Vandalism: Difference between revisions
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Sometimes removing critical links and references, big blocks of text, or reverts to material which is not false but perhaps controversial is called vandalism, but this is highly political and subject to much [[systemic bias]] and other [[community point of view]] issues; There are several cases which each need their own terminology: | Sometimes removing critical links and references, big blocks of text, or reverts to material which is not false but perhaps controversial is called vandalism, but this is highly political and subject to much [[systemic bias]] and other [[community point of view]] issues; There are several cases which each need their own terminology: | ||
*[[Sysop vandalism]] is systematic bias applied and reinforced by the [[sysop power structure]] - it only becomes vandalism when persistent [[ad hominem delete]]s or out of process actions occur, ''e.g. as [[Wikimedia]] authorizes'' | *[[Sysop vandalism]] is systematic bias applied and reinforced by the [[sysop power structure]] - it only becomes vandalism when persistent [[ad hominem delete]]s or out of process actions occur, ''e.g. as [[Wikimedia]] authorizes'' | ||
*Ordinary [[ad hominem revert]] is sometimes called vandalism, | *Ordinary [[ad hominem revert]] is sometimes called vandalism, and it is, if and only if errors (not just bias) is restored to user visibility. It only becomes [[sysop vandalism]] if [[IP block]]s or [[protected page]]s are used to enforce the sysop's view over the non-sysop's view. ''This is very common in any [[Wikimedia]] forum, and sysops are encouraged to express their own biases.'' | ||
*[[Sysop vigilantiism]] and [[developer vigilantiism]] are power abuses but they are not vandalism. They are more likely to involve [[libel]] against a person than damage to pages themselves, though they prevent some people contributing. | *[[Sysop vigilantiism]] and [[developer vigilantiism]] are power abuses but they are not vandalism. They are more likely to involve [[libel]] against a person than damage to pages themselves, though they prevent some people contributing. | ||
It is a common political tactic to call [[trolls]] "vandals" although there is a clear distinction between the two: one tells a vandal based on what ordinary end users would distinguish about the material; a troll on the other hand is a person whose view is merely offensive to someone in a [[sysop power structure]]; Neither has anything to do with the material's accuracy or bias necessarily. [[Trolling]] and '''vandalism''' are ontological distinctions, not operational ones - one cannot tell they have occurred based on responses or excuses or vigilantiism that they appear to "cause". It's a social question. | It is a common political tactic to call [[trolls]] "vandals" although there is a clear distinction between the two: one tells a vandal based on what ordinary end users would distinguish about the material; a troll on the other hand is a person whose view is merely offensive to someone in a [[sysop power structure]]; Neither has anything to do with the material's accuracy or bias necessarily. [[Trolling]] and '''vandalism''' are ontological distinctions, not operational ones - one cannot tell they have occurred based on responses or excuses or vigilantiism that they appear to "cause". It's a social question. | ||