/obscene illustration on this article?
A: People's definitions of "pornographic" and "obscene" can vary widely. It's not up to Wikipedia to decide what may or may not be pornographic and obscene— that is up to our editors and the Wikipedia community. The main reasons for the inclusion of an illustration such as this is that Wikipedia has an established policy of including at least one suitable image in the lead section of every one of its articles. The current illustration (as of 10 September 2016[update]) depicts the act with medical clarity and after multiple discussions about other possible images which, though they showed that the act was physically possible, proved contentious for copyright and other reasons. A more full discussion of this history can be seen at
WP:Pornography. The inclusion of the diagram conforms to the Wikipedia
Principle of least astonishment as well as our content guidelines on
offensive material.
Q: Why is the image so prominent? Can't we move it or make a special show/hide feature so it doesn't offend someone?
A: Images are used on Wikipedia because they have encyclopedic value and add to the reader's understanding of the subject. Images should be carefully selected, avoiding similar or repetitive images, unless a point of contrast or comparison is being made. Just as we seek to ensure that the prose of an article is
clear, precise and engaging, images should be used in a similar spirit. Wikipedia
is also not an image repository. An indiscriminate collection of images of the article subject should generally be avoided or
moved to
Wikimedia Commons. Links to the Commons categories can be added to the Wikipedia article using the {{Commonscat}} template as we have done on this article.
Below are answers to
frequently asked questions about the corresponding page
Autofellatio. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please feel free to change this material in light of new discussion.
To view the response to a question, click the [show] link to the right of the question.
Photo of Autofellatio
Q: Why is there a pornographic/obscene illustration on this article?
A: People's definitions of "pornographic" and "obscene" can vary widely. It's not up to Wikipedia to decide what may or may not be pornographic and obscene— that is up to our editors and the Wikipedia community. The main reasons for the inclusion of an illustration such as this is that Wikipedia has an established policy of including at least one suitable image in the lead section of every one of its articles. The current illustration (as of 10 September 2016[update]) depicts the act with medical clarity and after multiple discussions about other possible images which, though they showed that the act was physically possible, proved contentious for copyright and other reasons. A more full discussion of this history can be seen at
WP:Pornography. The inclusion of the diagram conforms to the Wikipedia
Principle of least astonishment as well as our content guidelines on
offensive material.
Q: Why is the image so prominent? Can't we move it or make a special show/hide feature so it doesn't offend someone?
A: Images are used on Wikipedia because they have encyclopedic value and add to the reader's understanding of the subject. Images should be carefully selected, avoiding similar or repetitive images, unless a point of contrast or comparison is being made. Just as we seek to ensure that the prose of an article is
clear, precise and engaging, images should be used in a similar spirit. Wikipedia
is also not an image repository. An indiscriminate collection of images of the article subject should generally be avoided or
moved to
Wikimedia Commons. Links to the Commons categories can be added to the Wikipedia article using the {{Commonscat}} template as we have done on this article.