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 keep. Not surprisingly, especially given the precedent from the great userbox wars compromise. —Doug Bell talk 22:51, 14 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

User:MiraLuka/Userboxes/User onemanonewoman

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I nominated this for speedy deletion, but was told to bring it here. Basically, this userbox promotes discrimination and is divisive. It is also very POV. I request its deletion Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 16:27, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]

And if that point of view is divisive, or discrimatory, then it ought to be deleted. Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 17:13, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
And then our personal POV that same-sex marriage is a good thing will have triumphed over that of those who hold the contrary view. Funny, I didn't think that was how we did things here... WjBscribe 17:17, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
It's not, and you're twisting what I'm saying. I'm saying that userboxes are tolerated by the community on the basis that they are not offensive, divisive, inflammatory or discrimatory. This userbox does not meet those requirements and should be deleted. I would just as well delete any userbox that said "This user believes that civil partnerships are between two romantically involved people of the same sex", which is discrimatory towards those people who are agitating for civil partnerships to be made open to heterosexual couples. Dev920 (Have a nice day!) 17:29, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That argument is based off of personal preference and not on Wikipedia policy (especially GUS). On personal level, I would ask why we at wikipedia seem to favour the liberal viewpoint of everything over anything slightly religious. First userboxes about religion were blacklisted. This userbox expresses something that some people of certain religions believe in (and is endorse by, say, the Pope). For the record, I am against SSM. That doesn't mean that I find a userbox saying "This user supports SSM" inflammatory. Once you start saying no viewpoints on userpages, you might as well just disable them. -Royalguard11(Talk·Desk·Review Me!) 02:36, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
What's divisive about them? Now if there was a userbox that said "This user hates feminists"... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Dev920 (talkcontribs) 17:43, 11 February 2007 (UTC).[reply]
Ask a serving soldier whether they think advocating for pacifism is divisive or not. There are millions of people in America who consider feminism to be deeply offensive and divisive. I don't believe either of those things, by the way, but we either allow all legal viewpoints or none. Gwernol 18:48, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That would certainly lessen the offensiveness in it. But I have a feeling that the holders of this userbox would disagree with the removal of the word "only". AgneCheese/Wine 18:54, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Hmm. I see your concern, and understand it. But that doesn't have to happen necessarily. After all, the point is the same, while not being offensive to anybody. :-) I'd rather assume good faith from everyone, and believe no one wants to offend other users knowingly. Cheers Raystorm 19:00, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment I'd like to hop on the simplified summary below: "If content is not appropriate on a user page, it is not appropriate within userboxes." Is stating that one holds extremely traditionalistic views on marriage permitted on a userpage? If not, then I imagine we are in a hot tub full of trouble. For the same arguments (it being divisive) a traditionalist could demand deletion of userbox advocating same sex marriage. Or a pro-military activist find pro-peace userboxes divisive. CharonX/talk 23:02, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Comment Mentioning nazis, pedophilia and the KKK in the same breath as a box which (in direct, but inoffensive) words advocates the conservative view on marriage is a little strong, ne? Anyway, as I read this box it is not "this user opposes gay marriage" (even if it were, its a valid statement under free speech) It is formulated in a not-anti way - controversly a userbox saying "this user support same-sex marriage" could then be contstructed as "this user opposes the traditional definition of marriage". Which then would, under a objective point of view also be merited for deletion? CharonX/talk 22:50, 11 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
That's different, "traditional definition of marriage" are not a group of people. The way I see it, a userbox saying that marriage should be restricted to a man and a women is exactly the same as a one against same-sex marriage. Freedom of speech should never be offensive. Michaelas10 (Talk) 13:47, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I have to disagree. Same sex marriage is also not a group of people. It is a concept. And using you example above, a box saying that a user supports same sex marriage, could be then interpreted being against the traditional "only different sex marriage" which afaik a number of people still strongly support. How would you deal with a box that approves of polygamy? It is okay to say that you think everybody should be allowed to marry no matter of gender, it is okay to say everybody should be allowed to have severeal wifes or husbands, but it is not okay to say that you think only "man and woman" should be allowed to marry? That is somewhat counter intuitive. Just because a concept "feels" right and the other "feels" wrong does not mean the one that "feels" wrong does not have a right to exist or to be said. Because there will always be another person who feels the other way round, and would be entiteled to demand of removal of conecepts he "feels" are wrong - Freedom of speech does go both ways. CharonX/talk 14:20, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
I see what you mean, and I struck my above vote for now. Freedom of speech or not, Wikipedia shouldn't contain offensive material for certain groups of people. This includes racism, homophobia, nazism, etc. Although it doesn't seem to be very offensive against a certain group in this case. Michaelas10 (Talk) 14:37, 13 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
Even if this were a userbox that I don't like (and there are QUITE a few), I will still fight to keep it - userboxes are not supposed to have to subscribe to a neutral point-of-view. They are all about putting forth the user's point of view to better understand the built-in (even if not always spoken about) biases that we all have.
<begin rant>I don't think there has ever, EVER been an elected official with 100% "pro" vote. I don't think there has ever been a bill that passed with a 100% "yes" vote. I don't think there ever will. People, there will ALWAYS be something somewhere that someone doesn't like. If that person happens to be you, live with it. If that person is me, than I'll live with it.</rant>NDCompuGeek 03:49, 12 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • A few of things. (a) This is not America, this is the internet. (b) This is a private website of a private organisation, there is no right to free speech here. (c) "If we deleted this UBX, then we would have to delete a whole lot of others, too." is not an argument. Perhaps those "whole lot of others" ought to be deleted too. -- Steel 00:27, 14 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • "All userboxes that express an opinion or belief should go" does not follow from "I think this particular userbox should go", which is the basis of any deletion nomination statement. -- Steel 00:27, 14 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
  • Reviewing the guideline, you're right that none of them apply by their terms. On the other hand, the guideline is much stricter than current actual practice and thus of dubious validity since guidelines are ment to be descriptive rather than prescriptive. My "no valid rationale" could be considered a broader version of the second bullet of Wikipedia:Speedy keep which WP:SNOW and WP:IAR would counsel bringing into practice. Eluchil404 13:54, 14 February 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.