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The Ghostintheshell Situation

by Researcher 00:57, 7 May 2005 (UTC) (Original of this Post is [here])


Why this timeline

As Ghostintheshell has recently brought an Edit War to this polygamy wiki, I am appreciative of those who seek to help in the matter. I also thank everyone for waiting patiently for me to get this done. I rushed to get this done by no later than this Friday, May 6, 2005 (here in the U.S.), as I had promised. (I am glad to have met that self-imposed deadline.)

I have spent quite some time putting together the following timelime of the situation. I did that so that anyone else may have a coherent understanding of all that has happened, all in the way in which it has happened. I also did this so that all of us at this polygamy wiki can benefit from this experience, by seeing how to possibly prevent such similiar occurences from recurring.

I understand that this will be a bit lengthy. I apologize for that in advance. I admit that I was not sure of any other way to offer a more concise detailing. I simply seek here to help Wikipedians get the "full story" of this particular situation. I tried to do so as briefly as possible. (At least, it will take less time to read this than through all the history posts itself! So, I've tried to be helpful that way.) I am genuinely sorry if there was a better way to have done this. If so, I ask for leniency for my naievete about that. At least I tried to be helpful here.

To simplify, I have also put this into subsections. I hope my doing that will also make it easier to read this.

There have been so many actions and posts made back and forth between the Article history and TALK history. I know it can be a bit confusing to follow the chronology and relevant issues.

I have simply tried to unify all that into one simple timeline here.


Throughout, I sought Wiki Guidelines: STATUS QUO until TALKed.

While I may have been mistaken to have innocently broken the No-3-Revert rule (WP:3RR), I think it is important to understand that there is an important difference between my unintended breach of that rule versus Ghostintheshell's openly self-declared intent to have an Edit War. That is, my 3+ Rvs were only done in order to be in line with proper Wiki Guidelines, which say that, in controversial topics, changes to the STATUS QUO are NOT to occur until they have been hammered out and discussed in TALK.

Here is the text of the "do not act reckless" guidelines which Ghostintheshell violated:

If you encounter an article on a controversial subject that you would like to edit, it's a good idea to first read the article in its entirety, read the comments on the talk page, and view the Page history to get a sense of how the article came into being and what its current status is.

If you are an experienced wikipedian, you will probably have a good sense of which edits will be accepted, and which should be discussed first.

If you are new to Wikipedia, or unsure how others will view your contributions, and you want to change or delete anything substantial in the text, you are advised to either:

  1. Copy it to the Talk page and list your objections there (if the material in question is a sentence or so in length)
  1. List your objections on the Talk page, but leave the main article as is (if the material is substantially longer than a sentence)

Then, wait a bit for responses. If no one objects, proceed, but always move large deletions to Talk and list your objections to the text so that other people will understand your changes and will be able to follow the history of the page. Also make sure to leave a descriptive edit summary detailing your change and reasoning.

Also, show respect for the status quo. Avoid making major changes to an article if a vote (or poll) about whether those changes should be made is currently in progress, especially if there is no clear consensus.


Polygamy is a controversial topic.

Ghostintheshell never followed those guidelines.

I have no problem working with anyone on the article. I am completely aware that I do not "own" this wiki at all. I only seek NPOV for it and an intelligent presentation of it. I would not have initiated a problem with Ghostintheshell. When they first posted, I tried to help them right away.

When Ghostintheshell discovered that their post was re-located to a more applicable location in the article, they did, in fact, "act reckless" according to the Wiki Guidelines.

I tried to get Ghostintheshell to TALK first. I sought only to follow the Wiki guidelines to return the article back to STATUS QUO and to then work out from there whatever issues Ghostintheshell might have. I was always wanting to work things out with Ghostintheshell in TALK first.


Ghostintheshell breached MANY Wiki guidelines

However, as Ghostintheshell's actions would reveal, I quickly discovered that Ghostintheshell was not here to genuinely edit the polygamy wiki. They were here to commit one of the Wiki Listed Types of Vandalism, called Sneaky Vandalism. That is, Ghostintheshell's "edits" were not for the purpose of genuinely adding content, but rather, instead, their purpose was to hide information and create misinformation in the polygamy wiki.

As the timeline will show, Ghostintheshell violated a number of rules.

  1. Acted Reckless
  2. Sneaky Vandalism - (How to spot Sneaky Vandalism)
  3. TWICE, Self-declared here and here to have an Edit War
  4. WP:3RR - The No 3 Revert Rule
  5. After being BLOCKED, openly evaded their block (and admitted it), creating a new username, TheRedandtheBlack.
  6. After insisting on "show proof," when proof-links were provided, obfuscated the obvious proof here and here.


Unknowledgable & Short-Term vs. Knowledgable & Long-Term

--> Ghostintheshell

Ghostintheshell openly admitted that they do not know important reality (such as the existence of Muslim polygamists in the West) Not only that, but in the last post made in TALK with their second alias, TheRedandtheBlack, they had also professed to not being 'interested in any further research into polygamy as I've already spent far too much time with this as it is. '.

So, what we have here is an individual who comes to this polygamy wiki "out of nowhere," does not know important information, refuses to learn more, and ultimately plans on leaving the wiki anyway.


--> Researcher99

Contrast that with myself. I have long been a researcher of polygamy for years. I have made significant contributions to this wiki and have worked out many issues with others here via TALK. Much of the current polygamy wiki is the result of my intensive contributions and work with others. As well, I am a long-termer for this wiki. I bring lengthy experience and research into the topic as well as a demonstrated commitment to maintaining the integrity of this polygamy wiki.

With my lengthy experience, I have also learned to be cognizant of the many sneaky tactics that anti-polygamists use to move their agenda forward. For example, anti-polygamists often attempt to get people to intellectually associate polygamy with side issues, so that they can persuade those people to think the bad side issues "prove" that polygamy itself is bad. (See Anti-Polygamy.org to see what I mean here.) Another example is anti-polygamists trying to use specific examples of polygamy that the West does not usually accept in order to then suggest that all models of polygamy are the same as those examples. They suggest that all models of polygamy are therefore something to dislike or despise. For example, there are issues and values-systems that are specific to Mormon polygamy and to Muslim polygamy which the West does not accept. (This is not my making a POV commentary about that. Rather, it is a mere recitation of an NPOV fact. Simply, the West does not accept certain things about those specific values-systems.)

I bring my experience in learning how anti-polygamists distort things as a way to protect the wiki from such distortions. Plus, I remain here to help the wiki maintain its NPOV integrity and remain factual.


Begins with Subsection, "How Polygamists Find More Spouses"

With all that explained, I now present an understanding of what happened prior to Ghostintheshell's arrival at the polygamy wiki.

After much discussion in TALK about how to best present 2Wives.com, Visorstuff (who is an Admin) offered guidance as to how I should approach adding that content. Visorstuff's last guidance to me about that was on 28 Jan 2005.

Grateful for the guidance, I took my time to do a good job. More than five weeks later, on March 7, 2005, I posted the result of my work, How Polygamists Find More Spouses.

The purpose of this entirely new section of the polygamy article was to both show readers that there really are serious individuals who actively DO seek polygamy as well as to help answer other questions that polygamy investigators also seek and/or need answered.

Most polygamy investigators are more familiar with reports of Mormon polygamists living in somewhat rural communities. And others have encountered communities of Muslims (even in Western countries) where the women do walk around covered up from head to toe. (Legal challenges over things such as driver's licenses and face/head coverings have also been raised because of such difference in value-systems.) Of course, while this is not to suggest that just because some Mormons may gather in a community, or some Muslims might live near each other in their own community, that that somehow means they are all polygamists. Rather, people often choose to gather into such communities simply as a means of having the bond of their commonality and to live their lives with less hassle from those (as in Western countries) who do not accept everything about their value-system.

That explains why Mormon polygamists and Muslim polygamists tend to gather in their own communities. It makes life easier for them to share the community bond with like-minded believers and to find women amenable to their particular religious basis for polygamy. They know that Western society does not accept their other religious views, so it becomes easier for them to be quiet about it and live among other like-minded individuals. That's a pure NPOV fact. It's human nature. Besides anyway, (from what I next will admit is my POV) I think there there is nothing wrong with wanting to be in one's own community, no matter who you are.

For most polygamy investigators, those examples are mostly all they ever heard about polygamy.

Anti-polygamists want people to think just that. If they can keep people thinking that their opposition to the other issues related to Mormon polygamy or Muslim polygamy "justifies" opposing all polygamy, anti-polygamists can keep people ignorant and uninformed about polygamy in general.

But I sought to educate wiki readers with a deeper understanding that other models of polygamy do exist too. That's where Christian polygamists and Secular polygamists come into play. In direct contrast to Mormon or Muslim polygamy, these other two models of polygamy have a completely different basis and values-system. Not only do they not live in their own forms of polygamous communities, but their values-systems are actually very Western culture-oriented.

Because of these two different situations, the subsection I created, How Polygamists Find More Spouses, provided readers with these important insights and differentiations. It does so in the context of helping the reader understand how various types of polygamists really are genuinely able to really find spouses who really are willing to be involved in polygamy.

Following that, I further assisted the reader with understanding how various polygamists from any of these polygamy models might find more spouses on the internet.

For writing technique, I composed that new subsection with a specifically academic outline format. The opening paragraph introduces & summarizes the subsequent paragraphs, etc.

After someone else made a quick edit, that subsection of the article stood pretty much as it is. A month and half later, it appears that the polygamy article was professionally written enough that, as posted by Lotsofissues on 29 Apr 2005, the polygamy article had received a Notable Citation by the Berkeley Journal of International Law.

Please provide a citation for the citation. What issue. Please provide a link, if it exists. If not, provide an issue number, preferably with a quote of how it is cited. I can't find a reference in the web page of the Berkeley International Journal, but newer issues do not appear to be online.Nereocystis 18:34, 12 May 2005 (UTC)

Ghostintheshell Arrives & Declares Intent for Edit War

On 27 Apr 2005, Ghostintheshell first arrived here. The first post deleted the references to Muslim polygamy in the How Polygamists Find More Spouses subsection of the article. Within a half hour, Ghostintheshell then added a separate sub-subsection in that same place for Muslims. (It also removed the "Conversely" reference that was a necessary segue.) Four minutes after that, Ghostintheshell made another short edit to their previous edit.

Later that evening, I discovered those changes. Noting what had been specifically deleted, it seemed to me at that time that Ghostintheshell might have likely been a pro-Muslim-polygamist with an intense POV agenda to prevent readers from learning about the specific reasons why the West does not accept the values-systems of that particular model of polygamy. Not having much time at that moment for doing anything else, I simply reversed it. I tried to gently explain why in my comments, How Polygamists Find More Spouses - Reversed edits back to 12:30, 31 Mar 2005 version for both NPOV and fluidity of this entire subsection of the article. It was my hope that, if this person was a sincere poster, they would take my simple action as a simple way to move the matter to TALK (if the issue was that important to them).

Unfortunately, though, Ghostintheshell would not. Within a half hour, they simply Rv'ed it, declaring, Rv - previous section on 'Muslims' was severely POV. About a half-hour after that, they made another small edit to their own addition.

When I returned the next morning, I discovered those latest changes. I figured it would be easy to just help Ghostintheshell here. So, I first reversed it back to original position, commenting How Polygamists Find More Spouses - Reversing Edits again (back to 00:07, 28 Apr 2005) for NPOV and fluidity..

Once the article was back to normal, I then sought to help Ghostintheshell. I did not have much problem with the specific content that Ghostintheshell had added. In reading it, though, I realized that it was much more appropriate to re-locate that content to another subsection of the article, the Islam section. So, in reaching out to help this new person arriving here, I re-located it to that more appropriate section and restored the original section. My move-comments explained, Islam - Moved Ghostintheshell's paragraph to this more appropriate section.

Four minutes later, discovering that I had not fully restored the original subsection, I made one more small edit to re-instate the necessary segue word, Conversely. My comments explained, Christians & Seculars - Geographically separated - Restored back to original for appropriate transitional opening.

I left it at that. It was my hope that Ghostintheshell would see that I was trying to help and that we needed no hostility between us. I hoped they would see that I was not trying to delete their content, only to help them by re-locating it to the more appropriate location of the article.

About an hour later, though, Ghostintheshell chose to become more hostile. They Rv'ed it again. In their comments, they made an accusation of POV the second time, Rv - section by Researcher99 extremely inaccurate and POV.

After that, Ghostintheshell then added another paragraph to their newly created Muslims segment in the then-altered subsection How Polygamists Find More Spouses. They also changed their former Muslims subheading to Muslims & traditionalist cultures instead. (One minute later their next edit simply added a single word to their previous edit.)

When I discovered those changes again, I was becoming greatly concerned. Not only was their POV becoming more insistent, but they, not once but twice, had then accused me, of supposedly being POV. Not just POV, they were saying "severely" and "extremely." In their first Rv, they had accused, "previous section on 'Muslims' was severely POV". In Ghostintheshell's second Rv, they accused,"section by Researcher99 extremely inaccurate and POV".

This all greatly concerned me that the polygamy wiki was being targeted with a seemingly angry pro-Muslim-polygamy poster trying to to distort the wiki with their POV. With what they were specifically deleting, and with their claiming that such a factually NPOV subsection was somehow extremely and severely "POV," that indicated to me that they deliberately wanted to prevent wiki readers from learning the fundamental reason why the West does not embrace that particular model of polygamy. I had gone out of my way to be NPOV and their posts could not be more POV, as far as I could see. The way I then saw things, Ghostintheshell was not so much interested in adding content to the wiki, they were posting to delete content in order to sneakily hide that NPOV information from readers. Of course, I could understand why a pro-Muslim polygamist might want to do that, but then that would still be their POV, not NPOV.

So, not wanting any continuance of hostility from Ghostintheshell, I tried to reach out again to Ghostintheshell. I wrote a detailed explanatory post in TALK, titled, [Muslim issue in "How Polygamists Find More Spouses". (I was the first one of us to bring this to TALK, even though I had been hoping that Ghostintheshell would have done it earlier.) I explained how their content was more appropriate for the Islam section and how I had moved it there to help them. I then explained how I was going to fix the article and move their two new paragraphs to the appropriate section.

With that posted, I next Rv'd the article. Knowing that Ghostintheshell had never yet posted in the TALK page, I knew I could also get their attention to do so with my Rv-comments. I said, Rv again to 12:30, 31 Mar 2005 -- See: TALK / discussion. I then moved their content, commenting, Islam - Incorporated Ghostintheshell's prior input into the first 2 paragraphs of this more appropriate section - See: TALK / discussion.

I then went to work to try to make my original content more clarified and even less-potentially offensive for Ghostintheshell. Based on the content that Ghostintheshell had been writing, it appeared that their "concern" with the original subsection was that it might not have differentiated enough between those living in Muslim countries and elsewhere. (For this explanation, I will identify that here as Issue#1). So, I sought to be helpful and help allay that concern. I changed it to, Most Muslim polygamists live in Muslim countries where finding wives and public-acceptance is open in their society at large. When living in non-Muslim countries, though, they otherwise tend to aggregate in their own networks of Muslim immigrant communities. I explained in the edit-comments, Mormons & Muslims - Aggregate in Communities - Clarified Muslim difference of living in Muslim countries"and not. I was hoping that this attempt to reach out to Ghostintheshell would show that I was not out to be anti-Muslim at all.

Despite my efforts to reach out to them, Ghostintheshell returned six hours later and still Rv'ed it.. Also, for the third time, Ghostintheshell made the accusation against me of POV. In the Rv-comments, Ghostintheshell wrote, Rv - inaccurate and POV statements do not belong in Wikipedia.

Ghostintheshell then made their very first post to TALK, replying to my earlier post there.

In very first that reply, Ghostintheshell continued to make accusations against me, using over-the-top superlatives. They claimed that my statements are not only extremely inaccurate, they are totally false, that I was blatantly spreading false information, and that content I had written was also severely biased.

In that reply, though, Ghostintheshell directly showed and even admitted that they know nothing about the issue at all. Ghostintheshell said, So-called 'fundamentalist' Muslim polygamy in the West and other non-Muslim countries is either so rare or, far more likely, non-existent. I've never come across any widespread examples of this, or even any isolated examples.

Almost an hour later, I discovered those hostile responses to my attempts to gently reach out. This person was being abusive, unwilling to try to work anything out. They were making wild accusations against me een as I was trying to work with them. In TALK, I called attention to the abuse, saying, Your hostile POV actions are now becoming abusive. I have tried to accommodate your input, but you want only to put your spin on things. I then quickly Rv'ed it back. Th Rv-comments were Rv to correct back to NPOV.

A half hour later, Ghostintheshell still Rv'd it to their POV way. Their RV-comments made the fourth accusation against me in such a comment, Rv - Researcher99's POV and incendiary comments are not appreciated.

He then carried those accusations even more over-the-top in a reply back to me in TALK. In their reply, wildly accused me of promoting untruth and bombast. Ghostintheshell declared, Facts are facts, and the fact is that you are spreading lies and misinformation. You are unable to back up your sources as regards to Muslim polygamy. (This would be the first time that Ghostintheshell would accuse me of not being able to back up the information, something they would do again later. It is important to observe that Ghostintheshell never once provided any backup resources for anything they claimed at any time then or even later.)

In that reply, the most important thing to note is that Ghostintheshell self-declared their intent to have an edit war. Defiantly, Ghostintheshell declared. You can revert as much as you want, but I will be here to revert as well.

Then Ghostintheshell edited their last comment] to wildly accus to me, you have shown yourself to know nothing of polygamy amongst Muslims. The irony of that accusation is that it is Ghostintheshell who has admitted to not knowing of any Muslim polygamists actually living in the West.

By this point, Ghostintheshell was violating 2 Wiki rules.

  1. "Acting Reckless" in a controversial topic by not leaving the STATUS QUO in order to first TALK about issues
  2. Making an open declaration for an Edit War.



Trödel Arrives, Rv's to STATUS QUO, says NPOV

At this point, this is where Trödel|talk first entered the situation, Rv'ing, saying, this description of muslim practice seems very NPOV to me in the Rv-comments. That Rv brought the article back to the appropriate STATUS QUO. (By "status quo" here, I mean, the contents of Ghostintheshell's posts were still being allowed in the appropriate Islam section while the How Polygamists Find more Wives section was back to its original form. This is the same STATUS QUO I had been Rv'ing back to. I realize that an actual total STATUS QUO would have instead denied Ghostintheshell's post from even going to the Islam section, but even I am not disputing that. So this STATUS QUO still allowed for Ghostintheshell's content to appear in the more appropriate Islam section.)

So, at this point, two people (myself and Trödel|talk) had Rv'ed to appropriate STATUS QUO. That should have been enough for Ghostintheshell to stop Rv'ing and start TALKING instead. It also would have been more in line with proper Wiki behavior.

However, Ghostintheshell violated Wiki Guidelines and actually Rv'ed Trödel's Rv! To do that, Ghostintheshell had clearly proven to be downright oppositional to all Wiki Guidelines. I repeat: By this point, more than one person had Rv'ed the article to the STATUS QUO, yet Ghostintheshell was still Rv'ing those Rvs.

A half hour later, seeing how Ghostintheshell had Rv'ed Trödel's Rv, I affirmed Trödel's Rv by Rv'ing it back. My Rv-comments explained, Rv to Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005. (Ghostintheshell is abusing system now.).

Fifteen minutes later, Ghostinthshell Rv'ed it yet again!.

I Rv'ed it back to STATUS QUO. In my Rv-comments, I said, Rv AGAIN back to Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005. (Ghostintheshell is abusing system rather than taking up the discussion in TALK instead, as according to Wiki guidelines.)

It turns out that while I was making that Rv, a few seconds before that, Ghostintheshell had just Rv'ed previously Rv'ed links. It was very contradictory and odd that someone with Ghostintheshell's protective and defensive Muslim polygamy POV would then would Rv some small-time would-be "anti-polygamy" sites. (Those sites had previously been removed because one even of the sites, with an inflammatory name, even says on its pages that it is not about polygamy, and because listing the other site would be the equivalent absurdity of listing the website of a Democratic Mayor of a single little town as a link on a National Republican Party wiki.) Anyway, those links rightly got Rv'ed in my Rv.

A couple minutes later, Ghostintheshell Rv'ed again. In the RV-comments, Ghostintheshell attacked me, saying Rv - once again, Researcher99 believes Wikipedia to be his propaganda tool for promoting only one-sided and false views

I have never believed such a thing as that and have never conducted mself that way. All I was doing throughout this situation was trying to restore to STATUS QUO so that we could TALK and find a way to resolve the matter, as per Wiki Guidelines. It was clear to me that, by Ghostintheshell's own admissions, they did not know much about Muslim polygamous families, nor about their existence in the West. So, I simply wanted to get the article back to STATUS QUO so we could hammer out whatever issues need to be addressed in the current situation. I was open to edits following a good TALK, but Ghostintheshell would have no part of that.

So, nine minutes later, I [Rv'd it back to STATUS QUO again. In my Rv-comments, I said, NPOV requires Rv to Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005. (Ghostintheshell is abusing system now, probably qualifies for being banned.)

Six minutes later, Ghostintheshell Rv'ed it again!.

Then, in TALK, I also responded back to Ghostintheshell, saying 1.You are the newbie here. 2.You forget that the West includes countries such as Canada, Spain, England, France, and others. 3.By your own admission here, you do not know of examples of what you are trying to remove here. 4.You did not follow Wiki ettiquette of stopping your edits until discussion got resolved here in TALK. 5.You have not once accommodated anything except your own hostile view. 6.You ignored the multiple attempts I have made to accommodate your input. 7.Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005 confirmed what is NPOV. 8.Yet, you continue to abuse the system, even adding irrelevant links already removed previously just to be hostile. This all shows that you are the one advancing your hostile POV, that now none of yours posts should now be allowed, and that you very probably should now be banned.

At this point, it was becoming very clear that Ghostintheshell was only out to be a problem here, would not afford any hospitality in good wiki behavior, and should probably therefore be banned.

I followed that up by Rv'ing it back to STATUS QUO again. In my Rv-comments, I asked for us to have a breather for the night, saying, Rv to Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005. See: TALK/discussion - ALL POSTS SHOULD STOP FOR THE NIGHT. I was trying to have us TALK this out, according to Wiki Guidelines. The place for proposing changes of controversial issues is not in actual edits, so I was trying to get Ghostintheshell to discuss them wth me there instead.

But Ghostintheshell refused to stop, Rv'ing it eight my last Rv.

Then, Ghostintheshell responded once more in TALK. While not addressing all the points I had raised, and claiming to supposedly not be a "newbie," Ghostinthshell stated, I am willing to discuss changes, however you have shown that you do not want anyone editing your paragraphs, which is not part of the Wikipedia spirit. 4. Finally, you still have not revealed any sources for your information concerning Muslim polygamy in the West, which is NON-EXISTENT. I will not stand idly by while you and other anti-Muslim bigots spread false information concernin a subject you clearly know very little about (Muslims and Muslim polygamy).

With that reply, Ghostintheshell had then made their second accusation that I supposedly had no backup information, even while he never once offered any for his POV. They also had gone over-the-top yet again with another wild accusation, calling me and Trödel as anti-Muslim bigots. As well, Ghostintheshell was suddenly becoming more focused on the new issue, their assertion that Muslim polygamy is non-existent in the West. (For this explanation, I will identify that here as Issue#2).

Anyway, trying to bring this to a close for the night, I Rv'ed it back to STATUS QUO again. In my Rv-comments, I said, Rv to Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005. Refusal to stop posting such POV edits and to instead resolve this in TALK is proof of abuse. - ALL POSTS SHOULD STOP FOR THE NIGHT

At this point, I was done for the night. For the rest of the evening, I simply was not going to have any more activity with that self-declared Edit Warrior, Ghostintheshell. I even shut my computer off for the night.

I would discover the next day that, seven minutes after I had shut off my computer, Ghostintheshell had had to get his "last word." He Rv'ed it again. Ghostintheshell's Rv-comments stated their patently false "agreement," saying, Rv - yes, I agree - all posts should stop as of now. (Of course, Ghostintheshell did NOT agree. By saying that, they actually lied about "agreeing" as proven by the very fact that they ignored my request to STOP posting and instead still Rv'ed it anyway. (But this is minor, of course, compared to the other abuses of Wiki issues here.)



Trödel Returns, Again Rv's to STATUS QUO

Nine minutes after Ghostintheshell's last Rv, Trödel|talk returned for the second time. In TALK, Trödel|talk posted 2 new TALK subtopics, preparing for new discussion on the matter. In doing that, it appeared that Trödel|talk had thought the dispute was about the difference in language between the (now-STATUS-QUO) version of Ghostintheshell's content apearing in the Islam section and the version of that content inappropriately-located in the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. Once done with that, Trödel|talk, then Rv'ed the article back to its right STATUS QUO yet again. In the Rv-comments, Trödel|talk wrote, Both of you are guilty of violating WP:3RR please leave article alone for a day, calm down and try again on talk first.

Because my computer had already been turned off by then, I did not see that Rv by Trödel|talk until the next day. While I had prevously been unaware of WP:3RR (the "3 Revert Rule" max), I had only made that error in the innocency of trying to restore to the STATUS QUO that even Trödel|talk had called for, and as according to the "Don't Be Reckless" Wiki Guidelines. All I was ever trying to do was get the article back to STATUS QUO and asking Ghostintheshell to discuss the issues with me in TALK. So, while I erred about violating WP:3RR, I only did so innocently in trying to be in comformity with STATUS QUO of Wiki Guidelines. In past "controversies" here, I have never violated that rule. That's because I do respect the rules of being respectful. The problem in THIS situation was that Ghostintheshell, a "newbie" to the polygamy wiki, and one whose own admission showed that they did not know much about the specific details or issues about which they were fighting, kept violating all forms of Wiki guidelines, respectfulness, and STATUS QUO. In all, I only wanted to start from scratch, the STATUS QUO, then discuss Ghostintheshell's "issues," then edit accordingly. Anyway, I have learned the rule now, of course!

But four minutes after Trödel|talk had notifed about violating that rule, Ghostintheshell ignored it and still Rv'ed it again anyway. In the Rv-comments Ghostintheshell claimed, Rv - I am only guilty of attempting to NPOV Researcher99's original section.

Within the next half-hour, Ghostintheshell replied to Trödel|talk in TALK. Ghostintheshell asserted, It must be stated, as I have done before, that Researcher99's original entry on 'Muslims' in his original section on 'finding spouses,' states, quite falsely, that there are fundamentalist Muslims in Western countries practice polygamy in their own closed communities, which is devoid of any factual sources to back up this contentious claim. If users wish to delete the entire section as pertains to Muslims in this particular section, that would be perfectly alright.

This showed that Ghostintheshell was creating a "moving the target" in terms of issues to solve. (For this explanation, I will identify that here as Issue#3).

In what I have identified as Issue#1, Ghostintheshell was upset that there had not previously been enough differentiation made between those living in Muslim countries and elsewhere. After I had sought to solve Issue#1, they "moved the target" to Issue#2 by asserting that supposedly Muslim polygamy is "non-existent" in the West. Now, Ghostintheshell was "moving the target again, complaining that their "issue" was the alleged reference to "closed" communities.

Also, in that latest post, Ghostintheshell was actually admitting their intention to accept/want any reference to Muslim polygmists in that section be entirely deleted.

Four minutes later, Ghostintheshell took that agenda to delete it all even further. In TALK, they posted again. Ghostintheshell revealed their true agenda, to obliterate the entire How Polygamists Find More Spouses section. Ghostintheshell attacked me, saying, Furthermore, it seems quite clear that Researcher99 does not want anyone editing his own specific additions, which is not in accordance with the spirit of Wikipedia as being an open source knowledge base. Double standards are not appreciated. As I've stated, his entire section is in dispute as it stands.

Now, Ghostintheshell was brazenly suggesting that the entire How Polygamists Find More Spouses section was supposedly "in dispute."

Myself, all I have ever wanted to do in this situation with Ghostintheshell was to TALK in order to hammer out issues before coming to a mutually acceptable solution. But Ghostintheshell was accusing me of suposedly never allowing edits to what I add to the wiki. (My history in this Wiki shows otherwise, of course.) Anyway, in reading this timeline, now, Ghostintheshell's real motivation seems to be more clearly revealed by the statement there of seeking to wipe out the entire section I had worked so hard to create. That made everything Ghostintheshell has done and said as now wholly suspect.

About 5 and a half hours later, Ghostintheshell edited their comments to correct for a missing word, "no.". In that sentence, Ghostintheshell therefore made the wholly untrue assertion that, there is no precedent for Muslim polygamy anywhere in the West, be it North America or Europe.

That absurd claim was simply a re-iteration of Issue#2. The falsehood of that claim also quite clearly proves how very little Ghostintheshell actually knows about the issue of polygamy at all. Interestingly, Ghostintheshell had previously accused me of not having any cited resources to back up claims of existing Muslim polygamists in the West, but Ghostintheshell was doing exactly that. Not once did Ghostintheshell ever provide a citation to prove the wildly absurd assertion that there are supposedly "no Muslim polygamists in the West."

The combination of that obviously false claim, with the revealing of their agenda to delete it all, and with their refusal to ever afford me any act of graciousness under any circimstances, it became clear to me that this person was attempting to foist a Sneaky Vandalism onto the polygamy wiki, trying to advance misinformation (How to spot Sneaky Vandalism).



Trödel Returns, Makes Rv's but with duplicative content

Anyway, an hour later, which was almost 7 hours after Ghostintheshell had Rv'd it back again, Trödel|talk then made a small edit instead of a full Rv back to the full STATUS QUO. The Rv-comments stated, Putting in both sets of disputed language - see talk for proposals to modify Unfortunately, though, because it was a smaller edit, instead of the entire article being fully Rv'ed to STATUS QUO again, this time Trödel|talk had NOT Rv'ed it back to STATUS QUO. While Rv'ing the contents back to the Islam section, Trödel|talk had left the rest of the article affected to still remain, including all of Ghostintheshell's inaccurate edits to the How Polygamists Find More Spouses section.

Within about a half an hour, I returned to TALK, and replied to Ghostintheshell. I answered some of the simple issues, such as how my reference to "newbies" was that some posters to the polygamy wiki are here very briefly and then they'll be gone tomorrow, while I have been working hard here for the long-term. I also tried to let Ghostintheshell understand that neither I nor the section I had written ever said that being in communities was somehow a bad thing. I further said, What you truthfully do not like in the article is the NPOV explanation of why people in the West do not accept that same value-system, when they mistakenly think all polygamy is about that form of polygamy. But you are trying to hide that agenda of yours by attacking me and repeating your vandalism to the Wiki. 3. By your own admission, you admit that you do not know of what you are trying to delete in the article. Just because you do not know of communities and networks of communities does not mean they do not exist. I further showed Ghostintheshell how I had followed an admin's guidelines when taking the several weeks in my constructing the entire How Polygamists Find More Spouses section, and how the polygamy wiki page was subsequently cited by [the Polygamy Wiki was cited by the Berkeley Journal of International Law], as Wiki User Lotsofissues had posted on 19 Apr 2005. I also provided proof from past discussions I have had here in TALK which show I am not here with an anti-Muslim "bigotry" at all.

A half hour after that, I posted a reply to the comments that Ghostintheshell had made to Trödel|talk. I opened by saying, The article never said closed communities. I also re-iterated how I had, on two occasions, been glad to work with their input. I then continued, As for "romance sites," 2Wives.com is a non-religious site that is for Muslims too. Your grabbing at straws to accuse me of things I haven't done. Your only dispute, truthfully, is that your agenda here is to hide another paragraph altogether, the one which helps readers understand why the West responds to Muslim polygamy in a not-so-positive way. I went out of my way to make that as gentle as possible, but your bias causes you to misinterpret that NPOV explanation as if it is "bigoted anti-Muslim" even though it is only explaining the "why" for readers. I closed by noting how Ghostintheshell and I should have been first discussing these things first in TALK.

Sixteen minutes later, I made another post to TALK. Replying to Trödel|talk, I said, Actually, this is not in dispute. I have no problem with it either. When Ghostintheshell added the information of that input to the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section of the polgamy Wiki, I moved that information to the main "Islam" section because it was more appropriate there. The only "dispute" is Ghostintheshell's vandalism to the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. Ghostintheshell is trying to hide information from Wiki readers because of Ghostintheshell's over-reacting POV. So, the purpose of Ghostintheshell's "disputing" is not about this information, but about vandalizing the hard work put into the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section of the polygamy Wiki. For more clarity, please see my comments on this TALK page in the section above here and in the section below here too. You may also note that Ghostintheshell repeated their vandalism even after you asked for it to stop too.

About an hour and a half later, I made another post to Trödel|talk, in the second (Muslims & traditionalist cultures = subsection in TALK that Trödel|talk had added in TALK). This was in reference to the version that had been inappropriately remaining in the How Polygamists Find More Spouses section of the article. So, I explained, the comments in this above-quoted paragraph are duplicative with the other one you just edited [10:08, 29 Apr 2005]. (Your edit there did not appear when I made my previous post on this thread here.) The contents of the one you just edited/posted there are not disputed. (Indeed, the contents of this above-quoted paragraph are not disputed because it says the same - duplicative content.) That content really just only needs to appear once. It does not need to appear in the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. Accordingly, I will restore that section, keeping your edit untouched.

So, I did exactly that. I replaced the duplicative content with the original stuff'. For the comment, I wrote, Trödel's 10:08, 29 Apr 2005 edit placed content rightly in "Islam" section, but left duplicative content in "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. So I Rv latter section to status quo. See TALK Because in all times previously, Trödel|talk had always restored it to the STATUS QUO, I perceived that Trödel|talk had simply made a simple mistake from the intent that Trödel|talk always previously appeared to me as having. That is, I thought that Trödel|talk had intended for a full Rv to STATUS QUO (as Trödel|talk had twice done before in this situation) but had not realized that this time that had not happened. So, in my making this newest edit, I was sincerely trying to be helpful to Trödel|talk.

A few minutes later, I discovered that the article was still not fully restored to STATUS QUO, so I made one more edit to correct that too.

Almost an hour and half after that, I tried to resolve Ghostintheshell's Issue#3. In TALK, I posted another attempt to resolve the "dispute." I discovered that my use of the one word "separated" in the original subsection had caused a misunderstanding of my intended meaning. So, I offered, ...I can now see that the use of the one word "separated" in that quote seems to have antagonized Ghostintheshell into misinterpreting it to mean some worse unintended meaning. I have no problem replacing the words "private separated communities" to instead say "individual communities". That is really all I meant when I first wrote the article, so it is not an issue for me to make that edit at all. I then closed, saying, It is my hope that this will resolve the current "dispute" once and for all.

I then went and made that edit accodingly. In the edit-comments, I explained, To resolve dispute, replaced "private separated communities" with "individual communities." See important 2nd section in TALK: "On Muslims in the 'HOW Polygamists Find More Spouses'"

Realizing I had used the term "2nd Section" in that edit-comment, it occurred to me that I could help others have easier clarity by creating a subheading with that in the TALK page where I had made that post. So, I quickly "Added subsection heading for assisting readers in following the dispute."


Ghostintheshell AGAIN Declares Intent for Edit War

Despite my efforts at resolution, a half hour later,Ghostintheshell returned and defiantly Rv'ed it all back again. The Rv-comments still angrily accused, Rv - Researcher99 again refuses to remove absurdly false information.

Ghostintheshell then posted to TALK. While trying to appear as of they supposedly oppose having an Edit War (which Ghostintheshell had created to begin with), they then turned around and repeated (now for the second admission) that they would do just that. Ghostintheshell wrote, I do not have the time nor the inclination to engage you in a lame, senseless edit war. But I will continue to revert your edits as far as snything having to do with 'Muslim polygamy' until you decide to stop spreading falsehoods.

Ths was now the second time that Ghostintheshell had openly declared their intent to have an Edit War.

  1. 23:55, 28 Apr 2005
  2. 15:02, 29 Apr 2005

Next, Ghostintheshell chose to remove one of the previously-rmeoved two external links which Ghostintheshell had been trying to put back IN to the wiki, so that now only one would remain. Apparently, Ghostintheshell had realized that my previous Rv-comments which removed those links correctly explained that that particular inapplicable site even admits on its own pages that that it is not about polygamy. But they still left the other previously Rv-'ed link.

Ghostintheshell then posted to TALK. Once again, they repeated their clearly untrue Issue#2. Ghostintheshell claimed, I've said it once, and I'll say it again, your original section stated, in no uncertain terms, that there are Muslims, of the fundamentalist variety to be sure, who practice polygamy in Western countries. This is the point of contention, pure and simple.

When I returned 2 hours later, I posted in TALK. I repeatedly asked to TALK first. I wrote, It is very disheartening to see that no matter how I try to reach out to you or to try to help you understand how you are mistaken about what is going on here, you still continue to vandalize the Wiki and to attack me. Honestly, you are now only fighting for fighting's sake. You are violating the Wiki system by repeatedly Reverting back your ideas before this is resolved. It should be Rv to its status quo until we get this resolved. I have no problem talking to hash things out, but it cannot reasonably happen when you hold it all hostage to your vandalism to the Wiki. I will Rv it to the status quo, and then we can talk here. While we do that, please do the right Wiki thing and leave the status quo alone for now so that we can have the conversation. I am willing to believe that you are only misunderstanding what is really going on here. I have repeatedly tried to resolve this. Please, stop the vandalism and the attacks of saying I am supposedly doing things that I really am not doing. Let's TALK. When you can make reasonable and persuasive arguments without holding me hostage under your gun of vandalism, I will have no problem accepting what is accurate, reasonable, and informative for Wiki readers. So, let's TALK. Please. That's the true "Wikie spirit" of things here and I have repeatedly tried to do that with you. I'll be more than glad to address your questions and concerns when I am no longer held hostage to the vandalism. I am trying to resolve this. Will you please join me on that? Let's start from the status quo situation and work from there. Let's TALK. (Because my post had somehow posted in duplicate, I then deleted the unintended duplication of that subsection so those posts only rightly appeared once.)

I then sought to point out how Ghostintheshell was making a claim with their Issue#2 which simply lacked serious credibility. So, in the Muslims & traditionalist cultures = subsection at TALK, responding to Ghostintheshell's previous post in TALK, I then posted If I read that correctly, you just declared, "However, when you state that there are Muslim fundamentalists in Western countries openly practicing polygamy, well, then we have a problem since not only can you not substantiate these claims, but they are just absurdly false and incendiary." Are you serious? Is it really your assertion that there are no Muslim polygamous families anywhere in the world except in Muslim countries? Honestly, am I really supposed to take that assertion seriously?

With those previous TALK posts made, I then Rv'ed the article back to STATUS QUO again. The Rv-comments epxlained, Rv to STATUS QUO so that isues can beTALKed out first. See '2nd Section: Way for Resolution' in TALK.

In the 2nd Section: Way for Resolution subsection of TALK, I posted again. I repeated the Ghostintheshell quote from 15:02, 29 Apr 2005. I then asked, So, am I really, really being accused of being a bigoted POV hostile anti-Muslim because I glady recognized Muslim polygamous families who do live in non-Muslim countries? I am still very willing to TALK about this issue, but this assertion is sounding alarm bells to me, I will also admit. But maybe I misunderstood, although I don't see how.

I then searched online to get some resources to resolve Issue#2 once and for all. Over a half hour later, I posted the following.

Supplemental to my supplemental: Here are two official Muslim resources regarding Muslim polygamists in the West.



I could continue citing resources, but I think the point is clear. If the whole basis of coming against me in this "dispute" is based upon the assertion that there are "no Muslim polygamists in the West," it really is not accurate to suggest that I am the one who is spreading "absurdly false and incendiary" claims here. So, it is my hope that we can finally resolve this issue here in TALK once and for all.

By this point, I had addressed all three of Ghostintheshell's issues. Issue#1 and Issue#3, and now, with these links, proven that Issue#2 is not true.


Trödel Rv's to duplicative version and 3RR-block occurs

Over six hours later, Trödel returned. Trödel put the duplicative content back. The edit Rv-coments said, Putting in both sets of disputed language - prior to proposing edits per talk.

About an hour later, Trödel then posted a reply in TALK to my post about duplicative content and why I did what I did. Trödel|talk wrote, Thanks - I realized they were duplicative - but put them in both places for now. I am going to sleep on this after reading the comments above and hopefully be able to propose something in the way of a compromise.

The next morning, I discovered that, as of 23:00, 29 Apr 2005, My wiki user account had been "blocked" for 24 hours due to the "No 3 Revert Rule" (WP:3RR). I had been planning on taking the weekend off anyway, so it was not a problem. I simply walked away until Monday, as I had been planning anyway.

As well, Ghostintheshell had also been "blocked" as of 22:59, 29 Apr 2005.



Final Posts

Evading the "Block," Ghostintheshell Becomes "TheRedandtheBlack"

In open violation of Wiki guidelines, Ghostintheshell evaded the block. Rather than accept the "block," Ghostintheshell created a new wiki user account, called, TheRedandtheBlack.

Using the new alias, Ghostintheshell, (posting as TheRedandtheBlack), made another post to TALK. In it, TheRedandtheBlack admitted to evading the block with that new user name. TheRedandtheBlack went on to absurdly try to deny what the links I had provided had proven. I had clearly resolved Issue#2 with those links I had provided, yet Ghostintheshell (posing as TheRedandtheBlack) still tried to deny the obvious.

A few minutes later, TheRedandtheBlack tried to further obfuscate the obvious proof I had provided for Issue#2 with another post in TALK. Here was someone who had more than once claimed I had no proof and then when that proof was provided, they tried to obfuscate it. Clearly, they were not here for resolution of any issues.

Finally, in that last post, Ghostintheshell posing as TheRedandtheBlack openly admitted that they really could care less about the polygamy topic. They said, "I am not particularly interested in any further research into polygamy as I've already spent far too much time with this as it is."

2 days later, I ask for patience to prepare this outline

That next Monday, I returned and said in TALK that I was preparing this outline to help all concerned at this wiki. I asked that all wait for the outline before making any official proposal or taking any action in this matter. Trödel very kindly waited. (I am very thankful and appreciative of that.)


Admin Visorstuff affirms Muslim polygamous families in West exist ("Issue#2")

Later that same day, admin Visorstuff made a post to TALK. While raising another issue about co-habitation questions, Visorstuff confirmed the same thing I had said in the matter of Issue#2 regarding Muslim polygamous families truly existing in the West. Visorstuff affirmed, I do know a number of polygamous Muslims that live in the United States. This to me is not unusual, not incorrect (if anyone wants documentation, let me know what kind - photos, certificates, etc.).


All 3 of Ghostintheshell's "Issues" Already Resolved

What this all shows is that all three of Ghostintheshell's specified "issues" had been effectively addressed.

  • Issue#1 - Differentiation in content verbiage made between those living in Muslim countries and non-Muslim countries in the West. Resolved here.
  • Issue#3 - Change reference to "private separated" communities to "individual communities." (Resolved in this edit here.

All that really needed to occur in this situation was to have simply proceeded via the Wiki Guidelines of starting from the STATUS QUO in this controversial wiki. It would have been very easy to have simply made these resolutions as performed above. There would have been absolutely no need to otherwise destroy the How Polygamists Find More Spouses and its academic outline format of information.



Ghostintheshell was a "Ghost - in - the - shell" -- NOT REAL

Ghostintheshell did not come to this polgamy wiki to get those issues resolved, though. As they openly admitted, they wanted the entire subsection eliminated. Their actions sought to cause misinformation and to deprive wiki readers from learning actual information about polygamy.

To repeat, Ghostintheshell had

  1. Acted Reckless
  2. Sneaky Vandalism - (How to spot Sneaky Vandalism)
  3. TWICE, Self-declared here and here to have an Edit War
  4. WP:3RR - The No 3 Revert Rule
  5. After being BLOCKED, openly evaded their block (and admitted it), creating a new username, TheRedandtheBlack.
  6. After insisting on "show proof," when proof-links were provided, obfuscated the obvious proof here and here.


Throughout this ordeal, all I had ever sought was to start from the STATUS QUO so that we could then address those specific issues together without sabotaging the subsection and article. Even before I got blocked, I had only been Rv'ing back to Trödel's original Rv's. Those Rv's were affirming Trödel's original Rv's. My actions were always about seeking to get the STATUS QUO in order to talk first, as per Wiki Guidelines.

I also sought the STATUS QUO as the starting point for possible subsequent discussion in TALK because of my lengthy experience with anti-polygamists and their tactics. I know that such saboteurs will try to step-by-step incrementally destroy one thing, in order to then come back and make the next sabotage. If this sneaky- vandalism/sabotage here had succeeded, the groundwork would have been laid for the next incremental sabotage. Then this would continue until the wiki becomes intellectually useless or gibberish, with valid contributors such as myself prevented from stopping it.

Ghostintheshell showed that they did not know much at all about ral Muslim polygamous families. They also acted with nothing but over-the-top, unceasing hostility toward me in everything they said and did. They disregarded numerous wiki guidelines. Those three facts show that this "Ghostintheshell" was not a serious contributor to this polygamy wiki.

Lastly, they even concluded they had no interested in polygamy past this ordeal anyway.

We have no need to take their Reckless Sneaky Vandalism or input seriously.

We have no need to formulate any new proposal.

We can simply Rv the article back to the STATUS QUO and correct any other properly-made edits afterward.

Plus, we can use this whole experience for how to deal with future "Sneaky Vandals" like this in this polkygamy wiki.

But we do not need to concern ourselves any further with Ghostintheshell.

The most intersting clue that this anti-polygamist saboteur, Ghostintheshell, was not a real contributor to this polygamy wiki turns out to have been right in front of us all the time. The clue is in their name. "Ghostintheshell" is a shadow without substance, wrapped in nothing but a protective layer, something that is not real.

I believe that we do not need to concern ourselves further. As far as being a serious polygamy wiki contributor, that anti-polygamist was not real, not really interested in polygamy at all.

Their name says it all. By their own name, Ghostintheshell was a ...

... "ghost-in-the-shell."

Researcher 00:57, 7 May 2005 (UTC)


Solution Needed for Gangs of Sneaky Vandals

(We should not reward bad behavior or allow misinformation)

As I feared when I explained the timeline of events of the Ghostintheshell situation, until Ghostintheshell's reckless acts of sneaky vandalism (and other wiki violations) are corrected with correct edits brought back to STATUS QUO, the result instead is to reward, welcome, and even invite further bad behavior. Worse, it does encourage other sneaky vandals to come and "agree" in a gang "consensus" to destroy the wiki with their collective acts of sneaky vandalism.

Now, Nereocystis has returned with a rampage of edits to the wiki. "Smelling blood" due to the presently-uncorrected edit war that Ghostintheshell created and whose account (Ghostintheshell) has so far been allowed to continue, Nereocystis is now "back" re-hashing old past-resolved issues from this past January (2005) - such as needlessly re-hashing this. From their edits and posts to TALK, Nereocystis's visibly hostile POV wants

These are just a few examples that combine to show that the sum of Nereocystis's participation in this polygamy wiki demonstrates their own sneaky intent for sneaky vandalism here.

So it really is no surprise that another sneaky vandal would "support" Ghostintheshell's sneaky vandalism.

After Nereocystis's edit rampage and others' edits, the polygamy wiki article has now become filled with numerous bits of misinformation. At this point, it starts to become overwhelming to start listing in TALK and then editing such an avalanche of issues. Of course, that method of overwhelming edits with misinformation (etc) is also part of the sneaky vandalism attack. That is, it is an intent to deliberately overwhelm with quantity in hopes that one or two sneaky misinformations might slide by without reverts.

The larger problem for this polygamy wiki here is that any number of sneaky vandal wolves can easily gang up, outnumber, and pounce upon a legitimate researcher in this controversial topic. This is now happening. To explain myself metaphorically (and not being a name-caller here), it's like saying that the graffiti of a gang of juvenile delinquents are more valid than one educated topic professor simply because the gang outnumbers the professor. (I am not calling anyone a juvenile delinquent, but only trying to make the comparison between uninformed hostile graffiti-ists vs informed NPOV.)

Many, many corrective edits now need to be made to the polygamy wiki. Yet, I know that, currently, these sneaky vandals (and others who will be encouraged to do so too) will continue to undermine any edits made. I have no desire for discussion or battle with people unwilling to work appropiately or work with honest NPOV. It is just too exhausting.

There needs to be some kind of policy to address this very serious problem. Unless such a policy exists, these matters threaten to fully undermine the value of the wiki altogether.

Researcher 14:42, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

(PS - I have never used more than one account in wikipedia. I used to manually enter my signatures. A little over a week ago, though, I did learn how to use the four-tilde method for signing posts. Now using that method, my sig appears to have changed, although the link always goes to my same user account.) - Researcher 14:42, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

Researcher, I am a system administrator, and there are other system administrators watching this page. I will try to pay closer attention to what is going on and lend a hand if needed. Don't get discouraged. If need be, we can ban editors for blatant misbehavior. And we can help you in discussions of content if need be. Feel free to e-mail me if you need to de-brief me on the situation, which I am still failing to grasp completely. Tom Haws 15:09, May 16, 2005 (UTC)

Tom Haws, I genuinely appreciate your willingness to help. For de-briefing, I would first ask you to read the entire
* Ghostintheshell Situation timeline. (It is uninterrupted [here.)
* the above post about Solution Needed for Gangs of Sneaky Vandals. (It is uninterrupted [here.)
I know it's long, but there really is no other way.
I will also take some more time here and try further assist you. In a nutshell, this past month,Ghostintheshell has been a clear sneaky vandal who has commited many violations of wiki Guidelines, including evading a block. I tried to follow the Guidelines of Rving to STATUS QUO so we could TALK first (to discuss if their incorrect posts could be deemed or made valid), but Ghostintheshell would never at any time work with me or accomodate anything I wrote or tried to work together on.
Now, a past sneaky vandal, Nereocystis's, has returned back here to give their "consensus" to the sneaky vandal, Ghostintheshell.
Nereocystis's arrived at this wiki on December 29, 2004, making this edit here. It was noteable what that edit was trying to hide and what that edit was trying to add. (In the subsequent discussion we had, I would later discover, for example, their open admission that they wanted to de-emphasize the actual causational fact of that case, even as their intended edit sought to subtly imply another. They want to de-emphasize the applicable fact of the welfare fraud in that particular case and instead highlight their anti-polygamy POV agenda of underage issues which do not apply to that subsection. In the recent week or so, I discover that Nereocystis has even openly shown that they have that anti-polygamy tactic agenda too.) In my trying to incorporate some of what their new edit had used (in my sincerely trying to accomodate them, of course), I then made another edit to that edit. This all led to a discussion in TALK which spanned from 09:36, 29 Dec 2004 through 14:47, 13 Jan 2005. As the conversation proceeded, it became clear that no matter how much proof I provided, Nereocystis was only going to continue to obfuscate what I showed and refuse to accomodate anything. It was clear that they were here with a hostile anti-polygamist's POV agenda. After my last post on 14:47, 13 Jan 2005 in that TALK discussion, in which I provided even another link to further prove the point, Nereocystis disappeared, until returning last week. "Smelling blood," they returned to re-attempt their sneaky vandalism on that past-finished issue. Proving beyond question what they are specifically trying to hide from wiki readers, Nereocystis even brazenly recently declared their doubletalk to keep wiki readers from knowing what most polygamists do NOT do in a sentence in the article that is very necessary to explain to wiki readers in that particular section. Only a hostile anti-polygamy POV would seek to deny wiki readers that necessary sentence. No matter that linked evidence had already been provided in that past-resolved issue, Nereocystis simply sought to return to re-attempt such deceptive anti-polygamy POV-motivated information-hiding again. Then, Nereocystis proceeded with an editing rampage to the article currently.
So, it is no surprise that one sneaky vandal, Nereocystis would affirm another sneaky vandal, Ghostintheshell. Actually, a couple of the similarities in their M.O. makes me at least question if they might been the same person. They both demanded that I provide linked resources and when I do, they obfuscate or ignore them as if I had never provided them. Plus, the matters are revealed in what they try to hide from the wiki reader and what sneaky anti-polygamy agenda they try to add. That is what makes the "sneaky" part of the sneaky vandalism problem.
I thank you for being willing to look into this. It is my hope that we can rid this wiki of the sneaky vandals and actually restore the polygamy wiki to a valid piece of information for wiki readers. I am mildly discouraged at this point, but I do hope that this can be fixed. Thank you.
Researcher 20:13, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

The bottom of every edit window says:

Please cite your sources so others can check your work.

I would like User:Researcher99 to do so. Please follow the link. I have opened up a disputed section of polygamy. I hope that all authors, including User:Researcher99 participate. User:Researcher99 is wrong on my POV. I want polygamy to be legal, as long as other laws are followed. I think that the US Supreme Court should allow polygamy, specifically in religious-directed polygamy. But my POV has no place here. I want an accurate description of polygamy, including the legal state of polygamy. If current Utah law allows the conviction of polygamists who aren't legally married, this should be mentioned here. If there are polygamists who marry under-age women, that should be mentioned, but the polygamists reasons for such marriages should also be mentioned. If participants in group marriage consider themselves polygamists, that should be mentioned. Readers should not be protected from controversies in polygamy.

Again, this discussion should take place under Talk:Polygamy#Disputed, not here. I hope that User:Researcher99 joins in the discussion where it belongs, sticking to facts, and avoiding character assassination. If changes are reverted, and the dispute page is ignored, I will request that the polygamy article be locked. I hope that this is unnecessary.Nereocystis 20:31, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

I am interested in having correct information in this article. I apologize for suggesting that you had changed your name, when all you had done was change your signature. There are multiple classes of problems with the polygamy article.

  1. There are a few cases of incorrect information. I want to change them, and I am discussing them on the talk page before doing so. See Talk:Polygamy#Disputed. Please join the discussion here.
  2. Many of the paragraphs in the article are long, rambling, repetitive, and confusing. I am cleaning these article directly. I am not trying to change the facts in the article, only the method of presenting the facts. If you have complaints about my changes, please address them on the talk page rather than trying to start an edit war by reverting the changes. I apologize if my cleaning up an article caused it to change its intent without a discussion on the talk page. Please list the items under Disputed, and let's discuss them.
  3. User:Researcher99 often considers changes to be vandalism. His response is to revert the change, rather than start an discussion on the talk page. When he is forced to discuss, he accuses the author of vandalism, and of a POV. He is unwilling to settle.

Unfortunately these changes make the polygamy article difficult to read, and less than perfect. Since there are multiple point of views on some issues, and Researcher99 refuses to allow these multiple point of views, this article is disputed.

I suggest that we stop editing polygamy and discuss the controversy until we can find language acceptable to all. In retrospect, some of my changes were more controversial than I realized at the time. I should have discussed the issues under Talk:Polygamy#Disputed.

I will address the 3 issues which User:Researcher99 raised under Talk:Polygamy#Disputed, which is where they belong.Nereocystis 19:04, 16 May 2005 (UTC)


I cannot find anything under the definition of sneaky vandalism which matches what I did. I did not change 1 digit of a date. I am not trying, or succeeding, in having no one notice. I hope that people notice and approve of the changes which are being made. Remember this clause:

we must be careful to avoid confusing sneaky vandalism with genuine corrections to an article

Correction of misinformation and grammar are not sneaky vandalism.Nereocystis 19:37, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

POVs

Thank you, Nereocystis, for declaring your POV. I think it might be helpful if we understood Researcher's POV also. My own POV as a generational Mormon is somewhat permissible toward polygamy, and yet I am at the same time quite aware of the mathematical impossibility of polygamy as a peacetime community duty, with severe community ills attending the ignorance of that mathematical impossibility. Tom Haws 22:33, May 16, 2005 (UTC)
Tom Haws, I finally had the time to get back and here share the whole comprehensive situation as it really has been happening here. I hope it is helpful for you. Thanks again. - Researcher 00:05, 28 May 2005 (UTC)
PING Tom Haws. I just got back looking to see if you had returned yet. Seeing nothing from you just yet, I made some quick edits, although more are needed. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks. Researcher 20:24, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Now for more POV-type information. I do have Mormon polygamous ancestors. My polygamous ancestors remained married post-Manifesto. I am no longer Mormon, but like all good card-carrying ACLU members, believe that Mormons and Mormon fundamentalists should have the right to practice their religion, including polygamy. I don't want to be be polygamous myself. I also think that gay marriage is a good idea, including gay polygamous marriage, I suppose. The Tom Green case is important because it establishes that polygamous relationships can still be prosecuted. This may not happen today, but could happen tomorrow. If a polygamist makes too many appearances on Oprah, he could be charged with a crime. Perhaps a district attorney running for re-election would charge a polygamist to get votes. This is similar to the anti-sodomy laws on the books in Texas decided by the US Supreme court in Lawrence v. Texas. A little-used law was suddenly used in charging 2 otherwise innocent defendants. Researcher99 may feel safe, but, if he is a practicing polygamist in Utah, he could be charged at any time. Researcher99 makes arguments about the low changes of prosecution, but it is still possible under current law. This is an important piece of information.Nereocystis 21:22, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

Thank you again. This helps in understanding where we are each coming from so we don't get red-faced in trying to understand the comments of one another. I would probably essentially disagree with every POV you expressed above, and that is good for an effort to write an NPOV article. It keeps us all honest. More specifically, I don't believe homosexual behavior--it never produces offspring--needs licensing and regulation as marriage. More pointedly, I don't recognize homosexual behavior as marriage. In my mind, if an ancient document says men married women, it means they commenced procreating with them with committed intent. And I view legal marriage as a necessary regulation of such arrangements for the protection of offspring (I would say spouses, but that could be accomplished with normal contract law). I believe polygamous marriages should be regulated carefully with laws that promote family health, such as for example, laws prohibiting polygamous marriages without the consent of all existing spouses and prohibiting entering a polygamous marriage under the age of majority. Now I wonder what are Researcher99's biases. You imply he may be a practicing polygamist. It would be nice to know his full biases. Tom Haws 18:23, May 18, 2005 (UTC)

Good. I appreciate a description of your POV as well. But polygamy (and marriage) is not about sex. 1/2 :), half real. Marriage is not just about about procreation, though these issues should be covered. Part of me wants the law to stay out of marriage entirely, but I admit that having standard laws with an easy understanding of contracts associated with the relationship. Most of the marriage law can be duplicated using contracts, but Nolo Press's Living Together Handbook is a big book. A marriage license is short, but has a lot of supporting law. I don't know Researcher99's practices; I'm just guessing that he might be a polygamist. If he is, I don't blame him for keeping this secret, even in the quasi-anonymous wikipedia forum. Unfortunately, in many jurisdictions, admission of polygamy could result in prosecution, though the risk isn't high. Regulating marriage, including polygamy, is probably a good idea. Throwing people in jail for violating standard practices, excepting age of consent issues, is a bad idea. See, we actually agree more than one would initially guess. Nereocystis 20:07, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

Since Researcher99 hasn't offered his POV, I'll take an educated guess. I think Researcher99 is a Christian polygamist. This is based upon his views of Mormon polygamy mentioned in Polygamy#Mormons_-_Aggregate_in_Communities, versus his more positive comments on Polygamy#Christians_.26_Seculars_-_Geographically_separated. His comments about Mormon women being forced into polygamy doesn't match the pre-Manifesto experiences of one of my great-grandmothers, who didn't allow her husband to take another wife. His sympathies seem to lie with Mark the Founder, a Christian polygamist whose views are a bit difficult for me to follow. Nereocystis 19:50, 20 May 2005 (UTC)

Sneaky Vandals' Anti-Polygamy Destruction of Polygamy Wiki

by Researcher 23:54, 27 May 2005 (UTC)


Setting this Warning to Help this Controversial Wiki

Because polygamy is a controversial topic, we have to have a warning on this TALK page for all.

As we have had sneaky vandals pretend and claim to be "pro-polygamy" while they simultaneously decimate the wiki, we need to have a way to point out their facade for now and for the future. This lengthy TALK segment seeks to provide one such way to "out" such sneaky anti-polygamists and to help protect Wikipedia in general.

"Polygamy Imposters" - Anti-Polygamists Often Pretend to be "Pro-Polygamy"

Any serious, unbiased investigator, who researches the polygamy issue without prejudice, will discover that there is a vast difference between what polygamists believe and do as opposed to what anti-polygamists accuse polygamists of supposedly believing and doing. When that research leads to meeting and discussing things with polygamists of all variations, observing the amazingly hostile tactics that anti-polygamists employ becomes a firsthand experience, even if investigators are not a polygamists themselves.

Typically, anti-polygamists are not able to argue the issue on its own merits. Instead, they resort to attacks trying to connect other issues to polygamy even though the other issues do not apply. This is where the manufactured idea of connecting polygamy to "underage" issue occurs, even though investigation yields the discovery of reality that that side issue is neither typical nor definitive of polygamy at all.

As well, a highly used M.O. (i.e., modus operandi) of anti-polygamists is to pretend to be a "pro-polygamist." They will try to put themsleves out that way as a means of trying to "gain trust" or "credibility" even though they are really only trying to play a game of "gotcha," rhetorical entrapment (even though their game usually fails for them).

Along the way, these "polygamy imposters" drop rhetorical "bombs" of absurd ideas. Those "bombs" usually raise red flags for normal people who are not (or no longer) opposed to polygamy. Eventually, the "polygamy imposter" gets so involved that they advance the "underage" issue. Right away, they have exposed their anti-polygamy agenda.

This hostile tactic of anti-polygamists pretending to be "pro-polygamy" apparently got so bad, that pro-polygamists decided to solve the problem. They created a passport system for themselves with a commercial web-site called, Pro-Polygamy.NET.

Even though that site is a commercial site (selling forwarding email-addresses), its explanation page does prove how serious and real the "polygamy imposter" situation really is.

It is a long-established fact. Anti-polygamists frequently pretend to be "pro-polygamy" in trying to sneakily achieve their agendas.

It is a very real problem. Since we have recently had some sneaky vandals employ those tactics in the polygamy wiki, anyone who would edit this polygamy wiki needs to be aware of it.

The next section reveals how using the "underage" issue often and quickly exposes "polygamy imposters" as really being anti-polygamists.


Forcing "Underage" issue "Outs" the "Polygamy Imposters" as Anti-Polygamists

Anyone attempting to forcefully connect polygamy to the "underage marriage" or "child rape" issues is a hostile anti-polygamist.

From an encyclopedic NPOV basis, polygamy has nothing to do with such things. The source of using that supposed "connection" comes only from hostile anti-polygamists trying to destroy polygamists, as will be further explained momentarily. Anyone with an honest NPOV would never try to force such a "connection" into the wiki. Additionally, any real "pro-polygamist" would never, under any rational circimstance, entertain such a hostile POV. (This is important to remember whenever we see a sneaky vandal come in to this wiki, pretending to be "pro-polygamy," yet pushing this anti-polygamy propaganda.)

There is a difference between someone seeing one case or two reported in the media and then mistakenly thinking that maybe the "underage" issue might apply in the polygamy wiki. But once corrected after making such a mistake, an honest NPOV would not insist on trying to force the issue. Anyone who forces the issue, though, completely proves that they are a hostile anti-polygamist, no matter how any obfuscations, sophistries, or outright lies they try put forth afterward. Only a hostile anti-polygamist would attempt to force the issue.


Normal Polygamists oppose "underage" issue

Here are some resources which prove both that normal polygamists oppose the "underage" issue and that anti-polygamists always try to falsely exploit that as if it were an issue.


Normal Polygamists try to be heard by media

Polygamists have long been trying to be heard by the media. They have repeatedly sought to make it clear that they unquestionably oppose the "underage" issue being falsely attributed to them.

Last year (2004), when a hostile anti-polygamist wrote a book called "God's Brothel," it used the typical hostile approach of citing a dozen and a half bad lone examples to slander polygamy to be "equal" to those bad things. When the book came out, a pro-polygamy web-site by the actual domain name, made its opposition clear, showing that normal polygamists oppose abuse, GodsBrothel.com.


Media Bias denies Normal Polygamists from being heard

With regard to seeing occasional reports in the media, those "reports" come from an exclusively biased media. That is not to say that lone examples of bad things do not exist. But the same is true for any classification, including monogamists. It is a media bias that chooses to only report the "bad" while neglecting to allow the good to be heard.

For years, pro-polygamists have been trying to get more media coverage but the media prove only to be mostly biased against reporting actual facts. An organization called TruthBearer.org has gotten some positive polygamy media coverage. Also, the polygamy op-eds and press releases at Pro-Polygamy.com have been sent out to the media for years now. (The Wall Street Journal reported about Pro-Polygamy.com days after a pro-polygamy press release was issued about USA TODAY using the arguments of TruthBearer.org.) Despite the media getting those media reports over the years and knowing that there really are good polygamists, the media chooses to remain biased in what they choose to report. They only report sensationalism or lone bad examples, while ignoring the normal polygamists who are trying to be heard to explain themselves.

A comment mentioned in the article, "Dateline commits slander", puts it quite well.

Showing the criminal examples in the unclarified context of representing "the polygamous lifestyle" is, according to Henkel, "as irresponsible and reprehensible as the media associating two individual black criminals with all good and normal African Americans."

It could be compared to a media in the days of segregation reporting only lone bad examples of African American males committing crimes, but never letting the normal good African Americans be presented or be heard for the goodness they really are. That kind of bigoted misrepresentation would never stand the light of day today.

Yet that is exactly how most of the media currently treat the polygamy issue. Such one-sided biased "reporting" of only the most horrible situations is the only reason why anyone who is not truly informed about polygamy might think bad things about polygamy at first. However, when individuals are educated with a little research and serious thoughtfulness, they quickly realize their media-caused mistake. But those who force the "underage" issue do so with deliberate intent: propaganda.

Here are just a couple more resources to demonstrate the serious complaint about such media bias against polygamy.

"Underage" issue is only Anti-Polygamy Propaganda

So, it is irrelevant if there have been lone examples of "bad polygamy" having a connection with the "underage" or "child rape" issue. (More than one of the above links even call Tom Green the "polygamy Tim MacVeigh.") Just because a biased media refuses to give normal polygamists more coverage, and chooses only to report sensationalism and bad examples, the "underage" issue obviously does not have a legitimate connection to polygamy - as a definition itself.

That all means that making and insisting on any "connection" to polygamy to lone bad examples, even where "underage" issues did occur, is the sole tactic of anti-polygamy propaganda. (As I have explained, it is one thing to start off with a media-caused mistake, but it is another when insisting on trying to force the issue.) That hostile POV propaganda is not applicable for a definition of polygamy - including this polygamy wiki.

Anyone with an honest NPOV would not be interested in forcing such irrelevant POV propaganda. So, anyone who does so is, in fact, proving that they are deliberate, hostile, POV anti-polygamists.

All of those kinds of hostile anti-polygamists, using such propaganda POV, need to be "outed" and banned from this polygamy wiki.

The next section reveals how unqualified sites which promote the "underage" anti-polygamy propaganda were sneakily put in to the polygamy wiki while those same sneaky vandals pretended to be "pro-polygamy."


Unqualified "Anti-Polygamy" Sites Sneaked in to the Polygamy Wiki

As sneaky vandals have recently pretended to be "pro-polygamy" while they destroyed the polygamy wiki, they have also managed to sneak in a "sleight of hand." In their hope of distracting others here both with their lies of pretending to be "pro-polygamy" and with their avalanches of numerous edits/posts, such sneaky vandals tried to sneak in their actual anti-polygamy agenda, "quietly" slipping in "anti-polygamy" sites without recourse. (The fact that they would do so further proves their sneaky vandalism in this wiki. It is also relevant that one of the sneaky vandals created their wiki account at the same time the links were first posted.)

This will explain when the "anti-polygamy" sites first appeared, who sneaked them back in to the wiki, and why the sites are not qualified for inclusion in the polygamy wiki.


On March 25, 2005, an ANON poster added a link to "Tapestry Against Polygamy" to the External Links section of the polygamy wiki. Then on March 30, 2005, an ANON poster, seeing no Rv of the previous "anti-polygamy" link, added a link to "Hope for the Child Brides".

The next day, March 31, 2005, I returned to the wiki and Rv'ed the changes because of their flawed basis for the polygamy wiki. My explanation said, External links - Reversed edits back to last version by Jpgordon. This is not a link list for merely-related pages.


Ghostintheshell

At the same time that those links appeared, Ghostintheshell had created their wiki account. Waiting a few weeks, Ghostintheshell came in to the polygamy wiki on April 27 as a supposed "pro-polygamist" (with a "pro-Muslim" persona). Making the very next edit since my last edit (that is, the one which had Rv'ed the "anti-polygamy" links), Ghostintheshell immediately sought to destroy another section I had written and to deliberately start and incite their self-declared edit war with me. (FMI, please see the other sections in this TALK page about the timeline involving Ghostintheshell's acts of sneaky vandalism.)

Ghostintheshell created so much distraction on purpose. They refused every and any accommodation I tried to offer to Ghostintheshell in their supposed "Muslim polygamy issue." They made numerous outrageous claims that I was somehow not being NPOV. They made obvious absurdities about some of the things they clearly had no idea about. For example, they admitted to not knowing the reality of existence of real muslim polygamous families in the West. While causing all this vast amount of deliberate distraction, Ghostintheshell tried to sneak the "anti-polygamy" links back into the polygamy wiki.

As Ghostintheshell's self-declared edit war was going on at that very same moment when they had sneaked those links back, I did not realize they had done that until later. For someone saying they were as "offended" as they claimed to be about their supposed "Muslim polygamy issue," there was no rational basis for them to have sneaked those two links back into the polygamy wiki, unless they are an anti-polygamist playing the typical "polygamy imposter" game of anti-polygamists.

Once Ghostintheshell's self-declared edit war reached its head, we both received a notice of the No 3-Revert Rule. Trödel made a last edit which Rv'ed the article to include the sneaked-in links. (It does not appear that Trödel did anything there on purpose except to attempt to help in resolving Ghostintheshell's "Muslim polygamy issue" alone. So, no blame goes to Trödel regarding the sneaked-in links.)

At that point (and as far as the time at which I posted this here), I would not make another edit to the polygamy wiki. I put together the lengthy timeline here in TALK outlining the situation as it had occurred with Ghostintheshell. On the other hand, Ghostintheshell violated wiki guidelines. Evading the block, Ghostintheshell created a new wiki user account, called, TheRedandtheBlack.

Soon afterward, Ghostintheshell seemed to have stopped posting in TALK (or editing the article anymore).


Nereocystis

Like a "tag team" player, that is when Nereocystis returned (from months before) and "took over" for Ghostintheshell. Where Ghostintheshell had been allowed to destroy the wiki article by it not being put back to STATUS QUO, Nereocystis quickly came in to fill the article with so much misinformation and edits with the intent of trying to make it impossible to ever get the article easily back to STATUS QUO even as Ghostintheshell was getting "outed" by the timeline.

Nereocystis went on an editing-rampage of the polygamy wiki to destroy the wiki even that much more. Nereocystis came with a supposed "pro-Mormon" persona instead, but used the same animous M.O. as the former Ghostintheshell, such as making edits in a way to hide critically important NPOV information, refusing any accommodation I offer, and absurdly making wild accusations of my supposedly not being NPOV.

I was already familiar with this hostile person, having previously alerted this TALK page of their abuse. Months previously, Nereocystis had tried to force the making of a "chapter out of a footnote", a "mountain out of a molehill." Using the same approach as Ghostintheshell, Nereocystis tried to delete important NPOV article content under the disguise of "making an edit" and then going off into wild and outrageous accusations against me of supposedly being POV. (The uninterrupted series of posts between the two of us in TALK occurred between 09:36, 29 Dec 2004 and 14:47, 13 Jan 2005.) In the initial article-edit they made back then on Dec. 29, 2004, Nereocystis had tried to use the "Tom Green" story as their excuse for sneaking in the anti-polygamy propaganda of the "underage issue" where it had no relevance to that partcular subsection of the polygamy wiki. That was the real agenda for Nereocystis's "edit" and trying to force the "Tom Green" story more into that section where it did not apply. It was crafty and insidious sneaky vandalism.

So, it was not a surprise, all these months later, when Ghostintheshell's self-declared edit war came to a head, that this other sneaky vandal, Nereocystis, would join in and "take over" (like a "tag team") where Ghostintheshell seems to have now left off. Realizing that I am awaiting an admin solution to all this horrendous sneaky vandalism, Nereocystis went on an editing rampage, to further attempt to make it unlikely that the polygamy wiki ever get back to STATUS QUO and re-started again from there. Nereocystis made so many numerous edits that now has destroyed the article, manufactured numerous "disputes," and filled the TALK page with so many supposed "issues." Using the same "sleight of hand" tactic of Ghostintheshell, Nereocystis purposely caused so much distraction from the real issues at hand, in an attempt to hide their real anti-polygamy agenda. The result is (at this moment) an anti-polygamist's "dream come true." The polygamy wiki article is so bad and wrong that readers are even now immediately alerted to STOP and NOT use it as a reliable resource.


Anti-polygamy "tag team" successfully destroyed polygamy wiki

The "tag team" of anti-polygamists had successfully destroyed the polygamy wiki (for now).

In the midst all that purposely created confusion of distraction, Nereocystis, just as Ghostintheshell had done previously, also sought to sneak the "anti-polygamy" link back in to the polygamy wiki. Not only that, but Nereocystis added the propagandistic false language to describe the link. That description had never appeared in the wiki with that link until then. Nereocystis is the one who added it there. Only a devout anti-polygamist would use such inapplicable language to describe that small site.

Secretly pushing their anti-polygamy agenda, creating distraction on purpose, the sneaky vandal "tag team" were able to sneak unqualified sites into the polygamy wiki. Pretending to be "pro-polygamy" so that they could use such fake personas to pretend to be "NPOV" when sneaking those links back in, they purposely created confusion and tried to discredit the experienced and intellectual researcher who they knew was capable of exposing them for their actual anti-polygamy POV.


Why those "Anti-polygamy" sites are not qualified

The polygamy wiki goes to a larger audience than little one-state or one-religion groups. For that reason, there has to be a higher standard for what qualifies for inclusion as External Links. Otherwise, it becomes a repository for any kind of "me-too" site. I have tried to hold the polygamy wiki to that higher standard. Up until the recent matters of the sneaky vandalism, the polygamy wiki was used as an intellectual resource quite well.

The two "anti-polygamy" sites that were initially brought in by ANON editing, and then sneaked back in by the sneaky vandals while they distracted the polygamy wiki with their other "issues," are Tapestry Against Polygamy and Hope for the Child Brides. Here are the reasons why they are not qualified to be included in the polygamy wiki.


Tapestry Against Polygamy

Despite their propaganda, the Tapestry Against Polygamy website is little more than a handful of ex-Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamous wives in the Utah area. Their only real experience and actions are about the specific Fundamentalist Mormon groups from which they left. They have no experience or actions with real Christian Polygamy, Muslim Polygamy, Secular Polygamy, etc. So, the disqualifier for not including their link pertains to both scope and scale.


Scope

The scope of Tapestry Against Polygamy is just too limited. They deceptively use a name that implies all polygamy, but they are only about (if even capable of addressing) specific Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamous groups. For comparison using a fictional but similar example, editing posters should consider the idea of a fictitious group of ex-Mormons calling themselves "Tapestry Against Religion." Even though they only have any possible experience with specific offshoots of Mormonism, the small group uses grandiose language in propaganda saying that all religion is evil and that they supposedly fight for people's freedom to escape all religion. Such a falsely named site, "Tapestry Against Religion," when it is only an anti-Mormon-religion site, would never be included as an external link on a "Religion" wiki. In the same way, such a small-scoped site that should more accurately call itself "Tapestry Against Utah Fundamentlist Mormon Polygamy" does not have enough scope (or credibility) for inclusion as an external link. The polygamy wiki is larger, encompassing all forms of polygamy. Beyond the obvious reason of the site's misleading name, Tapestry Against Polygamy's scope is just too small and mis-representative for inclusion in the polygamy wiki.


Scale

The scale of Tapestry Against Polygamy is just too small. They are a handful of women out of Utah, dealing only with Utah (and vicinity) related issues of specific Fundamentalist Mormon Polygamous groups. For that, they are just too small scale. For comparison using a different topic, editing posters should consider what would apply in the following similiar situation. Consider one single state's Democratic Party web-site. Even though they oppose the Republican Party, their one-state site would be too small in scale for inclusion as an External Link on a wiki for the U.S. national Republican Party. The polygamy wiki is larger, encompassing issues beyond Utah. Tapestry Against Polygamy's scale is also too small for inclusion in the polygamy wiki.


Hope for the Child Brides

With its very name itself, the Hope for the Child Brides website is so extremely inflammatory that it could even be legitimately identified as being hate speech. Also, when you click the "enter" link, the opening page claims that they "are not activists against polygamy" and that their "purpose is not to eliminate it." So, the disqualifier for not including their link pertains to both inflammatory generalization and self-admitted irrelevance.


Inflammatory generalization

With a name like Hope for the Child Brides, it is clearly a propaganda site. Connecting the "child brides" issue to polygamy is the exclusive invention of anti-polygamist propaganda. The very few examples of any alleged "connection" where polygamists are involved with that issue are as limited in scale as it would be in scale to any "connection" with monogamists. As honest research of pro-polygamy perspectives proves, most polygamists oppose the "connection" and the issue. The site makes no recognition of that fact. It only generalizes the propaganda and implication that all polygamy in general somehow "involves child brides." That generalization is outright fiction, being made from a website based in one small geographic area. It could even be called hate speech because the name and suggestion deliberately inflames people to violently hate polygamists for something that most polygamists actually never do or support. For comparison using a fictional but similar example, editing posters should consider the idea of a fictitious group called "Hope for the Raped Little Boys" having a link placed on the "Homosexuality" wiki, with an extremely inflammatory domain name, called "RapedBoys.org." That kind of a "hate speech" site, making that kind of offensive hostile suggested "connection" to all homosexuality would never be allowed in that wiki. For the same reason, Hope for the Child Brides is just too inflammatory and "hate speech" for inclusion in the polygamy wiki.


Self-admitted Irrelevance

The Hope for the Child Brides website self-admits that they want readers to believe that they are somehow not about polygamy, even as they target and market themselves exclusively toward polygamy. For comparison using a fictional but similar example, editing posters should consider the idea of a fictitious group called Hope for the Priest-raped victims having a link placed as an External Link on a "Catholicism" wiki. The group generalizes and targets all Catholic priests as if all of Catholicism and priests are about boy-rapists while claiming that their little fictitous group is "not about Catholicism." They are self-admittedly irrelevant to "Catholicism," but if their link was included, its mere existence would generalize an utterly false implication about all Catholicism. In the same way, Hope for the Child Brides is self-admittedly irrelevant and has no legitimacy for placement in the polygamy wiki.


Pushing these "Anti-polygamy" Sites promotes "Underage" Propaganda

Both of the sneaky vandals have promoted these sites, knowingly pushing the "underage" propaganda. Ghostintheshell sneaked both links back in to the polygamy wiki. While Nereocystis only sneaked the Tapestry Against Polygamy site back in, Nereocystis did not have to sneak the other more obvious "underage" propaganda site because it was already there. However, that does not mean that Nereocystis was not trying to push the "underage" agenda. Actually, Nereocystis tried to more openly force that "underage" propaganda even more openly than Ghostintheshell, as seen here and here.


All the Sneaky Vandalism should be Rv'd back to STATUS QUO

Ghostintheshell's supposed "issues" were Resolved anyway

Since all three of Ghostintheshell's supposed "issues" were already resolved, the polygamy wiki was destroyed when their sneaky vandalisms were allowed to remain.


Nereocystis's Edit-Rampage Manufactured "Disputes" to Falsely Justify STOPPING the Wiki

When Nereocystis next "took over" in the sneaky vandalism "tag team," Nereocystis's edit-rampage manufactured many make-believe "disputes" solely for the purpose of creating a false "justification" to add the Disputed line to the polyamy wiki. That effectively "STOPPED" readers from using the polygamy article as a trusted source again.


Wiki Guidelines call for STATUS QUO anyway

Because all three of Ghostintheshell's supposed "issues" were already resolved, and because Nereocystis's edit-rampage manufactured supposed "disputes" to justify "STOPPING" the wiki, all of their combined sneaky vandalisms should be Rv'ed back to STATUS QUO. If not, then bad behavior has been rewarded.

Rv'ng back to STATUS QUO is the Wiki Guideline about not acting reckless in controversial topics anyway. After Rv'ing back to STATUS QUO, any of the few other changes made by others over the last few weeks could then also be addressed, if they would reasonably still apply. That would not be a problem. The solution, though, is to start from an original STATUS QUO and work back from there.

However, to start fixing this mess, the polygamy wiki needs to be free of the sneaky vandals.



For Wikipedia's Sake, We Must Stop the Sneaky Vandals

I have donated all this time of mine to write out all this here because I believe it is critically important for the credibility of Wikipedia as a whole. It is essential that we stop the sneaky vandals.


Foxtrot Comic Equally Notes Wikipedia's "Sneaky Vandal Problem"

I am not the only one who realizes this serious problem.

On Saturday morning, May 7, 2005, I saw the following very applicable comic cartoon. The Foxtrot comic cartoon shows a person sneakily vandalizing a wiki in Wikipedia.

(At the time I write this, that comic cartoon even appears in the Foxtrot wiki.)

That comic appeared in the newspaper the very next morning after I had posted the lengthy The Ghostintheshell Situation timeline to this TALK page. While I do find the amazing co-incidence of that timing as somewhat humorous, the comic itself reveals a sad issue. Wikipedia's credibility could eventually be destroyed, and the entire wiki concept could fade away as a temporary fad, if the problem of sneaky vandals is not solved. Seeing that comic, I immediately realize that I am not alone in that realization.

Truly, that Foxtrot comic applies quite well to what the anti-polygamy sneaky vandals have done to this polygamy wiki.


So, I share my Intellectual Assets to Protect Wikipedia

It is my hope that the wealth of my demonstrated experience, topical research, and thoroughness repeatedly shown here in the polygamy wiki can eventually restore this wiki to factual NPOV information.

I tried to accommodate and work with the sneaky vandals while they never once reciprocated, both deliberately seeking only to completely obliterate important NPOV content I had written. I brought many years of research while the sneaky vandals openly admit to not knowing critically important NPOV facts. I have tried to follow the Wiki guidelines of getting the article back to STATUS QUO so that discussion could proceed from there, but the sneaky vandals only sought to ensure that the wiki is destroyed (as it has rcently so become). I have patiently taken my time to present well-thought-out explanations here in TALK while the sneaky vandals have caused so much distraction with numerous arguing and purported "disputes" all over the place. I have cited sources, while the sneaky vandals have tried to deny or obfuscate them. I have presented comprehensive timelines with supportive wiki-links to prove all things noted, while the sneaky vandals have filled many words with unsupported accusations.

I came to Wikipedia as a long-time researcher from among serious intellectuals, willing to share information and talk with any reasonable person. However, the sneaky vandals have acted with so identical a modus operbndi that they are problably the same person or group of anti-polygamsts working together, deliberately trying to destroy the wiki.

As I have said before, what has happened to me and the information I have shared here in the polygamy wiki is very metaphorically similar to a professor being attacked by juvenile delinquents. A wealth of researched information having been shared by a topic-educated professor is destroyed and sabotaged by the grafitti of juvenile delinquents, such graffiti-ists who have no intention of letting anyone read actual qualitative information.

For that reason, it is clear that, just as one can never (and must never) "negotiate with terrorists," or deal with anti-polygamists pretending to be "pro-polygamy," it is just as useless to waste one's time trying to accommodate the unaccommodating and proven sneaky vandals.

I have shared my demonstrated intellectual assets in hope of helping Wikipedia.


Intellectual Researchers must not be Sabotaged by Sneaky Vandals

What now happens, though, will reveal the kind of editing posters that Wikipedia wants to attract, intellectual researchers or sneaky vandals.

For the sake of Wikipedia, intellectual researchers must not be sabotaged and sneaky vandals must be banned.


Let's Solve This and Protect Wikipedia's Future

It is my hope that the intellectualism and experiential insights which I have shared here might work forward in a positive direction for Wikipedia. By solving this sneaky vandalism problem, we can overcome Wikipedia's potential diminishing-credibility problem that would consequently arise otherwise (as indirectly observed and lesson-learned by the Foxtrot comic).

Maybe one day, we can all look back and see that both this situation in the polygamy wiki (amd perhaps any other wikis where this has happened) and the Foxtrot comic combined to make a simple wake-up call to fix and improve things.

So let's solve this once and for all. Let's make sure that Wikipedia is not some fad that is on its way out because no one can trust its information.

Instead, let's solve this sneaky vandalism problem and make Wikipedia stronger!

Researcher 23:54, 27 May 2005 (UTC)

Use Talk:Polygamy#Disputed, please

If there are sections of the main article you wish to dispute, please use Talk:Polygamy#Disputed. This is the standard Wikipedia method, as described in Wikipedia:Accuracy_dispute. Please also read Wikipedia:NPOV_dispute. When you mention items under dispute, please discuss the text of the disputed items. Do not use ad hominem attacks. Stop talking about sneaky vandals and discuss the text and the facts. We can discuss the issues one at a time under the Disputed section. Nereocystis 22:16, 31 May 2005 (UTC)

Polygamy is about marriage, not sex

When making edits on the polygamy article, it is important that the post understand that polygamy is about marriage, not sex. Only those who do not know about polygamy are the ones who think it is about sex. Those who do know what polyyamy is about, know it is not about the sex.

Also, many things which actually apply to polyamory are being posted as if it is about polygamy. Doing so is incorrect. Before posting such things to the polygamy article, posters should make sure that it is only about polygamy.

Lastly, for NPOV, it is irrelevant to make any reference to group sex. To say that polygamy "may or may not" involve that is as irrelevant as it would be to say that monogamy may or may not involve that. It would also be as biased as saying "Christianity may or may not involve devil worship." To even imply that hint is to display a bias toward thinking that polygamy supposedly does mean "group sex," when it does not. Again, only those who do not really know anything about polygamy would assert that polygamy has anything to do with that.

Wikipedia posts are supposed to be NPOV. Please make sure such posts stay that way.

That's fine, but what I wrote in "Bisexuality and polyamory" was no more sex-oriented than the version that preceded it, to which you then reverted. My interest was not in adding or removing information from the article, but to remove the mistaken claim that such relationships are novel and to improve on some awkward phrasing.
For instance, "this uncommon form is simply the means to an end for individuals seeking this kind of polyamory relationship" is pretty much meaningless. *Any* relationship could be described as "the means to an end for individuals seeking this kind of relationship".
If sex is irrelevant to this article, then it seems to me that the whole section is superfluous; ignoring sexual arrangements, all it says is "some people have multiple spouses", which adds nothing to what's already been written. Why not remove it entirely? --Calair 02:26, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)
You did a good job of simplifying, Calair -- especially given that you were working with what was already there. If the segment is indeed to even be kept, then, for clarity, the paragraph needed to begin with the opening clause and to close with the last sentence. (Like you reasonably ask, I am not sure if it will indeed stay, but we'll see.)
For it to stay, though, readers need to be informed right off the bat that what then follows is not what most polygamists do. The concluding sentence explains the polyamorists' motivation in that situtaion so as to help the reader further understand why it is not typical of actual polygamy. Frankly, I am with you, as I am inclined to think that the topic of this section may be more appropriate only for the polyamory listing instead.
Finally, the point of my talk-post here was also for preceding a removal of another sentence elsewhere in the article -- where someone was trying to suggest that polygamy may possibly involve group sex. That one and other similar posts in the article have been suggesting things about polygamy which are only steroetypical misinformation. So, this talk-post was not saying that about your post.
I generally liked the simplification you made (such as in grammar), and I only corrected the portions where necessary. But you did fine. Thanks. -- Researcher99
Ah, right. Misunderstanding was my fault - I looked at your two edits combined, and only saw the explanation for the second. I still feel the final sentence is superfluous, though - the point that this isn't typical of polyamory has already been made, and doesn't need to be made again. The repetition seems unnecessarily defensive.
There are some grammatical issues, but honestly, polyamory already covers much of this, and I think it's easier to shift the rest there. Will replace with a little bit on the distinction between polyamory and polygamy. --Calair 23:55, 27 Nov 2004 (UTC)
I understand. I had actually solved your last concen by adding, "polyamory relationship." However, the issue is moot now that it is all removed anyway. Good job. -- Researcher99
Why was the section on the Oneida Community removed? It might not have been a typical form of polygamy, but each member of the community certainly had multiple spouses; as such, it fits the definition of 'polygamy' rather better than it fits 'polyamory'.
Also, rather than directing 'group sex' examples to polyamory, please point them instead to group sex. There is some overlap between the two terms, but they're not interchangeable. --Calair 13:17, 29 Nov 2004 (UTC)
I can understand why and how someone might make that simple mistake. "Group marriage" does not meet the definition of polygamy, as it is neither polygyny nor polyandry. Instead, it is a unique concept completely on its own and separate from polygamy. Just as monogamy means one with one, polygamy means one with many. Hence, in polygamy, there is either one husband with many wives (polygyny) or one wife with many husbands (polyandry). On top of that, just as one would not start listing off Jim Jones' group or David Koresh's group as examples for defining Christianity, listing off very rare and fluke isolated examples of off-topic possibilities is similarly not applicable in a definition for polygamy. But it doesn't matter anyway because "group marriage" is not polygamy; the point is moot. Again, though, I do understand how one can make that mistake. Your help is very much appreciated.
On your recommendation about not referring 'group sex' examples to polyamory, but to group sex instead, I agree. Thank you for the very good idea on that. -- Researcher99
As it stands, the article defines polygamy as "a marital practice in which a person has more than one spouse simultaneously". Merriam-Webster similarly defines it as "marriage in which a spouse of either sex may have more than one mate at the same time". Neither of those definitions require or even suggest that only *one* person within the marriage may have multiple spouses.
The rarity of group marriages in comparison to "one-to-several" marriages inevitably means that 'polygamy' is most commonly used for the latter, but Googling shows that it is also used for the former. For instance, the | Columbia Electronic Encyclopaedia describes the OC's complex marriage as 'a form of polygamy'.
Wikipedia's role is to reflect usage, not dictate it. If dictionary definitions, usage, and even the article's own definition encompass "several-to-several" forms of marriage, then it seems that the article should acknowledge group marriages as a form of polygamy.
I think I see a possible compromise, though - will have a stab at this on the main page and see whether it's mutually acceptable. --Calair 23:17, 29 Nov 2004 (UTC)
The more apt reason that that link might say a "form of polygamy" is because polyamory is not in most dictionaries. Anthropologists, when speaking of polygamy, usually only refer to either polygyny or polyandry. When the circumstance is any other configuration, they usually identify it individually.
Maybe I can explain myself better with a biological parallel. Biologists, when speaking of mammals, usually only refer to either placental mammals or marsupials. When speaking about any other form (i.e. monotremes) they usually identify it individually.
But this doesn't mean monotremes aren't mammals. It's because they are rare (so 99% of mammal-related discussion is about placentals and/or marsupials) and they're unusual (so when monotremes *are* under consideration, biologists prefer to use the narrower and much more informative term). The label 'mammal' is quite correct when applied to monotremes; it's just that there's rarely an occasion when it's the most useful word.
IMHO, group marriage is a similar thing. It's rare enough and atypical enough that it's usually identified individually, but that shouldn't make the broader label invalid. However, I've tried to word that bit to explain how it differs from 'conventional' polygamy without actually declaring whether it is or isn't polygamy. --Calair 06:08, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC)
When looking for a word to give a reader a closer understanding of such individual configurations, perhaps one might say other configurations are a "form of polygamy," but that's only to try to help the reader try to get a grasp of it using a word they might recognize -- but they do not use the circumstance to to define polygamy itself. And again, many are not familiar with the word, polyamory, and it is not in many dictionaries.
Where you wrote, "'polygamy' is more often used to refer to codified forms of multiple marriage (especially those with a traditional/religious basis)," I think it might be better to make the distinction that polygamy refers to either polygyny or polyandry -- making it much clearer.
For the most part, though, I like most of what you've done on this. Please give me a day or so to figure out what I think further about it. Thanks for a good job though! -- Researcher99
I'm not sure that substituting in 'polyamory' does much to resolve things. It's not much better than 'polygamy' or 'group sex' as a catch-all term; each of them takes in some of that "everything other than standard monogamy", but none of them covers it all. Sex, love, and marriage are closely related phenomena, but any of them can exist without the others. --Calair 06:08, 30 Nov 2004 (UTC)
I think I understand your point and you make an excellent example with the biology anecdote. I find, however, I still am unable to agree that the comparison is the same. It is more likely that polyamory would be more comparable to the "mammals" in your example. It could probably even be said that polygamy is the "subset of polyamory," even though polygamy makes up a larger portion than all other subsets "in polyamory" combined. (This would also explain why the rarity of polyandry is also welcomed in the online polyamory community than in polygamy in general.)
That 'larger portion than all other subsets' may be true, but it seems to me that it'd be very hard to confirm. Counting polyamorous relationships is a very tricky thing; I'm not sure if anybody's even given it a serious try. --Calair 00:20, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
I can agree with your point. I was thinking more that it is more likely from a historical, cultural perspective (per all known history) that polygamy is the "larger subset."
On the internet, when I read through the many communications and articles in the polyamory community, I find that they do intend to be the "catchall" to be everything else that polygamy is not. They do hold themselves out that way and they openly seek to accept other non-standard forms.
(I'd like to distinguish between 'accept' in the 'That's OK' sense and the 'recognise as a form of polyamory' sense. I agree that most polyamorists are very accepting of non-standard forms in the former sense; the latter sense, not quite so much, and that's the one we're debating here. --Calair 00:09, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC))
I understand your differentiation. In the latter sense, I think it is important to remember that polyamory is a put-together word that means "multiple loves" -- specifically because they did not want the definition to be too limited, as polygamy limits to marriage. They let the cat out of the bag with that definition and word-creation and they really can not put it back. As it is said, they can't have their cake and eat it too. Ideas other than polygyny or polyandry fall within that broad definition of polyamory far more easily than such things ever could be "recognizable" as polygamy.
"Polyamory" is not in most dictionaries. Polygamy does not offer -- nor do polygamists welcome it as being -- the "catchall" answer (by polygamy being only polygyny or polyandry). Anthropologists use "polygamy" as either being polygyny or polyandry. Now that there is such a word, "polyamory" (which still needs to enter dictionaries), it gives anthropologists and everyone else a term that they are now able to use when they need to label other "poly" configurations. Those in the online polyamory community very much view and encourage its use (i.e., polamory) this way as the "catchall," as well. Because of these reasons, it makes sense to me to use it that way, too. -- Researcher99
What you describe doesn't match my experience. If you've been following polyamorous discussions, you've probably already encountered the usually-derogatory term 'polyfuckery'[1], which almost always occurs in a "things polyamory isn't" context. Many polyamorists who might see nothing wrong with 'polyfuckery' (and even some who practice it) do not recognise it as polyamory. Many others do accept the catch-all usage, but it's certainly not a consensus.
You've probably also noticed that polyamorists place a very high premium on the principle of free and informed consent. This is unfortunately *not* found in all the practices one would like to fit into a catch-all. For instance, descriptions of the Oneida Community use words like "compelled to accept" in describing the arrangement whereby senior community members initiated virgins. I suspect most modern polyamorists would deplore such an arrangement and be very reluctant to recognise it as true polyamory. Ditto, practices like concubinage.
Naturally, there's a degree of image control in this. Nobody wants to share a pigeonhole with David Koresh ;-) But since 'polyamory' seems to have been coined largely for purposes of self-description, the self-described polyamorists do have a lot of say in what it means. For that reason, a broader meaning encompassing practices that most self-described polyamorists find deeply objectionable is unlikely to achieve general acceptance any time soon. --Calair 00:09, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Despite what some polyamorists may prefer, the word itself implies itself as the "catchall" -- "multiple loves," which is far more "inclusive" than polygamy's meaning of "multiple marriage." That's why "multiple marriage" can reasonably be thought of as a subset of "multiple loves" but not vice versa. Hence polygamy can only be thought of as a subset of polyamory and definitely not vice versa. (I am hoping we can both avoid semantics in my use of "multiple" here, as I was only trying to be brief in my explanation here, rather than digress into re-explaining the "multiple" part again.) :)
Its role as a catchall extends as far as 'loves' (at least, the 'eros'/'amor' version; as the alt.polyamory FAQ says, "you needn't wear yourself out trying to figure out ways to fit fondness for apple pie, or filial piety, or a passion for the Saint Paul Saints baseball club into it.") I agree that it's a *broader* category than polygamy, but neither is entirely a subset of the other. There are many reasons why people get married, and love isn't always one of them. --Calair 23:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
As a group, polyamorists tend to also be far more inclusive themselves than polygamists would ever be on these issues, specifically because polyamory is indeed more of an inclusive "catchall" and less specific than polygamy. This is not to say I am voicing an opinion about the validity or invalidity of such inclusiveness or non-inclusiveness. It is just that polyamorists do rather tend to be quite politically liberal while polygamists tend to be politically conservative. (No judgement being passed, only observation.) That explains why those with a more liberal perspective tend to be more "inclusive" by their dogma anyway. It is only that, but their very definition and behaviors, polyamorists tend to be and promote that inclusiveness as part of their beliefs.
Agreed. I tried to get at this in the 'polygamy vs. polyamory' section - although the definitions of the words suggest a great deal of overlap, IRL they're usually attached to two quite different groups of people. --Calair 23:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Of course, I understand that even polyamorists may have their limits too, as you rightly pointed out with the profane variation. Certainly, polygamists would exclude such things too, and likewise for the Oneida Community example you mention as well. But just because such things may be the point at which polyamorists "draw their line" in their definition, it still does not deny the end result that ultimately, it is probably much more accurate to view polygamy as being an (albeit unwilling :) ) subset of polyamory, and not vice versa.
If I had to choose between 'polygamy as a subset of polyamory' and 'polyamory as a subset of polygamy', I would choose the former. But given the third option, I would much rather pick 'neither'. Polyamory is the broader set and mostly contains polygamy, but not completely so. --Calair 23:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Agreed. It would seem that both polygamy and polyamory include impalatable things to both. For polygamy, the definer is either polygyny or polyandry. But that can be true whether or not love is involved, which is distasteful to most polygamists who very much define marriage by love. For polyamory, the definer seems to be the criterion of "love" of any number of individuals (regardless of marriage). But being such a more inclusive "catchall," it does also include forms which are distasteful to polyamorists, as well. The common denominator simply appears to be the "poly." -- Researcher99 - 2 Dec 2004
If not, though, then perhaps we need a third term to be equally on par with polyamory and polygamy, all as parallel but individually separate (none being a subset of the other two). That would certainly be acceptable to me. Any ideas?
Missed something here. What group would this third term be describing? --Calair 23:51, 1 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Perhaps something like "poly alternatives." These could include those other forms which do not fit into either polygamy or polyamory. Or, perhaps, we could just create a "poly" article as the hierarchical "parent" of polygamy and polyamory, with the other alternatives listed as miscelleneous items of that "parent." I am only putting this out as a possible idea for discussion on possible ways to address the issue. -- Researcher99 - 2 Dec 2004
A parent page to distinguish between various forms of relationship and point people to the right articles would be useful. IME, "poly" is usually used specifically for polyamory, but that may just be what I pay more attention to; if it's also used for polygamy, that would work. Otherwise, "nonmonogamy" is a possibility, since despite the etymology it seems to be used to describe poly- forms of marriage, love, and sex. --Calair 23:23, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)
While, yes, I have also seen polyamorists describe themselves as "poly," I have also seen many polygamists use that same shorthand term to describe themselves too. It is interesting to observe how polyamorists and polygamists both refer to their "poly lifestyle," while certainly meaning very, very different things in their use of the word. If you're satisfied with using it as a "parent," I think I can be too. -- Researcher99 - 3 Dec 2004
Works for me. Although, looking at poly, I'm reminded that it has several other unrelated usages that have as much claim to be on that page as polygamy/polyamory/etc. Perhaps 'poly relationships'? --Calair 21:58, 5 Dec 2004 (UTC)
That's funny. Yes, "polypropylene" is quite different from polygamy. I agree with you on using "poly relationships." Works for me too. -- Researcher99 - 8 Dec 2004
The most key point about polygamy itself, though, is that it is really only polygyny or polyandry.

Polygamy and Islam

I've expanded a little bit on the paragraph relating to Polygamy and Islam. On the verse that was referred to, I've actually quoted the verse from my English translated Qur'an and have provided an explanation as in the the book that I have.

I've included the names of the people providing the translation, however I don't have an actual reference number for the book itself.


I've deleted the last paragraph for the reasons below :

-- but the text also states that perfect fairness is impossible in 4:129. Incomplete sentence, seems out of context. Polygamy is also allowed in special situations, such as during a shortage of male adults after a war. This sentence gives the impression that polygamy is allowed ONLY in certain situations, which is no true. However, the Qur'an strongly encourages monogamy for most Muslims. Is there such thing in the Qur'an? I don't think so. --Aidfarh 14:19, 15 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Quite a few Muslims (see links for some examples) are of the view that 4:129, when combined with 4:3, constitutes strong encouragement to monogamy and implies that polygamy should only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Since I'm no Islamic scholar, I'm not in a position to judge how reasonable this interpretation is, but it's common enough that it should be acknowledged. --Calair 00:55, 16 Jan 2005 (UTC)
The links you referenced lacks credibility. The first is a website linked to Rashad Khalifa, who Muslims consider a heretic for proclaiming himself to be a messenger of God, and denouncing two verses in the Qur'an. The second, is the website of Sisters in Islam, a Malaysian feminist group who regularly attempts to distort the meaning of the Qur'an to forward their feminist agenda. The third seems to be an Islamic apologist website. Your claim that many Muslims consider Islam discourages polygamy is false. Also, you didn't fully quote v4:129. You miss out the last sentence, i.e. "If ye come to a friendly understanding, and practise self-restraint, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful." The mainstream view for this verse is that as a human being, a man may be inclined to love one wife more than another. This verse seeks not to discourage polygamy, but guides the man on how to treat the wives equally in practice, even though he's not fair to them in terms of not loving them equally. There is no evidence whatsover of any restriction to polygamy i.e. that it is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. --Aidfarh 06:39, 16 Jan 2005 (UTC)
While it is necessary for a Muslim to distinguish in his own mind between true Muslims and those who only claim to be, that is not a judgement Wikipedia can or should make. It is *not* the role of Wikipedia to decide whose religious interpretations are truly correct and whose are mistaken or deliberately distorted. The closest we should come to that here is acknowledging and describing such disagreements, so that the reader may understand both sides' arguments - something which is not achieved by removing links to presentation of those arguments. For the purposes of Wikipedia, if a group of people identify themselves as Muslims and present an argument based on the Qur'an to justify opposition to polygamy, then that is relevant to this section. Even if that argument is demonstrably *wrong*, it is a fact that self-described Muslims espouse it, and that fact is one that this section should acknowledge. (By way of parallel, note that a significant number of Christians, particularly in the USA, believe that Roman Catholics are not true Christians - but Catholic views on polygamy are nevertheless discussed in the Christian section here.) I'm unclear on how the fact that [2] is an Islamic apologetics site should make it any less relevant as evidence that some Muslims *do* interpret the Koran as discouraging polygamy in most circumstances.
Googling will find plenty of examples of self-described Muslims who interpret 4:129 as discouraging polygamy, and I have encountered several in person; therefore, I hold to the claim that many Muslims take this interpretation. (Note that 'many' does not imply 'most', or even a large proportion; even if just one percent of the world's Muslims took such an interpretation, that would still be 15 million, which can reasonably be considered 'many'.) But I'm quite happy to go with the neutral "some Muslims"; what might be useful here is some hard data on what percentage of Muslims actually *practice* polygamy (and where).
BTW, any reason for replacing the Hilali/Khan translation of 4:129 with the Yusuf Ali version? I have no particular preference for one over the other, but for consistency's sake it seemed to me desirable to use the same translation for 4:129 as we did for 4:3. --Calair 02:03, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I think the text is acceptable the way you've editted now, and I won't edit it anymore to reassert my point of view.
I replaced the translation with the Yusuf Ali version because the translation you put was not complete, i.e. it didn't include the last sentence. Since I don't have access right now to the Hilali/Khan translation, I opted for the Yusuf Ali version, which I do have. --Aidfarh 04:40, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I just want to add here, in response to your comments, that even if we can get data on the percentage of Muslims practicing polygamy, it would not show how many actually support or oppose it, since many Muslim support polygamy, but might not actually practice it, for various reasons. I, for one, personally support it, but I only have one wife right now, and I would be hard pressed to find a woman who would be willing to be my second wife ;-).
Agreed. I didn't mean that such figures would show how many support it, only that knowing how many practice it would be of interest in itself, and that it's probably easier to get accurate data on what people practice than on what they believe. --Calair 12:29, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)
But if we are to take the views of renowned Muslim scholars, both historical and contemporary, we'd find that they generally don't oppose polygamy. The internet is not a reliable source for data. You might find on the internet that extreme views are more prevalent than moderate views. So even if there are many places where you can find views opposed to polygamy, it does not reflect the opinions of Muslims in general. --Aidfarh 04:57, 17 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I agree that a Google search isn't a representative sample (especially since I'm only seeing English-language discussions, which is very likely to skew my findings on this issue). It can't prove 'most', but it can prove 'many' - if there are many sites that oppose polygamy, then there are many people who oppose it, even if those people aren't representative of the faith as a whole. --Calair 12:29, 18 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I would like to add my own comments here, as well. When I saw the original recent edits to the Muslim section, I was a bit uncomfortable about the idea of using this wiki as an exegetical debate for pro and con from the Muslim sacred texts. The reason for my discomfort was that I likewise do not see it as appropriate for having such an exegetical debate presented in the *Christian* section of this wiki either. Like Calair noted, many Christians do not consider Catholics as *true Christians.* In the same way, as some Bible-based Christians who do see polygamy as unquestionably Scriptural, some of them see others who assert ideas about the Bible saying anti-polygamy ideas as also not being *true Christians* either because the Bible absolutely never declaratively prohibits polygamy. As such, I see the specific exegetical debates as best left to those involved in those debates, rather than use this wiki for that purpose. That's why I do not think it would be appropriate to turn the Christian section of this wiki into a Scriptural exegetical debate of verses either. So, my thoughts for the Muslim section here are in the same vein, that it would probably be better to simply present just the historic and activist information about polygamy and the Muslim views -- without using this wiki for any exegetical debate itself. That's my view anyway. -- Researcher99, 17 Jan 2005

Tom Green precedent for commom-law bigamy conviction

The reason for a prosecution is not relevant for establishing precedence. However, the Utah Supreme Court's upholding of Tom Green's does establish precedence for conviction of common-law bigamy. If anyone claims otherwise, please provide a reference for claiming lack of precedence. Nereocystis 09:56, 29 Dec 2004 (UTC)

You misunderstood the original segment here. It's an easy mistake to make. I do understand. A single statewide precedent does not make a nationwide precedent. Besides, a new marriage amendment to the Utah Constitution was approved by Utah voters in November, 2004. Even anti-polygamists in Utah have acknowledged that that new Utah State Constitutional Amendment on marriage effectively nullifies the "common law marriage" concept in Utah altogether. So, we probably should not even be including this added part about the Utah Supreme Court's affirmation of Green's conviction anyway because the "common law" premise was likely so nullified anyway. -- Researcher, 29 Dec 2004
Of course, it is a statewide precedent only. Common-law marriage is a state by state law. Most states do not recognize common-law marriage, so the issue would be irrelevant. However, polygamy of the type described in this section is common in Utah, and therefore relevant. This sentence seems unlikely:
Because he had used that system of multiple divorce and marriage to defraud the state's welfare system, his cohabitation was considered evidence of a common-law marriage to the wives he had divorced while still living with them.
Please provide evidence that defrauding the welfare system had anything to do with his conviction of polygamy. It may have been relevant for deciding whether to prosecute him, but welfare fraud doesn't prove common-law marriage. The revised paragraph says that the Utah Supreme Court upheld a connection between common-law polygamy and welfare fraud. I can't find that in the decision. Welfare fraud is irrelevant for the polygamy conviction. My understanding of the case is that Green's public appearances as a polygamist led to his prosecutions more than his welfare fraud. Why are you removing the reference to the Deseret news article? References for wikipedia articles are useful to provide further information. Replace this reference with a better reference, but don't delete it. A single prosecution does not provide precedence at all, until it is upheld in appeals. Your references to precedence suggests a misunderstanding of law. The Tom Green paragraph is relevant to this page because it establishes the current state of multiple marriage and divorce for polygamists in Utah, where this practice is often used. I plan on changing this page to remove any connection between welfare fraud and proof of common-law marriage, unless you can provide references for your claims. Please do not revert, unless you provide references.
You are unfortunately missing the context of this subsection. It is about legal remarriage and multiple divorce in the context of polygamy. Previously, someone tried to falsely change this subtopic by citing the Green case as a supposed nationwide precedent that supposedly criminalizes all use of this process used by some polygamists. However if Green had not committed the other crimes of welfare fraud and statutory rape, the case would never have occurred. Even after the case, it still would not happen. That's what is important to realize for context of this subsection. The context of this subsection is about legal remarriage and multiple divorce used by some polygamists. So arguing about legal precedence and all that are not applicable here. There is not a prosecutor alive in the US who would pursue any polygamist for only doing the legal remarriage and multiple divorce process involving no other crimes. (But citing that case here tries to imply that they would.) In the first trial, Green was only sentenced actual time for the criminal welfare fraud -- the four bigamy counts were only to be served concurrently, at the same time of the welfare sentencing. In the second trial, he was sentenced for child rape, but it is also not bigamy for which he serves time. In reality, therefore, Green is serving no actual time for bigamy whatsoever and he would not have even been sought for prosecution if he did not have the other criminal issues (welfare fraud and child rape). So, you see, his case would never apply to this subsection if he had not had the other crimes involved. Without those other crimes invllved, it simply would not have happened, and it still would not happen. As such, again, the issue of Green's CONVICTION is not all that relevant to the subtopic here, except mildly in how the case turned out. Yes, the precedeent in the one state of Utah was set. But even with that one case in one state, even with that one precedent, no prosecutor is going to pursue a non-criminal polygamist if all they did was the legal remarriage and multiple divorce process. Why? They know that by itself, it would fail in court and would actually end up causing an uproar by non-polygamists which would surprisingly overturn all anti-polygamy laws, which they do not want. The context of this subsection does not require an analysis of conviction of the Green case. What happened to Green does not automatically mean that the legal remarriage and multiple divorce process used by some polygamists is now some kind of a nationwide crime that will put all such polygamists to jail. It is not and it will not. While his case has a little application in back-handed way only, the bigamy convictions (for which he is actually serving no real actual time) is not all that much of an issue to this subsection. If you want to start a wiki about Tom Green, all the power to you. But going deeper into his case in this subsection is not applicable to this polygamy wiki. To try to force the Tom Green issue further in this subsection would demonstrate bias and violate NPOV in this polygamy wiki. -- Researcher, 02 Jan 2005

Please cite your sources. I never claimed that the Green case was a US or international precedent, but it changes the environment in Utah. I should have written the paragraphs more clearly to show that the prosecution only effects Utah. However, Utah is the state where a large percentage of this type of marriage take place. Paragraphs 46-52 of the Utah Supreme Court case State v. Green upholds common-law polygamy, without mentioning welfare fraud. Remember that you brought up the issue of precedence. I have provided evidence that the Utah Supreme Court would uphold future convictions. Any Utah prosecuter could try any other similar polygamist. Will it happen again? I don't know, but it could. A better attorney may get a conviction reversed. You are showing a lack of understanding of law by claiming that Tom Green is irrelevant. All similar polygamists are in danger of similar prosecutions. Tom Green was convicted, and the conviction was upheld. No extra time was served, but if the polygamy conviction had been the only conviction, Green may have served time. Tom Green is relevant here because it is an example of multiple divorce and marriage, which is the topic of this section, leading to a conviction of polygamy. Please explain how the facts of State v Green show POV. I haven't stated my opinions in the main article (I thought the conviction would have been overturned, and should have been overturned. I also think polygamy should be legal, but my opinions don't make law and don't belong in the main article).

I would like to see the main article rewritten to state the polygamy conviction and supreme court decision, showing its relevance to Utah alone, but deemphasizing the welfare fraud (perhaps mentioning it), unless you find independent evidence of your claims. Perhaps, we could mention that no other polygamy prosecution has happened since Green, but we can't suggest that other divorce and marry polygamists are safe in Utah or that lack of welfare fraud would prevent a successful prosecution.Nereocystis 20:05, 3 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Polygamists are not in peril. The welfare crime and child rape are the only reasons the case ever went to trial. To try to suggest otherwise is to advance an agenda. Truly, you are trying to create a chapter out of a footnote here. Tom Green is but one man in one state in a big world. This wiki on polygamy is bigger and more global than one little local issue about a man who would never have faced conviction if not for the other crimes. Even in Utah, the very state in which Green was convicted, I just learned that today the same Attorney General has just said that he will not prosecute polygamy itself, so any point you are trying to make is moot. If even he views the laws and convictions in his own State that way, we certainly do not need to start going off in a different direction. But it still doesn't matter. The Tom Green case is but a mere localized footnote and does not necessitate the full-blown attention your agenda seems to be trying to advance here. The subsection is sufficient as it is and does not need any major edit further. Let's move on to more important issues, please. -- Researcher, 03 Jan 2005 Msg#2

Please discuss the article, and not your guess of my motives. Ad hominem attacks on the article really don't work well in wikipedia. My goal, when I started this, was to add a brief comment to this section stating that serial marriage and divorce is no longer guaranteed to be safe from prosecution, as Green's prosecution and the Utah Supreme courts decision proves. This does not mean that all such people will be prosecuted, merely that the law allows it. You have turned this into a major issue, adding your claims that further prosecutions will not happen. Yes, the Utah AG may say that he will prosecute further cases, but he, and future attorneys general are allowed by law to do so. Similarly, the county prosecuters may prosecute a case. In fact, Green was not prosecuted by the AG, he was prosecuted by the Juab county prosecuter, David O. Leavitt. No need for panic, no conspiracy, no prediction about future prosecutions, just acknowledgement of a law which allows prosecution where it wasn't currently obvious that prosecution was allowed. You may add your predictions about the unlikeliness of future prosecution, but only if they are well documented, use newspapers rather than someone who thinks he has read a newspaper describing the situation. Without documentation, your comment are only your point of view, not irrefutable facts. Likewise, you may add your explanation of why Green was prosecuted, but only with documentation. I think it is likely that he was prosecuted because he created publicity for himself, but I don't think that this needs to be in the article. Here's a reference for that view. Nereocystis 05:56, 7 Jan 2005 (UTC)

State v. Green was only about Green's appeal on the bigamy convictions, so of course it is not going to mention the criminal non-support. That was simply not being appealed, so the Court did not have to say anything about it. Green and his supporters like to say that Green's publicity got him into trouble, but it is his other crimes which got him into trouble. Even the openly biased Rick Ross website you cited, the specific citation opens with the references to the other crimes. The fact that Tom Green was sentenced time for the criminal non-support and then the four counts of bigamy were sentences of time served concurrently shows that the criminal non-support issue is very important to understanding that case. Lastly, now that Utah voters passed a marriage amendment which even the Utah AG believes could end "common law bigamy" charges from being possible, we really do not need to make a mountain out of a molehill here. I have made a minor edit to add the point about continued risk, so as to accommodate your point here. So now please, let's just move on. -- Researcher, 07 Jan 2005

Sure. I'll make another small edit. I have asked many times, can you provide any reference for your claim that the prosecution was due to non-support. You have repeatedly claimed this, but haven't provided any reference. If you can't find a reference, then I will assume that this is incorrect.Nereocystis 07:42, 12 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Please Stop. Any such edit will be reversed afterward. The answer here has been given to you repeatedly and you have chosen to ignore it, obfuscatingly asking for an irrelevant straw man as your would-be justification. The sentence of real time for criminal non-support and yet only concurrently-served sentences for the bigamy is but one of the proofs indicating what initiated the case. The bigamy charges were "add-on" charges (added to the prosecution of the blatant criminal non-support). Not one of the bigamy charges incurred a stand-alone sentence. They were only "add-on" sentences to be served concurrently (at the very same time) with the real and actual time being served for the criminal non-support. It is so obvious but you are purposely refusing to see it. Please notice that the article says that the criminal non-support is only what "initiated the case" -- it does not say what you try to say it says. No matter how kind I try to be to you, though, you seem only to be here for a fight -- which shows you are operating here without NPOV. Please move on, because your posting is now coming across as abuse. -- Researcher, 12 Jan 2005

Give me a reference. Give me a reference. Give me a reference. No matter how patient I try to be, you have not provided a single reference for your claims. Once again, the bigamy conviction stands, whether there is a separate sentence or not. Please tell me why my insistence on facts and references is POV. Nereocystis 09:27, 13 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Even if I do, you are unwilling to see anything. When I tried to accommodate you, you refused to even be satisfied. When I cited evidence of how even the Utah AG does not take your view anymore, especially now after the voters of Utah passed a new marriage amendment which makes the whole debate moot, you refused to see it. Still, it does not take a reference to see that the sky is blue, for example. The facts together all prove the point I have made -- the sentences of what is the time actually being served, proves it. You use only half-references which do not fully support your point, and then incorrectly think you are in some kind of catbird seat to "demand references" when they are not necessary for so little a footnote issue. You cite the State v. Green as you refuse to see the obviousness of the criminal non-support issue, but your half-reference is irrelevant to support your point because the link is only about Green's appeal for only the bigamy charges -- so of course, it does not address the criminal non-support. It is examples like that which show you do not make relevant full-references yourself. Even the Rick Ross reference you made proved my point, but you refuse to see it. The fact is, you have proven nothing and only harrass me with half-complete references and failed logic attampts. While I do not have time to chase down unnecessary links for what is only a footnote matter in this situation, here is one report made after Tom Green's sentences were handed down. Even though your abusive behavior can be expected to show that you will not allow yourself to see even the obviousness from that reference, it doesn't matter. Your irrelevant demands for unnecessary "references" (in this footnote matter) are but a straw man, in your trying to make a chapter out of a mere footnote. I am done wasting time with someone whose only interest here is to harass. Please stop trolling this wiki. -- Researcher99, 13 Jan 2005

2Wives.com

I removed this item from the External Links section of the article, because personals ads have no place in Wikipedia:

Researcher99 reverted my removal, and added this comment to the item: ... providing researchers with evidence of a diversity of both non-religious and religious individuals seeking polygamy. And his edit comment was Researchers are better informed anthropoligically by seeing such diverse individuals exist. Problem is, I still don't believe this link belongs. You could justify any link about anything by saying that it's in the interests of anthropology ... but, that's what Google is for. Or Dmoz.org. Wikipedia itself is not meant to be a link repository. The External Links section of an article should contain links to primary news sites or well-established fan sites which directly contribute to the factual information covered in the article. A polygamy dating site doesn't itself contribute anything directly useful to this topic; and if we include the link anyway, then what's to keep every person running every multiple-spouse dating site out there from wanting a link from this article as well? - Brian Kendig 03:57, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC)

As a specific researcher of this topic, I am more familiar with this issue than others. If this were only a general matter, I would normally agree with the point about dating sites in general, and I definitely agree that this is not a link repository. In this case, however, there is one and only site doing what 2Wives.com does. There is no other site exclusively about individuals seeking polygamy. Since polygamy is such a minority topic, there is not likely to be either. Because it is a very unique website, this does not fall into the realm which would otherwise exist regarding "dating sites" for any other topic. (Plus, it is not a "dating site" anyway - the people on the site are seeking polygamous marriage only.) As the wiki focuses on so many religious aspects, the things one discovers at 2Wives.com are otherwise unrepresented -- secular polygamists, the fact that diverse people really are seeking polygamy, as well as an array of different religious individuals. In that way, it shows a real community, if you will. There is no valid reason to deprive wiki users from learning that such individuals really do exist. Listing that very unqiue site is very relevant to include in order to assist the wiki user in obtaining relevant information about polygamy. For wiki users, "seeing is believing" that such individuals do exist. The 2Wives.com link does that for the wiki user. I realize that many who have not researched the polygamy topic as in-depth as I have might initially misperceive such other conclusion, but now that it has been explained, I would hope that such deletions would cease. I have restored the link again, precisely because it is relevant for the wiki user. -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005

I really don't appreciate you reverting my edit twice, nor do I appreciate you assuming that I don't know as much about the topic as you do, or that this makes my edit invalid, or that I "misperceived" the purpose of the link. Nor do I appreciate you referring to my edits (in the edit log) as "mistaken" and "erring." But I'm not going to get into an edit war with you. I've posted about this to the requests for comment page, to invite other peoples' opinions as to whether this article should contain a link to a personals site. I'll abide by community consensus. - Brian Kendig 15:53, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC) (Edit: I went and had a look at the site itself - it's only got a total of twelve poorly-written public ads on it, and it charges $9.95 per three months to see an unknown number of private ads. Also there are no discussion boards, so I wouldn't call it a "community". There's basically no content on the site. It really doesn't seem like it would be of a whole lot of use to "researchers". - Brian Kendig 17:37, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC))

I readily admit that I can always find better ways to say things no matter how kind I try to be, and I surely did not intend to offend regarding my comments on the mistakes in the deletion of the link. Yes, I very much do believe deleting that link is a mistake, inoccently made from a visible lack of in-depth knowledge of the topic and the many online websites dedicated to the topic. From the wiki user's standpoint, seeing such a link is an informative surprise. I am also not trying to be offensive by pointing out that others are not as informed on the topic when they make such a mistake. I am not trying to be offensive in saying that, because I do not know of any better way of saying that a mistake is a mistake. When a person has been a comprehensive researcher of a subject (as I have been for years on polygamy) and others make mistakes which reveal that they lack similar insight, it is not about being offensive to help such other ones understand that. If anything, I see it as a compassionate way of expressing an understanding as to how the other person came to making their mistake, as opposed to attacking them as I have seen some people do on wiki. That you did not know that 2Wives.com is the only site of its kind shows such a lack of in-depth knowledge. That you did not know that Google has not been helpful at all for their searchers to find the numerous complete websites on polygamy for well over a year now shows such a lack of in-depth knowledge. That your details and dollar amounts about the site are quite incorrect also shows a lack of in-depth knowledge. Again, I am not trying to be offensive in pointing out the simple mistakes. I am only trying to express the reason why your disagreement does not have the backing of complete information about the topic. That doesn't make me better than you, only more knowledgeable about this one topic.
I will also admit that I find that your language to me here to be a bit more violent than it needs to be. You are tending to do things with a your-way-or-the-highway approach. You said you brought the issue to the requests for comment page, but even that page explains a dispute-resolution technique which you have not done here. Quoting that page, General hints for dispute resolution -- Whatever the nature of the dispute, the first resort should always be to discuss the problem with the other user. Try to resolve the dispute on your own first. But rather than discuss it first, you came into this wiki out of nowhere and just automatically deleted the link. Then you go on to even now treat me with violent language as if I am somehow the one violating good wiki methods.
Lastly, while I generally value consensus, a controversial topic such as polygamy is very much apt to attract hostile opponents with an opposing agenda to minimize any value of the polygamy wiki. I think having some experiential insight on the topic would make for a better qualifier before valuing the opinion of "just anybody" about it. Here again, I am not trying to be offensive toward anyone. I am simply saying that it is not unreasonable to realize that anyone with an unconstrained anti-polygamy perspective would be glad to jump on board to prevent the link from being restored, if only to minimize the value of the wiki.
I am viewing this issue from the perspective of the wiki user. From the wiki user's standpoint, their being able to see such a unique link is an informative surprise. The mere existence of the unique 2Wives.com link concisely educates the wiki user with information they would not otherwise know. I know this fact as one who has specifically researched the topic and all the internet websites dedicated to the topic for years now. I very much believe that the 2Wives.com link should stay. -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005, Msg#2


Wikipedia is not a web directory. I don't think this is an appropriate link for this article, sorry. --fvw* 16:03, 2005 Jan 19 (UTC)

I also agree. Peter O. (Talk) 16:43, Jan 19, 2005 (UTC)


Editing Wikipedia: When you wonder what should or should not be in an article named "whatever", ask youself what a reader would expect under "whatever" in an encyclopedia. According to these Wiki guidelines, replacing "whatever" with "polygamy" shows that it is important to inform wiki users that there is even a polygamy personals site where diverse people are seeking polygamy. -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005, Msg#3

Wonderful! Why don't you find a site that surveys and discusses polygamy dating sites and add it, it would be a wonderful addition to the article. A single dating site link isn't however. --fvw* 20:50, 2005 Jan 19 (UTC)
This comment is another unfortunate example of an opinion being voiced without being fully informed on the topic. As I have repeatedly said, 2Wives.com is the one and only site of its kind. Of course there is not going to be some "survey" out there. Also, as I have also said before in this matter, it is not a "dating site" - it is a diversity of people seeking polygamous marriage. -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005, Msg#4
Is it really the only one of its kind? Feeding 'polygamy' into Google comes up with polygamy.com as the first hit, which immediately links to personals of a very similar nature to those on 2Wives.com; if anything, the polygamy.com personals seem to have more content, and since religion and 'race' are listed on the index page it's easy to get an at-a-glance impression of diversity. (It also seems to be a free site, as opposed to 2Wives.com, which requires membership to view some of the personals.)
As a compromise, what if we link instead to polygamy.com? It contains a range of information on polygamy, so it is in itself an appropriate link for this page, and among that is information of the same type offered by 2Wives.com. It could be described as "pro-polygamy site containing discussion, resources, and personal ads" or something of that sort. There are many people, myself included, who are uncomfortable about linking primarily to an advertising site (especially a paid one), because it encourages others to linkspam. I would have no such objection to a resource site that includes personals ads, as long as that's not its main focus. --Calair 23:11, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I appreciate the intent for a compromise, but I have to say that this is another example of someone not being fully informed in the topic. (But I appreciate your intent here.) Polygamy.com has not been updated since 1998 or 1999. It is a virtually useless site which was put up once and ignored ever since. All those supposed "ads" you see at that site are all that old too.
I found at least one update from mid-2000 [3], so I guess none of us are 'fully informed' here. But granting that the site hasn't been updated recently, and few if any of the ads will still be current, it's still ample evidence that polygamists are a diverse bunch from a range of different religions, along with some who are secular. It's not like that fact has changed in the last five years. --Calair 02:10, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)
That's funny. LOL I had thought of saying "1998 or 1999 or 2000," knowing it had been about 5 years or so. Just because I chose to not add the 2000, I hope you can cut me some slack here. LOL Plus, did you read that "news" article? It's about Tom Green before he was even tried, convicted, sentenced, and now servicing time for years. Indeed, look at the parent directory of that page. It has a whopping total of 5 articles -- 4 written in early-mid 2000 and one in 1998. And they call that section, "In the News." LOL Very out-dated. Besides, except for a very small minority, most pro-polygamists adamantly do not support Tom Green or his actions.
"Pro-Polygamists Distrust Tom Green's *Apology*"
and
"Dateline commits slander, say pro-polygamists"
were news releases sent out to the media from Pro-Polygamy.com. So, Polygamy.com -- the site you mentioned here -- its mere 5 would-be "News" (4 of them being about Tom Green) were only five plagiarized news articles from the Salt Lake Tribune and The Daily Herald. That is certainly not a credible source. But again, I hope you will laugh with me here and "cut me some slack" because I obviously knew it was many years ago since anything appeared there. -- Researcher99, 20 Jan 2005
Google only lists that near-useless site because of the domain name. (It's another example of what I said earlier of how Google has not been helping their searchers for polygamy for quite some time.) Also, you are confusing the idea of people posting any ads with what 2Wives.com is instead uniquely about. People seeking polygamy are not always wanting to place their own ads - it is understandable that most are only seeking single women who are seeking polygamy. Such women are a rare commodity and it is also reasonable to understand that such single women do not want to be "out in the open." 2Wives.com exclusively and uniquely serves that need. Nowhere else can one find qualified and proven-to-be-real single women who have their own ads who are really seeking polygamy. Just putting up any page of a handful of would-be ads seeking those rare women is meaningless. That is why 2Wives.com is extremely different from any outdated site like you mentioned where people once claimed to be seeking too. But again, I understand. Without knowing the specific polygamy topic in-depth, you would not have known this. And while I appreciate your suggested compromise, posting an outdated site does not add value to the wiki and the wiki users are still deprived of seeing the only site of its kind, 2Wives.com -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005, Msg#5
If I may be excused a personal observation: with this and with one or two previous issues on this page, I've got the impression that you are attempting to defend against certain misconceptions about polygamy, but without actually acknowledging the misconceptions you're addressing (or at least, not without first going several rounds on the Talk page). This is confusing to others, because unless they *came* to the page holding those misconceptions it's not obvious what the point of those edits is, this being a case in point. IMHO, it would be better to explicitly acknowledge the misconceptions from the start: "Critics of polygamy have said X, however (evidence) actually shows Y."
Thank you for your personal observation. You make a good (and well-explained) point. I will try to keep it in mind as I go forward. Where, methodically, I have been attempting to use "conciseness," you are rightly pointing out to me that I should further clarify instead. Thanks. -- Researcher99, 20 Jan 2005
In this case, if the 2Wives.com link is intended to prove a particular point - i.e. that some single women *do* voluntarily seek polygamy - then it becomes more appropriate, *if* presented in that light. Rather than putting it in the External Links section, use a context that makes it clear *why* we're linking to an advertising site: "Critics A and B have claimed that women never voluntarily seek polygamy; however, the existence of at least one personals site (link here) catering to single women seeking polygamous marriage indicates otherwise" would be far more appropriate. I'm still not convinced it's a terribly useful site - without paying $9.95 I can't find any of how *many* single women have ads there - but this presentation would make me much happier about it. --Calair 02:10, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)

The link does not seem appropriate for Wikipedia. Regardless of whether it is one of a kind or not, it does not seem to inform readers of information that is not in the article, but rather, provides a service. If it were informative or used as a reference, perhaps it would be more appropriate, but in its current context it is not. Agree that if the article were about how polygamous couples meet, it may be appropriate, but not this article. -Visorstuff 21:52, 19 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I had thought of creating a segment in this wiki precisely as you suggest, but I felt the result would be to give more attention to the 2Wives.com site than should occur. So, I felt the concise way to include this important link is to simply make one simple link and be done with it. -- Researcher99, 19 Jan 2005, Msg#6

I see nothing in the article suggesting that women don't voluntarily engage in polygamy, so arguing the link is an attempt to counter this is moot. I also see nothing in the article saying it is a strictly religious practice or that people don't engage in polygamy for reasons other than religion, so that argument is out the window too. In short, the external link seems to serve no other purpose other than to advertise a personals site. Whether it is related to polygamy or not isn't the issue...The fact that it adds nothing to the article and isn't encyclopedic is why it should remain gone. Just my two slivers of copper. →Reene✎ 06:22, Jan 20, 2005 (UTC)

The link is pretty clearly not appropriate for Wikipedia. The suggested criteria for an external link on wikipedia:external links are:

  1. "try to avoid sites requiring payment, registration, or extra applications"
  2. "Wikipedia disapproves strongly of links that are added for advertising purposes"
  3. "Pages that are linked to in an external links section should be high content, with information that is not found in the Wikipedia article"

In my view, the 2wives.com link meets none of these criteria:

  1. The majority of the information appears to require registration
  2. It looks like an advertising link
  3. It contains almost no information on polygamy

Consequently, it should not be included in the article. --Carnildo 06:41, 20 Jan 2005 (UTC)

How about this (regarding 2Wives.com)?

In the above 2Wives.com discussion, two specific comments have been made which could reasonably give the solution here and the direction to take in this matter. One was made by Visorstuff and the other was made by Calair. (I have created this subsection only to keep the issue simple for reading.)

  • Visorstuff said: If it were informative or used as a reference, perhaps it would be more appropriate, but in its current context it is not. Agree that if the article were about how polygamous couples meet, it may be appropriate...
  • Calair suggested: ...if the 2Wives.com link is intended to prove a particular point - i.e. that some single women *do* voluntarily seek polygamy - then it becomes more appropriate, *if* presented in that light. Rather than putting it in the External Links section, use a context that makes it clear *why* we're linking to an advertising site: "Critics A and B have claimed that women never voluntarily seek polygamy; however, the existence of at least one personals site (link here) catering to single women seeking polygamous marriage indicates otherwise" would be far more appropriate.

My first comment is that, specifically, Calair "gets it," the reason why I have thought this exclusive site (2Wives.com) is a valuable addition in this wiki. There is truly such an anti-polygamy hostility in some circles who do try to suggest that no women would ever want polygamy. Visorstuff's suggestion also affirms the issue of using the link in similar context too.

My second comment is that I do very much understand the reasonable concerns many have expressed about possible future linkspam. I would not want that either. If I follow the suggestions from Calair and Visorstuff and create a little segment for such context, I would only want to do so in a brief way, so as not to open up any pandora's box of subsequent linkspam that way either. I only briefly want to make the point of the context and simply cite the only valid reference site, 2Wives.com.

So in keeping those two good points they raised in mind, how about this? Would others find it more acceptable if I indeed create a small segment as they suggest, and only cite the site that way, in order to show that some women DO actually seek polygamy, by the actual existence of such a site? -- Researcher99, 20 Jan 2005

I would suggest you find another site. If women that desire to enter into polygamy are as numerous as you would seem to have us believe this should not be an issue. And I do recall seeing multiple news stories over the years revolving around polygamous households including interviews with the wives saying they were quite happy. Why not use one of those? As Carnildo pointed out, the personal ad site isn't appropriate for multiple reasons. And there is still nothing in the article remotely suggesting that women do not voluntarily engage in polygamy. →Reene✏ 21:13, Jan 20, 2005 (UTC)

Is it necessary to link to the site in order to use it as evidence (leaving aside the need for such evidence)? Could you not say, in an appropriate place in the text, something like: "Though it is often assumed that the practice of polygamy is imposed on women by men in positions of power, usually or always in a rellgious context, this is confuted by the existence of at least one Web site....". --Mel Etitis 20:08, 21 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I think your suggested sentence works as a perfect and concise way to reference the necessary link, to just say that and be done with it. -- -- Researcher99, 23 Jan 2005
I think the site should not be linked at all. It meets none of the guidelines for external links. --Carnildo 20:58, 23 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I agree — my point was that, if its existence is importance to the point being made, then it could be mentioned and described (briefly) without the necessity of a link. If anyone wanted to find it, they could Google for it. Mel Etitis (Μελ Ετητης) 10:32, 24 Jan 2005 (UTC)
So are you saying that the point of Wikipedia is not to inform the user but to make wiki users work to find their information? (Also, as I have said before, Google is not the trustworthy tool as it used to be. So expecting wikipedia users to do that extra work with a specifically ineffective tool only makes it that much harder on the wiki users seeking information.) -- Researcher99, 25 Jan 2005
Wikipedia is not a link farm. The content of the site provides no information that the simple existance of the site does not, so there is no need to link to the site. --Carnildo 20:21, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I agree this is not a linkfarm. If there were all kinds of other sites doing 2Wives.com what does, I would be more inclined to see your point. But given that there is one -- and only one -- site like this, there is no risk of linkfarm problems. Placing that link here does not expose the wiki to other sites wanting to be added as a "linkfarm." The very existence of such a single site of its kind as 2Wives.com does provide more interesting information for the wiki user than would result by its absence from the wiki. -- Researcher99, 28 Jan 2005

Let me step in again and offer some suggestions. Researcher99, if you could put together a 200-words (or so) paragraph about how polyandrous "couples" meet, and cite this web page as one source (providing that there are other, similar online sites), and other forms of how they meet outside of a religious setting, then I am fine with it being included - but it must include multiple examples of multiple ways they meet. However, if this web site is an anomaly, then it really does a disservice the readership of Wikipedia - fringe information may be titillating to some, but irrelevant to others. Perphaps this link, if it is such an anomaly should be on some "little known facts about polygamy" web site we could link to. That would be more relevant. AS it stands, I think the consensus is that we don't include it without the appropriate (and thoughtfully research and presented) context of how polygamous "couples" meet outside of a religious setting. Without this context, adding in the link may spark an edit war -Visorstuff 23:04, 25 Jan 2005 (UTC)

It has been pointed out that I need to clarify my comment above - I do understand the difference, between polygamy, polygyny and polyandry - I feel that for the purposes of this discussion, the requirement of finding and including multiple sites on how those seeking multiple simoustaneous marriages sanctioned by their partners would be relevant to this article (providing they meet with the requirement I suggested above). However, I don't think there are many similar sites out there like this that help multiples meet for marriage - wheter polygamous, polygynous or polyandrous. This is why we feel that there just isn't the information out there to justify the content. I'd find nothing wrong with adding in women finding multiple men, and men seeking multiple women, and women or men seeking to become a part of a multiple marriage relationship - as long as it supports the context laid out above within the polygamy article. Frankly, I'd find it rather interesting, as long as the differences is clear to the reader between those seeking to become a part of a polygamy, polygyny and polyandry relationship. Hope this helps clarify. -Visorstuff 21:05, 26 Jan 2005 (UTC)
I just came hear from WP:RFC. After investigating the 2Wives.com website, I saw nothing on the website that would make it appropriate as an external link for the Polygamy article. There is no amount of finessing or explantory text that will change that. It is a dating website, and it costs to join. End of story! BlankVerse 14:13, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Welcome to Wikipedia. I see that you are new here, that you joined only 2 weeks ago. While I appreciate your opinion, I do not think it really needed to be stated as authoritatively as you wrote it --especially on such a controversial topic as polygamy, about which few people really have any researched background to know much about it. But anyway, again, welcome to Wikipdedia. -- Researcher99, 28 Jan 2005
Visorstuff, as I see that you are an admin, I very much appreciate and respect your input here. I like your suggestion. There is only one polygyny site where polygynous people can find proven-to-be-real single women who are actively seeking polygyny: 2Wives.com. The challenge in finding a similar site for polyandry, however, is that the mindset involved in that type of polygamy tends to connect more with the polyamory community. (Please see the discussion above that Calair and I had about polyamory vs. polygamy.) Accordingly, polyandrists who are "seeking" would be apt to be found in a polyamorous type of "seeking" site. Making any link to that kind of a polyamorous site would then be more appropriate in the polyamory wiki instead of the polygamy wiki. Indeed, as per the earlier conversation between Calair and I, it would indeed be inappropriate to link such a polyamorous site in the polygamy wiki. -- Researcher99, 28 Jan 2005

Researcher99, I completely understand the differences between the groups - especially having done as much research on the topic as I have (see my comments above). Although I will not share all of my dealings with polygamy, I think I have a better understanding than most with the culture and knowing those who live in polygamous relationships, as well as family members and ancestors who've live/ed it. I also understand the sensitivities you bring up on how polygamists view those who do the reversal (multiple spouses without marriage, multple husbands, etc.). My comment was not to endorse or promote the misunderstanding of polyamory within polygamy, but rather, show that there is a segment of the population that are interested in alternative marriage lifestyles. In addition, the link as it is should not be included, unless it is used in conjuction with another to support the point I mentioned above. Because I am unaware of any similar site condoning or helping those seeking for polygamous relationships, I believe (and still do) that using similar examples would fulfil the requirement for making this point. Again, as stated above the proper context should be given. Until a similar site is found, I firmly believe that including this link irrelevant to the article as it is an anomaly. Including it without consensus and support would be dangerous to the direction of this page, and would, again, lead to an edit war. -Visorstuff 21:09, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I very much appreciate your input on all this. After further time and research, I have sought to accommodate your input here with the major edit I made today. It is a comprehensive addition and provides the necessary context you suggested. Thank you very much for your assistance. -- Researcher99, 7 Mar 2005

Anon POV Edits

I am planning on reverting another anon POV edit - below is the text and rationalization. If no objections, will do revert around 00:00 4 Mar 2005. Trödel|talk 18:43, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)

  • Is it just me, or do the sneer quotes rile you too? "married" being the most obvious? --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 19:49, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Yes, you're both quite right (Trödel|talk and jpgordon). I completely agree with you. It's filled with typos, is very POV, and needs to be reverted. While I have made comment replies, individually, in your thread below, I quite agree that the whole edit made by that POV writer should be reverted. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

Number of Marriages

"Although Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon sect denied he was practicing it, he was in fact "married" to more than 20 women, including several of the wives and daughters of his most loyal followers. He married at least two wives of followers that he personally dispatched on missions for the church while they were away. He also "married" several of his foster daughters, servants, and two girls that were 14."

the number of marriages is disputed as well as the nature of the marital relationship for some of these - need to be fully explained. Trödel|talk 18:43, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Right. It is very POV to add that speculative anti-polygamy POV to this article. It doesn't even really belong. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

Please explain how it is POV to state that most (or many) people believe that Joseph Smith introduced the practive of polygamy. The Mormon church teaches it. The wording needs to change, but the facts should be there. Other LDS spinoffs do not teach it. In fact, claims of his teaching of polygamy was strongly linked to his death.Nereocystis 21:05, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

I think the speculative anti-polygamy is refering to presenting the details in such a way that 1) presents only one historical claim, and 2) introduces age as a factor when marriages of 14 year olds was more common then. No serious scholars claim that JS did not introduce polygamy; however The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not teach this practice having abandoned it about a century ago. I object to the one-sided presentation of this issue - we need to summarize better and reference the Plural marriage article about LDS polygamy. Trödel|talk 22:00, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

Of course, the article shouldn't suggest that the current LDS church teaches polygamy. When someone introduces a one-sided view with additional information, it is usually better to edit it to a fairer treatment of the topic, then remove all of the changes. Is Joseph Smith's marriage of 14-year olds used as an excuse for modern marriage of 14-year olds? If so, it is legimate to include that information. Try to be fair, but complete. Current practices of Mormon fundamentalists are not included in plural marriage, they are included in polygamy. Is this a good solution? The Manifestos are just slightly mentioned, as is polygamy after the Manifesto.Nereocystis 22:29, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

Kept a secret

"Joseph Smith and other high ranking church leaders kept polygamy a secret from the main body of the mormon membership until several high ranking mormns not apart of the polygamy practicing group who were appalled by this behaviour published a newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor, detailing the practice. They promised in their second issue more details of the secret polygamy practices of Smith and his cohorts, as well as an expose of Smith's secret coronation as King of this Earth by his secret society which planned to take over the U.S. Smith responded by destroying the press and calling out his private militia. For these actions he was charged with treason and imprisoned in Nearby Carthage, Illinois, where he was killed in a gun battle with vigilantes."

"Gun battle" is definately POV. Although Joseph Smith feared (in this case rightfully) for his life should he disclose the revelation (thus it was kept from all but his most trusted advisors) he had received openly. The tone needs improvement. Trödel|talk 18:43, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Hostile POV. Also, that visibly POV writer keeps using the word "polygamy" as if the Mormon polygamy is exclusively the definition of polygamy. Highly inappropriate and POV. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

Succession Battle

"Brigham Young, after a three year succession battle, ultimately took control of the largest of the splinter groups that resulted from Smiths death and led them to Utah, which was then a part of Mexico. The polygamy practice was finally taught openly in Utah in 1852, as a "sacred ordinance." The church continued to deny that polygamy was practiced in England for several more decades. Since there were more men than women in Utah, only some members of the Church practiced polygamy, primarily the church leaders and their families."

This greatly simplifies the Succession crisis with POV terms. Trödel|talk 18:43, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Right. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

Manifesto

"The practice of polygamy ultimatley led to prosecution of the Church under anti-polygamy laws. (The U.S. Congress made the practice illegal in U.S. Territories in 1862). Many members of the Church fled to Canada in an attempt to set up communities free from prosecution (despite the fact that it was also illegal in Canada); for example, Cyril Ogston founded Seven Persons, Alberta. Although Latter-day Saints believed that their religiously-based practice of plural marriage was protected by the United States Constitution, opponents used it to delay Utah statehood until 1896. Increasingly harsh anti-polygamy legislation stripped Church members of their rights as citizens, disincorporated the Church, and permitted the seizure of Church property until the Church issued "the manifesto" regarding the cessation of polygamy in 1890."

Most of this is ok Trödel|talk 18:43, 3 Mar 2005 (UTC)
Here again, the anti-polygamy POV writer is referring to "polygamy" as if it is the exclusive idea of Mormons, which it is not. Polygamy goes back in history to the Biblical book called Genesis, long before the 1800s Mormon religion created its own brand of it. One might more reasonably refer to the "Mormon-particular practice of polygamy led to anti-polygamy laws," but one could not generically say that it was the "polygamy practice" itself in all the other forms not even addressed in those times. Those anti-polygamy laws were specifically targeted at the ways of the Mormon polygamy at the time was occurring. Only an anti-polygamy POV would try to word it that wrong way, as that POV writer was obviously trying to do. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

Young Marriages

"Mormon fundamentalists claim that they are merely following the example of Joseph Smith who, as a middle aged man, took several 14, 15 and 16 year old girls as "wives."

If we include this need to put in context as marriages at that age were more common in the early 1800s
Again, only a hostile anti-polygamy POV would try to include this irelevant addition. For NPOV, it is not necessary to include, because it is no different than the age at which most "monogamists" of the era also used to marry. -- Researcher99 3 Mar 2005

However, in the US, it is uncommon to marry 14-16 year olds today. Some of the polygamists do it. Therefore, it should be mentioned. Tom Green's prosecution was in part due to his marriage of one young girl. Do you include fundamentalists excuses for these actions. I would say so, because it gives their POV as well as the implicit POV of the general public which disapproves of the actions.Nereocystis 21:10, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

Agreed that it is uncommon now - but the way this is worded would be the same as saying "Murphy Brown claims she is merely following the example of Benjamin Franklin, who as 22 year old man, fathered a son out of wedlock." Though this is true - there is no context for the remark. I am not asking that a comment about the abhorent practices like Tom Green's be removed but merely that it be presented in a more NPOV way. Trödel|talk 22:37, 16 May 2005 (UTC)

other wrong historical facts

Please see my other comments at [[4]]

I have included a couple thoughts below from that page about accuracy:

I don't get teh 1906 date this person is fixated with (similar changes at Polygamy) that was the date that the twelve released Apostles John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley for continuing to teach and practice, and when JFS was convicted of unlawful co-habitation (although he was granted amnesty from U.S. President Benjamin Harrison in September 1891). Teh second manifesto was 1904 but at the october conference in 1910, the Church sustained an initiative for stake presidents to ecommunicate those who performed plural marriages after 1904 (and husbands). Even Quinn who is rather naturalistic agrees with this. Upon further research, the church did not saction or authorize any plural marriages under the administration of Lorenzo Snow, but did authorize them in mexico under JFS during 1901-2, but that then ceased.

This editor is using an outdated anti-mormon work typically used during the 80s for the basis of information, and is inaccurate. You'd think people would check facts for themselves on controversial subjects, but they don't. Instead they walk in blind obedience to men who think that the ends justify the means. Too funny for me. -Visorstuff 16:51, 4 Mar 2005 (UTC)


Gratifying to see this polygamy wiki cited

I noticed the new posting at the head of this discussion page that This page has been cited by Berkeley Journal of International Law. As I have been enjoying doing the extensive organization and work on this polygamy wiki these past few months, it is gratifying to see it now acknowledged this way. --Researcher99 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)


On Muslims in the "HOW Polygamists Find More Spouses" section

The original version of this subsection was last presented on 12:30, 31 Mar 2005. Since that time, Ghostintheshell has been attempting to make edits to it. The edits do not belong in this section. To try to accommodate Ghostintheshell, I moved their added paragraph to the Islam section 10:12, 28 Apr 2005.

In the original (and restored) version of this section, it succinctly notes the difference between Muslim polygamists living in Muslim countries. Accordingly, it was unnecessary to redundantly explain that in those Muslim countries that such Muslim polygamists do not aggregate in their own communities. (The polygamy wiki is already a huge web-page, and we do not need to be duplicative in the article.)

Anyway, that original paragraph then appropriately explains how other Muslim polygamists who are not living in Muslim countries find such additional spouses. It is completely true that such ones do aggregate in such Muslim immigrant communities where they all share that common bond.

From the edits, one thing I notice is that it appears that Ghostintheshell's edits are POV attempts to prevent the wiki from informing readers about the issues regarding fundamentalist Muslim polygamy which explain why most in the West do not accept Muslim polygamy. For NPOV, therefore, the edits had to be restored again.

To better understand this subsection more clearly, the thing to do is to read the entire subsection as one mini-article within the article: "HOW Polygamists Find More Spouses." The opening of the section notes there are two subdivisions as to the where and how polygamists are able to find other wives: aggregated type and separated type. All are then noted together in the "on the internet" subsegment. Realizing this structure, it then becomes clear that the edits are completely altering the section's article, content, structure, fluidity, and NPOV.

Accordingly, some of the edits being made lately by the brand new wiki user, Ghostintheshell, are simply not appropriate to this particular section. After reverting back to the original again, I will try to put some of Ghostintheshell's edis appropriately in the proper place in the Islam section, though. -- Researcher99 15:55 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Your statements are not only extremely inaccurate, they are totally false. So-called 'fundamentalist' Muslim polygamy in the West and other non-Muslim countries is either so rare or, far more likely, non-existent. I've never come across any widespread examples of this, or even any isolated examples. Thus, you are blatantly spreading false information. Your section on Mormons is also severely biased, and the section on Christians is as POV as you can get, what with promoting a 'polygamy dating' website. Ghostintheshell 22:38, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Your hostile POV actions are now becoming abusive. I have tried to accommodate your input, but you want only to put your spin on things. Researcher99 23:23 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I am not putting 'any' spin on things, and I am certainly not being abusive. Facts are facts, and the fact is that you are spreading lies and misinformation. You are unable to back up your sources as regards to Muslim polygamy, and thus you make accusations against me, and you have a history of antagonising other Wikipedia contributors to this article, especially those who criticised your inclusion of a polygamy-related dating website, and the bombastic promotion of your self-styled Christian polygamy, while attacking Mormons and Muslims. I know nothing of Mormon or Christian polygamy, and thus would not attempt to comment on those two areas, and you have shown yourself to know nothing of polygamy amongst Muslims, and you should refrain in your attempts to paint such a blatantly inaccurate picture. You can revert as much as you want, but I will be here to revert as well. Wikipedia is not a playground for promoting untruth and bombast. Good luck. Ghostintheshell 00:02, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
1.You are the newbie here. 2.You forget that the West includes countries such as Canada, Spain, England, France, and others. 3.By your own admission here, you do not know of examples of what you are trying to remove here. 4.You did not follow Wiki ettiquette of stopping your edits until discussion got resolved here in TALK. 5.You have not once accommodated anything except your own hostile view. 6.You ignored the multiple attempts I have made to accommodate your input. 7.Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005 confirmed what is NPOV. 8.Yet, you continue to abuse the system, even adding irrelevant links already removed previously just to be hostile. This all shows that you are the one advancing your hostile POV, that now none of yours posts should now be allowed, and that you very probably should now be banned. Researcher99 02:17 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
1. I am not a 'newbie,' as if that has anything to do with anything here. Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia, and all are free to edit. 2. I stated that I do not know much about Christian or Mormon polygamy, and I have NOT edited anything relating to Christian or Mormon polygamy, though your own paragraphs concerning Christian/secular polygamy are extremely POV. 3. I am willing to discuss changes, however you have shown that you do not want anyone editing your paragraphs, which is not part of the Wikipedia spirit. 4. Finally, you still have not revealed any sources for your information concerning Muslim polygamy in the West, which is NON-EXISTENT. I will not stand idly by while you and other anti-Muslim bigots spread false information concernin a subject you clearly know very little about (Muslims and Muslim polygamy). Ghostintheshell 02:35, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I notice you did not follow my number points and did not use all of them. I will reply here with my point number-system again. 1. I welcome all input when it follows proper Wiki behavior. My point is, we have lots of one-time newbies come in only to advance their agenda and POV impact or change the wiki. Then they'll be gone tomorrow. I have been here for the long-term, working to ensure a proper researching goes into this Wiki. You have not participated in the development of this Wiki, yet you come in as a newbie and vandalize it with your edits. 2. You ignore the words like "tend" and "networks" in the article's section as if it is somehow a hostile POV when it is clearly NPOV. Here's the line that is obviously NPOV: "When living in non-Muslim countries, though, they otherwise tend to aggregate in their own networks of Muslim immigrant communities." That allows for exceptions while certainly pointing out what does happen in non-Muslim countries. Besides, there is nothing wrong or hostile with being part of "networks of communities." But you fail to understand that. What you truthfully do not like in the article is the NPOV explanation of why people in the West do not accept that same value-system, when they mistakenly think all polygamy is about that form of polygamy. But you are trying to hide that agenda of yours by attacking me and repeating your vandalism to the Wiki. 3. By your own admission, you admit that you do not know of what you are trying to delete in the article. Just because you do not know of communities and networks of communities does not mean they do not exist. 4. You have never used proper Wiki ettitquette. You have never been willing to TALK. Even after Trödel made his [03:22, 29 Apr 2005] version last night in concurring with me to stop posting, you still put your edits post back. 5. and 6. You have never once sought to accommodate or work with me on anything. You have only vandalized the Wiki. On this TALK page, at the very end of the "How about this (regarding 2Wives.com)?" section, notice my last comments to the admin, Visorstuff. That admin's last post about that issue gave me guidance on 28 Jan 2005. I then spent a few weeks researching and then came with the result on 7 Mar 2005 that followed those guidelines. That result was the entire "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. I had worked hard, followed the admin's guidelines, took my time, and did it right. (Subsequently, we notice that Lotsofissues posted on 19 Apr 2005 how[the Polygamy Wiki was cited by the Berkeley Journal of International Law]. That, along with my other long-term committed work on this polygamy Wiki has added proven positive impact on this Wiki. But you only seek to vandalize that now, never once talking about it before taking any action, and still refusing to stop making your vandalism after being asked not to continue. 7. I am not the only one affirming my NPOV in this: Trödel's version on 00:49, 29 Apr 2005 but you ignore that. When that happened, proper Wiki behavior would have been for you to stop your Reverts immediately and TALK. But you chose to keep vandalizing. 8. Your maligning me as supposedly being an anti-Muslim bigot is further proof that you are not here making edits for Wiki, but to advance your spin and agenda. On this TALK page here, in the "Polygamy and Islam" section, if you read my last paragraph made on 17 Jan 2005, you will see that I am not trying to be anti-Muslim at all. In that situation, yet another one-time-only poster came in and made changes to the Wiki. They added what seemed to me an unneccessarily anti-Muslim Polygamy perspective on the Qu'ran verses that supports polygamy. I made my comment and awaited for any input from someone who would like to have commented either way about my thoughts on that. As Calair had been participating in that discussion, I took no action when there was no comments to my comment. So I am definitely not anti-Muslim. For you to say that my hard work in the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section of the polygamy Wiki makes me anti-Muslim only further proves your bias, agenda, and POV. You are not here for the Wiki, you are here to put your pro-Muslim POV spin on it. Please do stop. Researcher99 10:30 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)



2nd Section: Way for Resolution

As this dispute has unfolded, I have found myself perplexed at how someone could misinterpret the gentle NPOV reference to "aggregrate in communities" in the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses." In the article, I had never indicated that such communities or networks of communities were somehow "closed" as if some secret "cult" or whatever. After all, communities can be as simple as neighborhoods with people sharing a commonality. That happens all the time with numerous sub-populations, whether ethnic, religious, or otherwise. I read and re-read the segment I wrote about that and could find nothing that ever indicated any negative thing about communities at all. With that said, I have just found something which might be the source of the misinterpretation. In the article, here's the final quote I made about all that:

With such added hostility from Western society for such "no-choice-for-women" premises, both Mormon polygamists and Muslim polygamists find it simply easier to aggregate into their own private separated communities and retain their privacy.

The direction of that statement does not state it from the view of Western society somehow attacking Mormon polygamists and Muslim polygamists for living in communities. Just the opposite. If anything, it is more from the direction of Mormon polygamists and Muslim polygamists saying that, because they know the West does not accept their value-systems, it is easier for them to go on about their lives in their own private communities. I purposely sought to word it from their private self-preservation perspective (rather than the hostile West's views) in order to be gentle and non-attacking to Mormon and Muslim polygamists.

While that is true, I can now see that the use of the one word "separated" in that quote seems to have antagonized Ghostintheshell into misinterpreting it to mean some worse unintended meaning. I have no problem replacing the words "private separated communities" to instead say "individual communities". That is really all I meant when I first wrote the article, so it is not an issue for me to make that edit at all.

It is my hope that this will resolve the current "dispute" once and for all. Researcher99 14:20, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, your original section stated, in no uncertain terms, that there are Muslims, of the fundamentalist variety to be sure, who practice polygamy in Western countries. This is the point of contention, pure and simple. It's one thing to criticise extremist groups like the Taliban, for example, for their treatment of women in Afghanistan (whether or not that has anything to do with polygamy is open to debate, but for just for the sake of argument), that is one thing, so long as you are clear that you are not generalizing and maintaing NPOV. But when you say that there are extremist or 'fundamentalist' Muslims in Western countries practicing polygamy, whether in their own communities or whatever, that is just false information. There is no real world example of this, and it doesn't belong in Wikipedia. I don't know how much more clear I can make it as that. Just because there might be a few isolated Mormons in Utah who may be engaging in polygamy in their own communities, depriving their wives of rights, does not mean that there are also Muslim polygamists somewhere in a Western country doing the same thing, and depriving their wives of any rights or whatever. The legal issues of polygamy in Western societies aside, there are simply NO real world examples of this occuring in ANY Muslim community anywhere in the Western world. It's not even widespread in the Muslim world as it is, restricted to primarily traditionalist Arab societies like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, UAE, Bahrain, etc. Anyway, I've made my point, which I've repeated numerous times now, to no avail. Ghostintheshell 15:39, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
It is very disheartening to see that no matter how I try to reach out to you or to try to help you understand how you are mistaken about what is going on here, you still continue to vandalize the Wiki and to attack me. Honestly, you are now only fighting for fighting's sake. You are violating the Wiki system by repeatedly Reverting back your ideas before this is resolved. It should be Rv to its status quo until we get this resolved. I have no problem talking to hash things out, but it cannot reasonably happen when you hold it all hostage to your vandalism to the Wiki. I will Rv it to the status quo, and then we can talk here. While we do that, please do the right Wiki thing and leave the status quo alone for now so that we can have the conversation. I am willing to believe that you are only misunderstanding what is really going on here. I have repeatedly tried to resolve this. Please, stop the vandalism and the attacks of saying I am supposedly doing things that I really am not doing. Let's TALK. When you can make reasonable and persuasive arguments without holding me hostage under your gun of vandalism, I will have no problem accepting what is accurate, reasonable, and informative for Wiki readers. So, let's TALK. Please. That's the true "Wikie spirit" of things here and I have repeatedly tried to do that with you. I'll be more than glad to address your questions and concerns when I am no longer held hostage to the vandalism. I am trying to resolve this. Will you please join me on that? Let's start from the status quo situation and work from there. Let's TALK.Researcher99 17:24, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Supplemental to the above post I just made: I just discovered in a thread further below that Ghostintheshell made the following assertion at 15:02, 29 Apr 2005. "However, when you state that there are Muslim fundamentalists in Western countries openly practicing polygamy, well, then we have a problem since not only can you not substantiate these claims, but they are just absurdly false and incendiary." So, am I really, really being accused of being a bigoted POV hostile anti-Muslim because I glady recognized Muslim polygamous families who do live in non-Muslim countries? I am still very willing to TALK about this issue, but this assertion is sounding alarm bells to me, I will also admit. But maybe I misunderstood, although I don't see how. Researcher99 16:09, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Supplemental to my supplemental: Here are two official Muslim resources regarding Muslim polygamists in the West.
* WEBISLAM interviews Mansur Escudero, Secretary General of the Islamic Commission of Spain. (English translation)
* ISLAMFORTODAY reports "Members of the Muslim Parliament in Britain are hoping that the new (Human Rights Act), will make it possible for polygamy to be legalised." This is even cites an example of a Muslim man's marriage to a "second wife, and married her in a Muslim ceremony at a London mosque."
I could continue citing resources, but I think the point is clear. If the whole basis of coming against me in this "dispute" is based upon the assertion that there are "no Muslim polygamists in the West," it really is not accurate to suggest that I am the one who is spreading "absurdly false and incendiary" claims here. So, it is my hope that we can finally resolve this issue here in TALK once and for all. Researcher99 16:48, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Well, we were both disingenously blocked, perhaps for the better as no one likes an edit war. ;) I am simply using this temporary username to respond to your comments. Firstly, I am very well aware that there *are* Muslims in Western countries like Britain (with it's huge Pakistani population, many of whom, like Saudi Arabs, are ardent traditionalists), who are *trying* to have polygamy legalised. However, this is a moot point on their part since polygamy is still illegal in that country (and throughout the West, as far as I know), and will probably remain so. This does not mean, that because they are trying to have it legalised, that they are actually engaging in such a practice, and I have yet to come across any real world examples where a Muslim polygamous family actually exists in the West. As I've said, it is one thing for a Muslim community in a country like Britain to propose that polygamy be legalised. It is quite another for them to engage in the practice, which is currently against the law, and considering the level of tension and conflict that exists between the Pakistani traditionalist community and the British Anglo-Saxon majority, I do not think they would be naive enough to flagrantly violate such laws. One or two isolated examples would not be good enough to include in Wikipedia, and I believe you would be hard pressed to find even those.
Secondly, just to make things clear, I am not a Muslim, and am not attempting to spread a 'Muslim POV'. I think it is fairly obvious that my additions to the article are quite NPOV as it stands. I am a long time student of both Near and Far Eastern civilisations, and thus I do know quite a bit about subjects such as Islam, in addition to Abrahamic traditions in general, with the exception of more modern Christian variants such as the LDS movement. Calling you an anti-Muslim bigot was perhaps a bit much, but then again you have accused me of being an abusive vandal, which was also perhaps a bit much on your end. At any rate, the way you had worded your section appeared to very POV, since it was grouped in with the Mormons, and it should be clear that Mormon and Muslim polygamists do not find their spouses in the same way, and the generalisation that Muslim polygamists deprive their wives of any legal rights or protection is also contentious. Generalisations are, of course, as POV as you can get. On top of all that, your section stated that these Muslim polygamists who are depriving their wives of legal rights also happen to live in the West. It's just one contentious point on top of another.
At any rate, the point in all this, aside from all POV issues, is that your section was just plain inaccurate and false. You've cited two web sources that illustrate that there are Muslims in Britain and Spain who wish to legalise polygamy. That's fine. I'm sure there are a minority of Muslims in Western countries who wish to legalise polygamy, in addition to the minority of non-Muslims who also feel the same. However, how that relates to what you originally wrote is beyond me. It's one thing if you were citing specific examples from a Muslim country where polygamy *is* legal, where it is widespread, where women did have their legal rights deprived, and so forth, though whether that has anything to do with Western anti-polygamy is rather unclear. However, you are stating that Muslim 'fundamentalists' in the West who live in polygamous situations have been depriving their women of rights, without citing any factual sources or real examples. IMHO, it's contentious and doesn't belong in this article.
Lastly, the whole thrust of your thesis seems to be that Western sentiments of anti-polygamy are due entirely to abuses that have occured in fundamentalist Mormon and Muslim circles. Again, IMHO, this doesn't belong in Wikipedia as this is just pure opinion. My own opinion is that the vast majority of Westerners are against polygamy because of their cultural background. Polygamy has never been common in the West throughout history, and yet is found all throughout eastern history, and not just Islam. So, my opinion is that Western anti-polygamy is due primarily to cultural upbringing and history. That's my opinion, but it doesn't belong in Wikipedia. This goes well beyond the aim of Wikipedia, which includes no original ideas. TheRedandtheBlack 08:50, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Detail on Islamic Polygamy

Muslim polygamy, in practice and law, differs greatly throughout the Islamic world. Whereas, in some Muslim countries, polygamy may be fairly common, in most others, it is often rare or non-existent. While Muslim polygamy may be mainly found in traditionalist Arab cultures such as Saudia Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, it is either extremely rare or even banned outright in secular Arab states like Lebanon and non-Arab Muslim countries such as Turkey and Malaysia. In Muslim countries where polygamy does occur, there are certain core fundamentals found in common among most of them. According to traditional Islamic law, a man may take up to four wives, and each of those wives must have her own property, assets, and dowry. Usually the wives have little to no contact with each other and lead separate, individual lives in their own houses, and sometimes in different cities, though they all share the same husband. Thus, Muslim polygamy is traditionally restricted to wealthy men, and in some countries it is illegal for a man to marry multiple wives if he is unable to afford to take care of each of them properly. In such Muslim countries where polygamy is still commonplace and legal, Muslim polygamists live openly among the rest of their society at large.

This section is disputed. The extra detail does not seem to be pushing a POV to me - please propose alternative language here. Trödel|talk 03:09, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Actually, this is not in dispute. I have no problem with it either. When Ghostintheshell added the information of that input to the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section of the polgamy Wiki, I moved that information to the main "Islam" section because it was more appropriate there. The only "dispute" is Ghostintheshell's vandalism to the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. Ghostintheshell is trying to hide information from Wiki readers because of Ghostintheshell's over-reacting POV. So, the purpose of Ghostintheshell's "disputing" is not about this information, but about vandalizing the hard work put into the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section of the polygamy Wiki. For more clarity, please see my comments on this TALK page in the section above here and in the section below here too. You may also note that Ghostintheshell repeated their vandalism even after you asked for it to stop too. Researcher99 11:28, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Muslims & traditionalist cultures

Polygamy, and laws concerning polygamy, differ greatly throughout the Islamic world and form a very complex and diverse background from nation to nation. Whereas in some Muslim countries it may be fairly common, in most others it is often rare or non-existent. However, there are certain core fundamentals which are found in most Muslim countries where the practice occurs. According to traditional Islamic law, a man may take up to four wives, and each of those wives must have her own property, assets, and dowry. Usually the wives have little to no contact with each other and lead separate, individual lives in their own houses, and sometimes in different cities, though they all share the same husband. Thus, polygamy is traditionally restricted to wealthy men, and in some countries it is illegal for a man to marry multiple wives if he is unable to afford to take care of each of them properly. In the modern Islamic world, polygamy is mainly found in traditionalist Arab cultures, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for instance, whereas in secular Arab states like Lebanon and non-Arab Muslim countries, Turkey and Malaysia for example, it is either extremely rare or even banned outright. In traditionalist cultures where polygamy is still commonplace and legal, Muslim polygamists do not separate themselves from the society at large, since there would be no need as each spouse leads a separate life from the others.

This section is also disputed. It seems to me that Muslims and Mormons do not share alot of common ground in how they identify potential partners so I would put them under different sections; however, I am open to proposed modifications to the above. Trödel|talk 03:09, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)

It must be stated, as I have done before, that Researcher99's original entry on 'Muslims' in his original section on 'finding spouses,' states, quite falsely, that there are fundamentalist Muslims in Western countries practice polygamy in their own closed communities, which is devoid of any factual sources to back up this contentious claim. If users wish to delete the entire section as pertains to Muslims in this particular section, that would be perfectly alright. If Researcher99 is emphatic about including Muslims under this particular heading, then the facts must be stated that Islamic polygamy is entirely different from Mormon/Christian/secular polygamy, and that there is no precedent for Muslim polygamy anywhere in the West, be it North America or Europe. Furthermore, his section concerning Mormons seems a bit biased to me, and the section on Christian/secular polygamy is blatantly POV and promotes specific polygamist 'romance' websites, which is not in accord with Wikipedia policy. However, I have not touched those sections as I don't know enough about those two groups (Mormon/Christian polygamists) to be able to properly comment. If you are emphatic about NPOV, you cannot subscribe to a double-standard in promoting falsehoods about Muslim polygamy, while ignoring POV paragraphs concerning Christian/secular polygamy. Ghostintheshell 03:43, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Furthermore, it seems quite clear that Researcher99 does not want anyone editing his own specific additions, which is not in accordance with the spirit of Wikipedia as being an open source knowledge base. Double standards are not appreciated. As I've stated, his entire section is in dispute as it stands, while my additions attempt to balance the picture as far as Muslim polygamy is concerned, and the differences with Mormon/Christian polygamy. I am not able to properly edit the Christian/secular or Mormon sections, and thus it would be advisable for those who do know the facts to balance those sections out accordingly. Ghostintheshell 03:47, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
The article never said closed communities. It never said that. referring to "networks of communities" is nothing hostile. You are overreacting. As well, there is no double standard. On two occassions, I was glad to add your input, placing it in a more appropriate location in the article. As for "romance sites," 2Wives.com is a non-religious site that is for Muslims too. Your grabbing at straws to accuse me of things I haven't done. Your only dispute, truthfully, is that your agenda here is to hide another paragraph altogether, the one which helps readers understand why the West responds to Muslim polygamy in a not-so-positive way. I went out of my way to make that as gentle as possible, but your bias causes you to misinterpret that NPOV explanation as if it is "bigoted anti-Muslim" even though it is only explaining the "why" for readers. That's the real reason why you are vandalizing the hard work of the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" Section. Otherwise, you would not have continued your repeated vandalismto the Wiki, and perhaps we would have been TALKING here instead. Researcher99 11:11, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
The West responds negatively to Muslim polygamy? That's laughable, considering the West, as a whole, responds negatively to polygamy in general, no matter what the faith might be. Fact is, you don't want anyone editing that particular section since you originated it, and you feel you own it, and no one should have the right to modify except yourself. Despite being against Wikipedia spirit of being open source knowledge, I have no problem with whatever you'd like to say about Mormon polygamy or Christian/secular polygamy, since I have little interest in those areas. However, when you state that there are Muslim fundamentalists in Western countries openly practicing polygamy, well, then we have a problem since not only can you not substantiate these claims, but they are just absurdly false and incendiary. As my NPOV edits have tried to illustrate, Muslim polygamy differs greatly in each Muslim society, however, there are certain legal standards which are common to most Muslim nations, which adhere strictly to Islamic Sharia jurisprudence. And yet you continue to attack and accuse me of being POV, when it is far less POV than your own edits concerning 'Christian/secular' polygamy. You also accuse me of being a vandal. You, sir, have problems, and I do not have the time nor the inclination to engage you in a lame, senseless edit war. But I will continue to revert your edits as far as snything having to do with 'Muslim polygamy' until you decide to stop spreading falsehoods. I have said all that I'm going to say, and your continued accusations against me of being a vandal or abusive will help your case, but hinder it. Ghostintheshell 15:02, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
If I read that correctly, you just declared, "However, when you state that there are Muslim fundamentalists in Western countries openly practicing polygamy, well, then we have a problem since not only can you not substantiate these claims, but they are just absurdly false and incendiary." Are you serious? Is it really your assertion that there are no Muslim polygamous families anywhere in the world except in Muslim countries? Honestly, am I really supposed to take that assertion seriously? Researcher99 17:53, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Yes, you are honestly supposed to take that seriously. Read my comments further above for detail. Can you provide evidence that Muslim polygamy in the West exists, or is widespread? Showing evidence that there are Muslims who wish to legalise polygamy is not enough and does not conform to Wikipedia standards. People are supposed to come to this resource to get *factual*, *legitimate* information - NOT mere speculation or theories or opinions. Just because a group of people want to legalise polygamy doesn't mean they are practicing it, unless you can back that up with real world sources. If you want to include information that there are Muslims who wish to legalise polygamy, and include the two links you quoted above, that's fine. If you want to say that these same Muslims who wish to legalise polygamy are also practicing it and depriving their wives of legal protection or rights, then we have a problem unless you can back that up with more than just mere speculation. My own edits ('Muslims & traditionalist cultures') presents an NPOV perspective on the state of polygamy in traditionalist Muslim countries where it is still practiced. You can consult Islamic Sharia (jurisprudence) texts if you want to be absolutely clear about things. Furthermore, aside from the core standards outlined in my section, there are major differences differences between Muslim countries in the way polygamy is perceived and practiced, and also the legal issues therein, which are beyond the scope of this article - that would probably require a separate article, 'Polygamy in Muslim countries' or 'Polygamy in Islam' or something, which I am not interested in pursuing as the research would be immensely time consuming for me at the moment, and I am not particularly interested in any further research into polygamy as I've already spent far too much time with this as it is. My main concern, which most Wikipedians share, is that inaccurate and false information and speculation do not make their way into any entry. TheRedandtheBlack 09:09, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
To: Trödel|talk, the comments in this above-quoted paragraph are duplicative with the other one you just edited [10:08, 29 Apr 2005]. (Your edit there did not appear when I made my previous post on this thread here.) The contents of the one you just edited/posted there are not disputed. (Indeed, the contents of this above-quoted paragraph are not disputed because it says the same - duplicative content.) That content really just only needs to appear once. It does not need to appear in the "How Polygamists Find More Spouses" section. Accordingly, I will restore that section, keeping your edit untouched. Researcher99 13:01, 29 Apr 2005 (UTC)
Thanks - I realized they were duplicative - but put them in both places for now. I am going to sleep on this after reading the comments above and hopefully be able to propose something in the way of a compromise. Trödel|talk 01:56, 30 Apr 2005 (UTC)
I appreciate your comments. I am preparing a response which I think will clarify "everythng of everything." So I ask for your patience with me and that you please wait for me to get that out before taking any action or proposal. Thanks again! Researcher99 18:16, 02 May 2005 (UTC)
Just wanted to quickly let you know that I am almost ready with my response. I hope to be finished and ready to post it by tomorrow, Friday at the latest (short of any personal emergency, of course). I very much appreciate your patience wiht me in this. I believe that when you see what I am able to present, you may feel confident in knowing there really is no real pressure to come up with any hard-to-formulate compromise. Researcher99 23:25, 02 May 2005 (UTC)

Incidentally, I've been following the argument for some time. I do know a number of polygamous Muslims that live in the United States. This to me is not unusual, not incorrect (if anyone wants documentation, let me know what kind - photos, certificates, etc.). THAT SAID, the issue is whether or not there is co-habitation of the families - Bigamy is illegal in many areas (unsupported marriage without knowledge), but polygamy is still legal in some areas in the U.S. The deeper issue is whether or not Muslims when the either relocate here or have practiced polygamy here, if they co-habitate with their other spouses. I think as you are preparing your compromise you BOTH need to take this into account. -Visorstuff 22:20, 2 May 2005 (UTC)

Ghostintheshell responds to Researcher99's accusations

I emphatically deny most of Researcher99's pretentious accusations against me. All I wanted to do was balance the section which he originated, which anyone with a mind could see was not NPOV. I made valid contributions, and those contributions were immediately deleted by Researcher99, which initiated the edit war. I did not vandalize the page, and to accuse me of vandalism is a blatant personal attack, so I am not the only guilty party here.

I admit that I don't know everything about any particular subject, and I don't think anyone cnn claim to have such an all-encompassing grasp of a subject. But I certainly know enough to be able to state that Researcher99's original section was not NPOV, and there were no sources to back up his contentious claims about "fundamentalist" Muslims "oppressing" and "depriving" their wives of legal rights (in Western countries, no less). Those claims, made in his original contributions, were not NPOV and certainly were not valid.

I stated again and again that if he wants to discuss alleged Muslim polygamy in the West, since this is a contentious and sensitive issue, to cite real-world examples and references. He did not do so. Instead he cited two sources from the web which do not prove that there are "fundamentalist" Muslims "oppressing" and "depriving" their wives of legal rights in Western countries. This is all very simple and easy to understand, and it's not asking for much. Vague generalizations and outright speculation do not add to Wikipedia - they deface it. I believe I made my point long ago, and I firmly and staunchly stand by my contributions and requests for neutrality and valid references. Thank you. Ghostintheshell 18:36, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Your defense would look much better had you not openly flaunted the rules and created another account to get around your block for violatting WP:3RR. However, I am happy to do what I can to help work out a comprimise between you and Researcher99 as well as do some reference checking. Trödel|talk 18:54, 10 May 2005 (UTC)
If creating another account is 'illegal' then why haven't I been blocked or banned? I created another account, so what? Did the world end all of a sudden? Did I even edit the actual page itself using that account? No, I only responded to Researcher99 on the talk page. I did nothing wrong to begin with - I didn't vandalize anything. If my creating another account is flaunting the rules, then you can go right ahead and ban me. I really couldn't care less - I have a life beyond the computer and this Wikipedia business is too racy and hectic for me anyway. It's not my cup of tea. ;) Personally there isn't much more I can contribute to this page since what I contributed was the extent of my knowledge on this topic. I've posted a request on the Islam talk page for others to provide some knowledgeable balance to this article if they are so inclined, which is what I should have done in the first place after Researcher99 deleted my edits, rather than play into his game of edit war. Thanks. Ghostintheshell 19:40, 10 May 2005 (UTC)
I'm here (strangely enough) from Islam. I will hang out here for a while, though my knowledge would be about Mormon polygamy.  :-) Tom Haws 19:43, May 10, 2005 (UTC)

Researcher99, assuming that he is the same person as Researcher, is impossible to deal with. When I added references to facts, he claimed that references were POV, without explaining himself. Someone should calm him down and intervene in this edit war. Superficially, it looks like ghostintheshell is correct. Researcher99 is attacking the username, claiming POV, without providing evidence, claiming anti-polygamy prejudice, but not really addressing the facts. I eventually gave up in correcting this article, because fighting researcher was too difficult. Can anyone control him? Of course, Ghostintheshell should not have created another account in order to continue editing (though researcher appears to have 2 accounts himself). However, User:Researcher99's behavior and refusal to provide reference's could drive anyone to considering such actions. References should be provided about fundamentalist polygamist Musims in the West. I wouldn't be surprised if there is at least one person meeting that description, but I expect to see a reference to justify using that information in an article.Nereocystis 21:57, 10 May 2005 (UTC)

Just to be clear about things, I'll state again that I created the account 'TheRedandtheBlack' *only* to immediately respond to Researcher99 at the time. Researcher99 (and to a much lesser extent Trodel, as above) make it seem like I created another account just to vandalize the page or whatever other nonsense he is accusing me of. You can check the history of 'TheRedandtheBlack' to confirm this fact - there are only two entries in the user contributions, both on Talk:Polygamy. Furthermore, the way Researcher99 has spinned things at the top of this page is entertaining, but anyone can check the histories for themselves to know that my arguments were quite valid and rational. I hope in the end there is increased interest in this article and other articles that don't have enough contributors so that one single party doesn't end up dominating - that's the whole point of Wikipedia isn't it? That Wikipedia is supposed to be a self-correcting medium where nonsense doesn't pass for fact? Yet it seems that if you have an article that doesn't have enough contributors and on top of that has one or two very determined individuals, speculation and opinion will end up taking hold rather than the facts. Ghostintheshell 01:52, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

Mormon polygamy

As a new guy here, I have some questions: Tom Haws 19:53, May 10, 2005 (UTC)

  • Why is the Mormon polygamy section outside the Christianity section of the polygamy and religion section?
  • How has the statement that polygamy originated w/ Brigham Young managed to stay in the article?


[[User::Research99]] deletes anything he doesn't like. He calls it POV. See Talk:Polygamy#Number_of_Marriages, for example. His attitude has allowed a large amount of inaccurate information to stay in the article. It's difficult to fight him.Nereocystis 21:02, 11 May 2005 (UTC)

The Multiple divorce and marriage for polygamy section is a description of a legal aspect of polygamy, how to marry multiple partners sequentially and possibly fall within the law. As such, it should be placed under Legal situation. Does anyone object to this move?Nereocystis 00:04, 11 May 2005 (UTC)


Disputed

There are a number of items in this article which are factually inaccurate or in dispute. I want to list these items and attempt to write replacement text which is accurate yet acceptable to all. There are more than 5 disputed sections. Please follow the policies described in (Wikipedia:Accuracy_dispute) for dispute of these issues. Please edit suggested changes below.

Polygamy#Mormon_polygamy - Resolved

Until recently, this article claims that Brigham Young introduced Mormon polygamy. The article has recently been changed. I hope that Joseph Smith's introduction is not removed, though someone could add an alternate viewpoint of Joseph Smith not introducing polygamy.

There is no longer to my knowledge a significant viewpoint against Joseph Smith's introducing plural marriage. Community of Christ historians now acknowledge the fact, as is stated at the CofC web site. However, to keep the article intact, it may be necessary to nod toward a small minority of followers of Smith who still dispute it. Tom Haws 23:08, May 11, 2005 (UTC)

Except, apparently, to some of the authors of this article. Hence the long period where Brigham Young was given credit for introducing polygamy to the Mormons. Let's hope that if this claim comes back, it is considered an alternative view, and not the one true view.Nereocystis 17:25, 12 May 2005 (UTC)

Polygamy#Legal_situation

This section is very oddly worded, though I'm not sure that it is inaccurate. Unfortunately, I don't know what the original author meant to say. Laws against the 'polygamous lifestyle' are mentioned, though 'polygamous lifestyle' is not clearly defined. What does 'parts of the United States' mean? Does this mean states. Please give examples. I assume this refers to Utah and Idaho primarily. "which is unusual" should be removed. I don't know what it refers to. I'll work on an alternate wording later.

Polygamy#Multiple_divorce_and_marriage_for_polygamy

This should be moved to Legal situation. The following phrase does not have a reference, and I believe that it is incorrect; it has been marked as disputed, as per the wikipedia's guidelines.

It was Green's crime of criminal non-support which initiated the case in that one state.

This case is discussed in detail under Talk:Polygamy#Tom_Green_precedent_for_commom-law_bigamy_conviction. Researcher, who is now renamed User:Researcher99 refused to provide meaningful references because the sentence is obvious. I disagree. I eventually grew tired of fighting, but I'm back again.

References about Tom Green's case have been removed by User:Researcher99. This references should be allowed to stay.

Another sentence says:

However, it does show the risks in using the system of multiple divorce and legal marriage and why many polygamists avoid it.

This sentence is irrelevant, since common-law marriage does not require divorce. Of course, the decision did not effect any polygamous marriage which took place before the Green case. So it is double irrelevant. I plan to remove this sentence, unless there is documentation for why it should stay.Nereocystis 00:49, 14 May 2005 (UTC)

Researcher99 provides a reference of an interview with Mark the Founder of a ministry, perhaps truthbearer.org, where the founder says that Green was prosecuted because of criminal non-support. It is not clear who "Mark the Founder" is, or why one should trust his view on this issue. I don't consider this a valid reference for resolving the question of why Tom Green was prosecuted. However, I am willing to listen to a reason why I should trust Mark the Founder.Nereocystis 22:19, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

David O. Leavitt was the prosecutor in the Tom Green bigamy and child-rape cases. He is no longer the Juab County Prosecutor, but he states the reasons for his prosecution of Green. While Leavitt mentions government support, he claims that it is not the reason for the prosecution. Look at this ReligionNewsBlog article:

I agree that not all polygamists, sexually or otherwise, abuse children. I understand that some don't scam the government. But the harm to society and to innocent individuals is so great that even the exceptions cannot be justified. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1879 rejected polygamy, stating that monogamy is the only acceptable form of marriage because it preserves our culture and our families.

In another page which claims to be from a Reuter's article, Leavitt says:

whenever someone confesses to commission of a felony on national television in my jurisdiction I'm going to prosecute him

These two quotes provide evidence that Green's prosecution was not because of criminal non-support, but because:

  1. Green publicly talked about his polygamy
  2. Anyone guilty of polygamy should be prosecuted.

Can Researcher99 provide evidence which support his view? Nereocystis 21:49, 18 May 2005 (UTC)

I usually use fewer words than Researcher99. I have trimmed unneeded words. I would also add the above links about the prosecutors views on the case. My suggested wording for this section is:

Some polygamous families use a system of multiple divorce and marriage. For polygynous relationships, the husband marries the first wife, she takes his last name, he divorces her and then marries the next wife who takes his name. This is repeated until he has married and divorced all his wives, except possibly the last one. The wives call themselves Mrs. [husband's last name] and, while legally they're divorced from the husband, they act still married to him and expect those around them to acknowledge and respect this. For polyandrous relationships, the wife marries and divorces the husbands.
Since only one wife is married to the husband at any one time, no law was being broken and so this type of polygamous family unit could be overt about their relationship. In 2001, however, the state of Utah in the United States convicted Tom Green of criminal non-support and four counts of bigamy for having 5 serially monogomous marriages, while living with previous legally divorced wives. Green's conviction was affirmed by the Utah Supreme Court in State of Utah v. Green. This case applies only in Utah.

Nereocystis 08:07, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

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