User:Privatemusings/the blp problem notes

This page is intended to form part of an effort to encourage regular editors at Wikipedia that we have a significant problem with biographies of living people. I happen to believe that all biographies should be semi-protected, that non-public figures should have the right to 'opt-out' of wikipedia, and that flagged revisions should be implemented as soon as humanly possible in this area. This page goes some way to answer the question 'why?'.

In the last 6 months, Wikipedia has;

 * claimed a US State Representative "has shown no restrain in "throwing individuals under the bus" as part of a basic smear article.
 * reported, and then removed, allegations that a musician has been accused of pedophilia.
 * reported, and then removed, information concerning possible 'severe violations' on the part of a coach.
 * reported, then sort of tried to obfuscate information concerning a trans-sexual linguist
 * reported that a scottish tv host was a 'republican sympathiser', with offensive terminology.

Why this matters, and what should happen
What I hope many will take from the above is how woefully ineffectual current practices and policies are. I believe we're sitting on something of a time-bomb here, and we have a window of opportunity to improve our practices. Personally, I don't see the current system as sustainable, however even if you do, you may acknowledge that the above is wrong. Further - it's clearly a systemic problem, rather than individual editor's transgressions, and as such we should look to a systemic solution. Read the paragraph at the top of the page for my 'manifesto' - or come up with your own ideas - but get off your hands, take a look at the section above, get angry, and become part of a solution. Fix this. Privatemusings (talk) 03:52, 9 December 2008 (UTC)