Group 4 Dispute Results

Dispute ideas:

• Is Santa Claus a mythical character? Santa Claus

• Is waterboarding torture? Waterboarding
  • I've just skimmed part of the dispute, but it seems like a good, ongoing dispute that goes to heart of the Wikipedia ethos. I'm going to finish reading through and then comment. Also, as much as I like the Gavin Newsom question, I think it's not universally accessible. Ac 10:47, 7 January 2008 (EST)
    • Yeah, I tend to agree on that point; I simply saw the Newsom dispute and realized I could try and give a pretty decent answer to it, and figured I probably ought to. Kratville 13:46, 7 January 2008 (EST)
      • I was suggesting IRL to Kelly and Alexis that perhaps we should come up with some internal concensus before we comment on the site, instead of just adding our two cents individually (12 cents collectively?).Vhettinger 14:02, 7 January 2008 (EST)

• Is Gavin Newsom still Catholic? Gavin Newsom
  • I just put a comment in on this, since I happen to have my electronic version of the Catholic Catechism on hand. Kratville 23:30, 6 January 2008 (EST)

• Should info from the Navy be included in article on Gulf War syndrome? Gulf War Syndrome

• Should Harry Potter film entry be based on original British book name? Harry Potter Khoffman 20:00, 6 January 2008 (EST)

• Should non-administrators be permitted to rollback on Wikipedia?-Lciaccio 11:47, 7 January 2008 (EST)

Group Comments

• I think we should go with the "is waterboarding torture?" dispute. -Lciaccio 11:37, 7 January 2008 (EST)
  • This was orally seconded, thirded, fourth-ed and (I believe) fifth-ed just before class.Vhettinger 14:05, 7 January 2008 (EST)
  • Good stuff. Sounds like we have a rough consensus to move forward with the waterboarding debate. Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)
• Am I oversigning my posts? I don't know Wikietiquette. Wikitiquette? Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)

Discussion of Waterboarding Debate

• Overview: The Wikipedia debate on waterboarding centers around whether the statement "Waterboarding is a form of torture" should be used. At this point, the discussion seems to have broken off into a more meta debate on Wikipedia's purpose and the role of sources in forming conclusions. The big question for our purposes is how we can participate in the debate in a constructive way that might lead to a resolution. Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)
• Here are a few thoughts on the issue:
  • A lot of the debate is centered on whether "waterboarding is a form of torture" is too conclusory, given the contemporary debate on whether waterboarding is torture. It seems to me that the debate itself on whether waterboarding is torture is an important aspect of waterboarding as a social institution. If we think of users looking up waterboarding on Wikipedia, they will probably want both a historical review of waterboarding and some discussion of the debate over whether it is torture. I think the article should include a section entitled "The Debate on Waterboarding as Torture" with sources on both sides of the debate. Similar to how an article on evolution should include a discussion of the debate over teaching evolution in public schools, or an article on global warming should include a discussion on the American political debate on global warming. Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)
  • Currentness concerns: One of the philosophies behind Wikipedia is that the articles should be timeless and not obviously tied to current events. The waterboarding debate is very current, and ten years from now people may have forgotten the debate over whether waterboarding is torture altogether. I think a section on the debate could remain relevant, though, if it is considered a significant historical moment, rather than an ongoing debate. Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)
• How can we contribute to the discussion?
  • Should we weigh in on whether Wikipedia should keep the statement "waterboarding is a form of torture"? If so, what is our position?Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)
  • Should we contribute by suggesting alternative solutions, such as adding a section on the debate?Khoffman 19:53, 7 January 2008 (EST)