The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the miscellany page below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the page's talk page or in a
deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
The result of the debate was that it turns out that the owner wants this kept, and so do all who have commented; moreover the nominator has no view on the matter. I hereby close this debate as "wrongly listed for deletion owing to a mistaken apprehension that Wikipedia is a bureaucracy." --
Tony Sidaway20:22, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
A
very complex DRV on this userbox has just closed. Reading comments substantively, there was a consensus that a template like this one in template space met CSD T1 criterion for deletion. There was also a consensus that more discussion was needed to determine whether the sentiment expressed therein should be removed from Wikipedia altogether. Hence, this MfD of a userfied version of the userbox. It is clear the sentiment expressed is contrary to current fundamental policy; what is unclear is whether the community will tolerate or forbid the expression of such "contrary-to-policy" opinions. This is a procedural listing, so I abstain.
Xoloz14:56, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep. As Xoloz says, this is obviously contradictory to policy, and it's a Foundation matter whether or not to change criteria for fair use images. However, I really do not like the precedent it sets to delete something in userspace just because it contradicts policy, even fundamental policy. Deletion is not the way to make people think about if they should edit in a project which has rules they don't like. -
Amarkovmoo!15:01, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep'. A respectful expression of opinion. Another example of a userbox criticizing policy is
Template:User anti-anon, which we have on several hundred userpages. "Tolerance consists of valuing the right of another person to hold beliefs that you know absolutely to be wrong."
Kla'quot 15:39, 2 May 2007 (UTC) I also agree with the sentiments below to rename this userbox.
Kla'quot01:28, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep Amarkov and Kla'quot make excellent points here, to which I currently find little to add, except for my agreal.
CharonX/
talk17:32, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment: Would it be acceptable/helpful to have a userbox stating any of these?:
"This user would prefer not having to source potentially defamatory information when writing
biographies of living people"
"This user would prefer not to use a
neutral point of view if there are some agenda to be fulfilled"
If a user disagrees with policy, then that's their right. As to your examples, those are a bit extreme, but if someone were to be opposed to the current verifiability standards, then they also have the right to argue for changing them. This userbox doesn't say they are going to act disruptively or divisively, it simply says they prefer one policy option over another. To compare to your NPOV userbox example, I think I'd be pefectly within my rights to have a userbox saying, for example "This user would prefer wikipedia to adhere to a scientific point of view" or "this user would prefer wikipedia fork controversial articles."
Wintermut317:39, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment Purely as a point of information, I will remind folks that disagreement with NPOV was openly discussed in the project's early days, and led to a Wikipedia-fork by ArbCom Member Fred Bauder, employing sympathetic point-of-view in all its articles.
Xoloz17:43, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Me too. Wouldn't it be great if all the vandals would put "This user likes to vandalize Wikipedia" boxes on their userpages?
Kla'quot17:46, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
It has a terrible name. "User no GFDL" implies that the user does not like the GFDL, not that they are against replacing fair use images with libre ones.
Kotepho00:31, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Weak keep. As long as it is just an expression of opinion, it should be allowed. The problem arises when the user in question starts acting outside policy. -
Mgm|
(talk)09:29, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep but rename. While I agree with this user that our current militant free-use stand may actually hurt both Wikipedia and the promotion of free content more than it helps, I do not oppose the GFDL as this box implies. And since when have we ever deleted userboxes simply for challenging policy?
Daniel Case15:57, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Obvious Keep. These heavy handed attacks on freedom of expression are the reason I rarely edit this damn encyclopedia anymore. Sheesh.
Jeffpw16:28, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep as an expression of opinion it's fine. If anyone actually tries to enforce something violating policy then it's perfectly justified to stop them, but it's not right to stop people from disagreeing with policy. Hut 8.516:50, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep for obvious reasons. Its NOT divisive or inflammatory...saying "This user thinks free images SUCK!" would be. Saying that one would not prefer it to be used if there are better alternatives is another entirely. Which is hardly comparable to libel on a real person's encyclopedia article.--
CyberGhostface23:58, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep per my comments at TfD, as well as those of the supermajority who expressed their opinion similarly.
Jerry03:31, 4 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep There is nothing so clear anywhere on Wikipedia, "It is clear the sentiment expressed is contrary to current fundamental policy." I think this user box means exactly what it says, free images, the freer the better, are better all around, and images have nothing to do with GFDL--it's a text license, strictly a text license.
KP Botany01:02, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
If you think something should be deleted, list it for deletion. If not, let someone else who thinks it should be deleted list it. Nothing is lost by leaving such listings to discretion. Listing for deletion on purely procedural grounds is a complete waste of time. Remember that Wikipedia is not a bureaucracy (
Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#BUREAUCRACY). --
Tony Sidaway08:09, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment I agree. There is so much that needs to be done on Wikipedia, listing something to simply consume other editors' time, when you can't even be bothered to participate in what you list ("I abstain") is being wholely bureaucratic.
KP Botany19:12, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment I think it should be pointed out that the "abstain" was only the
last step in a lengthy and possibly controversial deletion decision. And since the presumption is usually that the lister is advocating deletion, an "abstain" was a perfectly reasonable alternative in this case. Similarly, since it's my user space at issue, I'm abstaining; the "presumption" is that, if it's in my userspace, I'd like it to be there. (At least, I hope that's what the presumption is!)
Jenolenspeak it!19:37, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
This still doesn't explain why this page is being listed for deletion by someone who doesn't want it deleted. Why can't he leave it to the people who actually want it deleted, if they exist? --
Tony Sidaway19:46, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the page's talk page or in a
deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the miscellany page below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the page's talk page or in a
deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.
The result of the debate was that it turns out that the owner wants this kept, and so do all who have commented; moreover the nominator has no view on the matter. I hereby close this debate as "wrongly listed for deletion owing to a mistaken apprehension that Wikipedia is a bureaucracy." --
Tony Sidaway20:22, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
A
very complex DRV on this userbox has just closed. Reading comments substantively, there was a consensus that a template like this one in template space met CSD T1 criterion for deletion. There was also a consensus that more discussion was needed to determine whether the sentiment expressed therein should be removed from Wikipedia altogether. Hence, this MfD of a userfied version of the userbox. It is clear the sentiment expressed is contrary to current fundamental policy; what is unclear is whether the community will tolerate or forbid the expression of such "contrary-to-policy" opinions. This is a procedural listing, so I abstain.
Xoloz14:56, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep. As Xoloz says, this is obviously contradictory to policy, and it's a Foundation matter whether or not to change criteria for fair use images. However, I really do not like the precedent it sets to delete something in userspace just because it contradicts policy, even fundamental policy. Deletion is not the way to make people think about if they should edit in a project which has rules they don't like. -
Amarkovmoo!15:01, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep'. A respectful expression of opinion. Another example of a userbox criticizing policy is
Template:User anti-anon, which we have on several hundred userpages. "Tolerance consists of valuing the right of another person to hold beliefs that you know absolutely to be wrong."
Kla'quot 15:39, 2 May 2007 (UTC) I also agree with the sentiments below to rename this userbox.
Kla'quot01:28, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep Amarkov and Kla'quot make excellent points here, to which I currently find little to add, except for my agreal.
CharonX/
talk17:32, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment: Would it be acceptable/helpful to have a userbox stating any of these?:
"This user would prefer not having to source potentially defamatory information when writing
biographies of living people"
"This user would prefer not to use a
neutral point of view if there are some agenda to be fulfilled"
If a user disagrees with policy, then that's their right. As to your examples, those are a bit extreme, but if someone were to be opposed to the current verifiability standards, then they also have the right to argue for changing them. This userbox doesn't say they are going to act disruptively or divisively, it simply says they prefer one policy option over another. To compare to your NPOV userbox example, I think I'd be pefectly within my rights to have a userbox saying, for example "This user would prefer wikipedia to adhere to a scientific point of view" or "this user would prefer wikipedia fork controversial articles."
Wintermut317:39, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment Purely as a point of information, I will remind folks that disagreement with NPOV was openly discussed in the project's early days, and led to a Wikipedia-fork by ArbCom Member Fred Bauder, employing sympathetic point-of-view in all its articles.
Xoloz17:43, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Me too. Wouldn't it be great if all the vandals would put "This user likes to vandalize Wikipedia" boxes on their userpages?
Kla'quot17:46, 2 May 2007 (UTC)reply
It has a terrible name. "User no GFDL" implies that the user does not like the GFDL, not that they are against replacing fair use images with libre ones.
Kotepho00:31, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Weak keep. As long as it is just an expression of opinion, it should be allowed. The problem arises when the user in question starts acting outside policy. -
Mgm|
(talk)09:29, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep but rename. While I agree with this user that our current militant free-use stand may actually hurt both Wikipedia and the promotion of free content more than it helps, I do not oppose the GFDL as this box implies. And since when have we ever deleted userboxes simply for challenging policy?
Daniel Case15:57, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Obvious Keep. These heavy handed attacks on freedom of expression are the reason I rarely edit this damn encyclopedia anymore. Sheesh.
Jeffpw16:28, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep as an expression of opinion it's fine. If anyone actually tries to enforce something violating policy then it's perfectly justified to stop them, but it's not right to stop people from disagreeing with policy. Hut 8.516:50, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep for obvious reasons. Its NOT divisive or inflammatory...saying "This user thinks free images SUCK!" would be. Saying that one would not prefer it to be used if there are better alternatives is another entirely. Which is hardly comparable to libel on a real person's encyclopedia article.--
CyberGhostface23:58, 3 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep per my comments at TfD, as well as those of the supermajority who expressed their opinion similarly.
Jerry03:31, 4 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Keep There is nothing so clear anywhere on Wikipedia, "It is clear the sentiment expressed is contrary to current fundamental policy." I think this user box means exactly what it says, free images, the freer the better, are better all around, and images have nothing to do with GFDL--it's a text license, strictly a text license.
KP Botany01:02, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
If you think something should be deleted, list it for deletion. If not, let someone else who thinks it should be deleted list it. Nothing is lost by leaving such listings to discretion. Listing for deletion on purely procedural grounds is a complete waste of time. Remember that Wikipedia is not a bureaucracy (
Wikipedia:What Wikipedia is not#BUREAUCRACY). --
Tony Sidaway08:09, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment I agree. There is so much that needs to be done on Wikipedia, listing something to simply consume other editors' time, when you can't even be bothered to participate in what you list ("I abstain") is being wholely bureaucratic.
KP Botany19:12, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
Comment I think it should be pointed out that the "abstain" was only the
last step in a lengthy and possibly controversial deletion decision. And since the presumption is usually that the lister is advocating deletion, an "abstain" was a perfectly reasonable alternative in this case. Similarly, since it's my user space at issue, I'm abstaining; the "presumption" is that, if it's in my userspace, I'd like it to be there. (At least, I hope that's what the presumption is!)
Jenolenspeak it!19:37, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
This still doesn't explain why this page is being listed for deletion by someone who doesn't want it deleted. Why can't he leave it to the people who actually want it deleted, if they exist? --
Tony Sidaway19:46, 6 May 2007 (UTC)reply
The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the page's talk page or in a
deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.