Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's "Wiretapping Act"

Re:Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's... by uomoinpolvere on Tuesday October 04, 2011 @08:45PM (#3073656)

Hi I'm italian, and obviously concerned about this issue. I think this could possibly be a game changer for wikipedia. I think the principle of neutrality has been put aside. This seems to me a political move. Please don't misunderstand me: I hate Burlesquoni and this idiotic law. But I always been very doubtful about wikipedia's "neutrality". I hope this move could serve both purposes: increase italians' awareness about their kinda-fascist government and make wikipedians think deeper about "neutrality", and its limits.

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Re:Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's... by tommorris on Wednesday October 05, 2011 @04:31AM (#3074781)

Encyclopedia content has to be neutral. But as a whole Wikipedia is not "neutral". We're pretty strongly in favour of free licenses (Creative Commons etc.), open source, access to free knowledge and against censorship. Hence why we don't like crappy laws like this.

As Mike Godwin (of Godwin's Law fame) said:

"I'd also like to +1 the thought that the very existence of Wikipedia is not itself NPOV -- it reflects a philosophical and political position, and one that just about all of us here agree with."

http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2011-Octob...

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Re:Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's... by fennecfoxen on Tuesday October 04, 2011 @11:45PM (#3074094)

This is entirely consistent with Wikipedia's existing policies on neutrality, because Wikipedia's neutrality policies apply to its encyclopedic content. The Wikimedia Foundation and participants in its projects have never been constrained by that particular policy, and are free to gleefully offer their opinions and pursue agendas. Indeed, the foundation is dedicated to spreading knowledge, and is opinionated about constraints on that goal.

No one has suggested, or is under the impression, that this notice is the same as an encyclopedia article. The encyclopedia article which ultimately covers this event will remain free* of opinionated statements, and instead describe the law, notable expert comments on its implications, the Wikipedia shutdown, reactions to this shutdown, and the stated motives of various participants, allowing the matter to speak for itself. It does not need to agitate for more freedom or pass judgement on the moral validity of the regime.

(* Wikipedia, being a product of mere mortals, will necessarily be an imperfect representation of neutrality. Nitpicking about this fact too much is minimally productive. People will do what they can.)

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Re:Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's... by SoftwareMaven on Wednesday October 05, 2011 @12:30AM (#3074226)

Just having a (as much as possible) neutral source of information will be incredibly valuable to to the human race. History has always been rewritten by the victors, and that is generally a very bad thing. That can't happen anymore.

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Re:Wikipedia shuts down Italian site because of Berlusconi's... by nefe on Wednesday October 05, 2011 @06:30PM (#3077916)

the news on the italian television had no mentioned this fact, as I had imagined...

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