Wikipedia:Offensive

This page is deprecated. See Wikipedia:Offensive material for current information.

This is a failed proposal.

Consensus for its implementation was not established within a reasonable period of time. If you want to revive discussion, please use the talk page or initiate a thread at the village pump.

"Offensive" is not a valid editorial criteria for a Wikipedia article.

What is "offensive" (includes "immoral") varies between people in areas such as sex, religion, politics, and violence. Wikipedia disregards these labels as valid grounds for the removal of information, whether in text or image form. Information will only be removed for valid editorial reasons.

Do not remove, relocate or replace text or images in articles because you find them "offensive" or believe that others may find them "offensive".
Do not argue for or against the removal or replacement of text or images simply on the grounds that you find them "offensive" or believe that others may find them "offensive".

Culture determines what is offensive

All world cultures have certain taboos regarding certain subject matter, and how those subjects may be portrayed (if at all). However, views and feelings on these matters vary so widely from culture to culture, within each culture, and from period to period, that there is no universal agreement as to what is "offensive". There is also no agreement or substantive evidence as to what information may cause real, measurable harm to society or individuals, nor any consensus as to what is age-appropriate for people to read or see. Many cultures have attempted to shield certain information from access by children, from women, from certain ethnic groups or social classes, or from all of those groups at various times in history.

NPOV requires cultural neutrality

Wikipedia's mission to provide a neutral and comprehensive resource of information requires that it discuss, describe, and illustrate matters that have been, are, or will be considered offensive by certain groups. Because one of Wikipedia's most fundamental policies is to maintain a neutral point of view, and because there is no objective basis for imposing one cultural preference upon Wikipedia articles over another, it must disregard "offensive" as a basis for removing information. Wikipedia contributors must attempt to step outside of culturally contingent perspectives to document and illustrate even the most controversial topics in a thorough, factual manner, to the fullest extent possible under relevant law.

Types of changes

Changes are not to be made on the grounds that you find something "offensive" or believe others may find it "offensive".

Changes include but are not limited to:

Moving: Moving items further down the page.; Moving disputed sections to other pages where they will be in turn further whittled down in due time.
Deleting: Deleting or removing items from an article.
Linking to: Replacing items with links, or listing images on MediaWiki:Bad image list.
Replacing: Replacing photographs with drawings, replacing literal description with euphemism or metaphor, or using other similar means to minimize the information provided in text or image form.
Resizing: Making images smaller.
Hiding: Using panels or having the same background and text color.
Blockading: Getting "alliances" of like minded editors to block encyclopedic and legitimate insertions into articles.

Provide as much information with as little offense as possible

This is not an excuse to deliberately contribute content to offend members of a race, nation, gender or religion intentionally. All content should be judged according to the neutral editorial standards that govern Wikipedia article writing generally. This policy does not give you the right to make personal attacks or violate Wikiquette.

Culture determines what is offensive

NPOV requires cultural neutrality

Types of changes

Provide as much information with as little offense as possible

See also