[Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
Hi, Someone brought up an interesting issue: is it moral for the vandals to be credited as contributors to articles (especially when exporting the article as pdf)? After experimenting a little, it turns out that deleting the usernames from the history removes them from the contributor list. While morality is a subjective matter, a more interesting question is: is this behavior compatible with the CCBYSA license? Say we have version A of a text, vandalised in version B and reverted in revision C. Then version C is a work derived from version B, shouldn't it credit the full author list of version B? Going further, say that someone with an offensive username (or even just an username unaccepted on wikipedia, such as a company name) actually makes a valid edit, which is not reverted, but the name is removed from the history. Is it fine to ignore the license just because we find some usernames offensive? Shouldn't we instead credit the user *at least* with a pseudonym? Thanks, Strainu ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
Answer to the first question is very simple - C is derived from A, not vandalized B revision. On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 11:24 AM, Strainu strain...@gmail.com wrote: Hi, Someone brought up an interesting issue: is it moral for the vandals to be credited as contributors to articles (especially when exporting the article as pdf)? After experimenting a little, it turns out that deleting the usernames from the history removes them from the contributor list. While morality is a subjective matter, a more interesting question is: is this behavior compatible with the CCBYSA license? Say we have version A of a text, vandalised in version B and reverted in revision C. Then version C is a work derived from version B, shouldn't it credit the full author list of version B? Going further, say that someone with an offensive username (or even just an username unaccepted on wikipedia, such as a company name) actually makes a valid edit, which is not reverted, but the name is removed from the history. Is it fine to ignore the license just because we find some usernames offensive? Shouldn't we instead credit the user *at least* with a pseudonym? Thanks, Strainu ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 10:24 AM, Strainu strain...@gmail.com wrote: While morality is a subjective matter, a more interesting question is: is this behavior compatible with the CCBYSA license? Say we have version A of a text, vandalised in version B and reverted in revision C. Then version C is a work derived from version B, shouldn't it credit the full author list of version B? Actually, following the same philosophy, one should wonder whether the person reverting from version B to version C should be kept in the contributor's list. At the end of the day, version C is an exact copy of version A (i.e. no creative input of editor C), and version B is a derivative version of version A, but versions C+1 and following are not derivative versions of B, only of A and previous. Going further, say that someone with an offensive username (or even just an username unaccepted on wikipedia, such as a company name) actually makes a valid edit, which is not reverted, but the name is removed from the history. Is it fine to ignore the license just because we find some usernames offensive? Shouldn't we instead credit the user *at least* with a pseudonym? I guess a pseudonym is the correct way to deal with this situation Cruccone ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 10:24 AM, Strainu strain...@gmail.com wrote: Hi, Someone brought up an interesting issue: is it moral for the vandals to be credited as contributors to articles (especially when exporting the article as pdf)? After experimenting a little, it turns out that deleting the usernames from the history removes them from the contributor list. While morality is a subjective matter, a more interesting question is: is this behavior compatible with the CCBYSA license? Say we have version A of a text, vandalised in version B and reverted in revision C. Then version C is a work derived from version B, shouldn't it credit the full author list of version B? No, the reverted text is derived from A, not from B. That there has been a version in between at the same place does not matter. Same argument in different wording: None of the creativity that goes into the vandalizing from version A to version B is present in version C. Thus, version C does not fall under the copyright of the vandal. Which means that there is also no obligation to honor their licensing restrictions, only those of the authors who are actually partly responsible for the final document. Going further, say that someone with an offensive username (or even just an username unaccepted on wikipedia, such as a company name) actually makes a valid edit, which is not reverted, but the name is removed from the history. Is it fine to ignore the license just because we find some usernames offensive? Shouldn't we instead credit the user *at least* with a pseudonym? Is it usual to remove names from history without replacing them with another pseudonym? I know of no such case. -- André Engels, andreeng...@gmail.com ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 10:45 AM, Strainu strain...@gmail.com wrote: Same argument in different wording: None of the creativity that goes into the vandalizing from version A to version B is present in version C. Thus, version C does not fall under the copyright of the vandal. Which means that there is also no obligation to honor their licensing restrictions, only those of the authors who are actually partly responsible for the final document. If we go this way, then none of the authors who added legitimate content in the past but had it deleted later should be credited. We would need a tool like git blame [1] to generate the author list. Not necessary - need not be credited does not imply should not be credited. Going further, say that someone with an offensive username (or even just an username unaccepted on wikipedia, such as a company name) actually makes a valid edit, which is not reverted, but the name is removed from the history. Is it fine to ignore the license just because we find some usernames offensive? Shouldn't we instead credit the user *at least* with a pseudonym? Is it usual to remove names from history without replacing them with another pseudonym? I know of no such case. Is this even possible? I only have the rights to do this on ro.wp and I see no option to replace the name with a pseudonym. I just select Delete the username or IP address and add a reason and the history shows the text username deleted crossed. And on the pdf export, I'm positive there is no pseudonym used. I think changing the username has the desired effect, I am not 100% sure though. -- André Engels, andreeng...@gmail.com ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the capability to delete usernames compatible with the CCBYSA license?
Andre Engels, 23/10/2013 11:10: On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 10:45 AM, Strainu strain...@gmail.com wrote: If we go this way, then none of the authors who added legitimate content in the past but had it deleted later should be credited. We would need a tool like git blame [1] to generate the author list. Not necessary - need not be credited does not imply should not be credited. Indeed. It's just a feature request, and an ancient one: https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2994 Nemo ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe
