A few additional thoughts:

This is not just a problem with paywalled sources, but *any* source which is 
not available free *and* online.  Not all of the sources that have been donated 
are solely pay-for-access; some of them, for example, you would just need a 
good university library reference section to access.  Yet I don't know if the 
same concerns would be raised about editors using library reference desks, any 
printed content for that matter.  Much print content is just as difficult for 
readers to verify, whether it is available somewhere in the brick-and-mortar 
world free, or not.  

A second consideration is that editors are instructed as part of these 
partnerships to use a free version if available, and to always provide the 
original citation information so that a reader can seek it out on their own.  
Some information, for example newspaper archives, may be available nowhere else 
but paywalled sites.  If we don't have access to them, then not only will our 
readers not be able to look up the source, they won't be able to read about the 
content in the first place.


Jake Orlowitz
Wikipedia editor: Ocaasi
http://enwp.org/User:Ocaasi
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
Wikimedia-l mailing list
[email protected]
Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l

Reply via email to