tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204922292024-03-07T23:46:50.916-07:00Media Ethics: Into the pot, already boiling...Journalism ethics shouldn't be an oxymoron. Let's talk.
(was originally JCOM 4010, Spring 2006)Nancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-54880319030594930562011-09-25T12:52:00.000-06:002011-10-01T07:38:45.267-06:00Terminated with Extreme PrejudiceFor the past 15 years, I have provided pro bono technical support to the faculty and students of School of Journalism and Communication (JCOM) at Utah State University in Logan Utah.
A week ago, the USU IT Security Team, spearheaded by Ken Andersen, unilaterally terminated that long-standing relationship in favor of a non-negotiable dictat in which they become the sole purveyors of computing Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-49339480254791614742010-10-28T07:30:00.003-06:002011-03-30T01:47:55.589-06:00Detecting WikiCulture: Corruption and Borderline Sociopathic IncivilityThere is a terrific new mini-series on PBS Masterpiece Theater in which Benedict Cumberbatch renders a brilliant portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, updated to 21st Century London.Holmes is the Consulting Detective whom Inspector Lestrade is obliged to call upon because his own bumbling team of crime scene investigators are not quite up to the challenge of solving the perplexing mystery of the week.TheMoultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-86699925526766597822009-03-03T10:23:00.003-07:002009-03-03T14:29:47.184-07:00Cyber Harassment and the LawOn Point: Cyber Harassment and the LawCyber bullies verbally savaged two Yale law students. The women fought back. Their case may change the rules on what you can say online.Cyber-bullying is too mild a term for some of what goes on in the rougher corners of the Internet.When anonymous online attackers went after two young women at Yale Law School, it had the feel of a gang beating. Maybe worse. Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-61214091014816937092009-01-29T21:16:00.005-07:002011-03-30T01:49:50.157-06:00How Wikiversity Teaches 21st Century Youth to Adopt Antiquated Political ProcessesLiminal Social Drama is what occurs in a community when there is a Breach of Expectations. Here are portions of the Liminal Social Drama that erupted on Wikiversity when Custodian SB_Johnny departed from established policy to initiate an exercise known as a Parliamentary Bill of Attainder.Collegiality I kind of like "collegiality" since it has both an egalitarian sense and an academic sense. Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-30390505690668156972008-12-25T14:40:00.002-07:002008-12-26T11:19:59.187-07:00Ethical Values and Quality Control in the Digital EraBob Steele at Poynter sees a significant erosion of ethical standards. Blogs, Tweets, social networking, citizen-submitted content and multi-media storytelling offer great promise, he writes—but they also carry considerable peril.Nancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-32741877411244577392008-12-12T16:55:00.003-07:002008-12-24T15:20:25.826-07:00Blogger EthicsIf Bloggers Had No Ethics Blogging Would Have Failed, But it Didn't. So Let's Get a Clue."Those in journalism who want to bring ethics to blogging ought to start with why people trust (some) bloggers, not with an ethics template made for a prior platform operating as a closed system in a one-to-many world."-- from Jay Rosen's blog, Press think.Nancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-70036058381651187592008-12-12T15:22:00.004-07:002008-12-12T15:28:13.606-07:00Wow - this just inLarry Lessig is leaving Stanford for Harvard to head up an ethics center whose focus is the collapse of trust -- see http://futureoftheinternet.org/lessig-news.(h/t Jay Rosen, NYU)Nancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-27158598735596916552008-09-23T07:53:00.014-06:002011-03-30T01:51:17.110-06:00Wikiversity FolliesThe resident scholars of Wikiversity have declined to address these issues within their own community.ArbCom Review of FeloniousMonk The Wikipedia Administrator, FeloniousMonk, who relied on the unexamined testimony of Don Hopkins and Bela in his scathing indictment of Moulton, has been unanimously adjudged by the Wikipedia Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) as guilty of corruption and gross Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-10200806342615590962008-09-20T18:14:00.003-06:002011-03-30T01:53:22.027-06:00The Fearsome BasilisqueMoulton's blog If Moulton were of a mind to remove whatever content is hosted on his blog that is causing it to be unacceptable to link to it, what would he have do to accomplish this? —Random832 17:43, 8 August 2008 (UTC) I suggest you contact the enwikiversity community to discuss this. Cary Bass demandez 18:55, 8 August 2008 (UTC) It's a "foundation directive"; I don't see how the community isMoultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-88386310615346015662008-09-11T11:39:00.004-06:002011-03-30T02:08:46.217-06:00The 9/11 ReportToday is 9/11 the seventh anniversary of one of the most notorious terror attacks in recent memory.Today is 9/11, the first anniversary of one of the most notorious terror attacks in recent Wikipedian memory.Yes, it was exactly one year ago today that KillerChihuahua (Tracy Walker) executed an indefinite block of this writer on the English Language Wikipedia, on the grounds that I had "no Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-81687705006902268762008-08-14T07:36:00.014-06:002011-03-30T02:22:20.644-06:00A Perplexing Ethical ConundrumYesterday, I posted on MoultonLava an item involving Wikimedia Foundation Volunteer Coordinator, Cary Bass, who has long been Jimbo Wales' right-hand man.Bass had briefly stepped in to deal with an issue brought to his attention by a troubled Wikipedia Admin who goes by the avatar name of FeloniousMonk. When the issue became too hot for Cary Bass to deal with, he bailed from the brouhaha, Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-50598437193655072302008-08-11T08:35:00.005-06:002011-03-30T02:24:53.782-06:00Taboo Or Not Taboo? That Is the Question.A few days ago, Cary Bass, Volunteer Coordinator, of the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) Office, issued a "foundation directive" to Wikiversity custodial admin, SB Johnny, to systematically remove from the pages of Wikiversity any and all links to Moulton's Blog.When questioned about this unprecedented departure from Section 230 aloofness, SB Johnny replied:Ask the guys on IRC [Internet Relay Chat] Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-90978432679697710302008-08-10T03:09:00.003-06:002008-08-11T22:07:19.270-06:00Harden Not Your HeartEven those of us who do not read bible passages on a weekly basis are nonetheless familiar with many of them.There is a phrase that appears in both the Old and New Testament that has long arrested me. I first heard it in a passage from the Passover Haggadah, in connection to the story of the Ten Plagues. The Plagues were supposed to cause Pharaoh to relent, and allow Moses to lead his people Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-61905813693230074172008-08-08T03:04:00.002-06:002008-08-08T03:14:56.686-06:00Durova's Blog, Part 2Durova is a Wikipedian who also writes a blog about Wikipedia.A week ago last Thursday, she made good on an offer to post remarks on my behalf during a brief interlude when I was unable to post on Wikipedia Review.After a few rounds of comments, Durova posted one final remark of hers, and then closed out the comments without posting my response to her last remark.Here is her last comment...DurovaMoultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-91133776262450381012008-06-29T17:30:00.002-06:002008-06-29T17:36:42.815-06:00Questions the press should askThe Watchdog Blog, specializing in "questions the press should ask," comes from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University.Why questions?Some may wonder about our emphasis on asking questions, since politicians and most of the rest of the world – even schoolchildren – are adept at sidestepping them. What's the point of asking good questions if the answers aren't forthcoming? Nancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-15432423953912884512008-06-25T14:52:00.003-06:002008-06-25T14:57:14.044-06:00It's not MY fault, teacher!Wikipedia making students lazyNancy Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05201440673240187754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-20352844938789367722008-06-23T07:51:00.001-06:002008-06-23T07:54:44.463-06:00Durova's BlogDurova is a Wikipedian who also writes a blog about Wikipedia.Last Thursday, she posted an interesting blog entry entitled, The Lucifer Effect.Here is my comment, appended to other comments at her blog... Durova writes:"Some Wikipedians get sucked into the minutiae of personalities and diffs while others regard it as an ethical responsibility to avoid all drama."This is an interesting and Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-42637201724471661152008-06-21T21:36:00.004-06:002008-06-21T21:55:03.054-06:00The Speed of Enlightenment of an Ethically Challenged Learning OrganizationPeter Senge has a concept that he calls the Learning Organization. Some organizations (especially highly successful ones) learn quickly and learn well. Other organizations don't learn as well, and gradually fall behind the curve.Just as the speed of light slows down in denser media, the Speed of Enlightenment of a Learning Organization similarly slows down with the density of the Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-32648700307692900822008-06-17T06:52:00.006-06:002008-06-18T09:27:20.147-06:00Relevant DiscussionsThe following page section, retrieved from Google cache, is currently not available on the English Wikipedia. It is temporarily reproduced here until an Admin on the English Wikipedia can restore it.Relevant Discussions Talk:Rosalind_Picard/archive1User_talk:Moulton/Archive 1Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/MoultonWikipedia_talk:Requests_for_comment/MoultonWikipedia:Administrators' noticeboard/Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-61161800048207083932008-06-17T06:12:00.014-06:002008-08-22T22:39:19.499-06:00Moulton's Answers to Filll's 8 QuestionsThe following subpage, retrieved from Google cache, is currently not available at the English Wikipedia. It is temporarily reproduced here until an Admin on the English Wikipedia can restore it.User talk:Moulton/Answers From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia < User talk:Moulton <!-- start content --> From the talk page of the RfC/ID, here is the section with Gnixon's Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-18199116253358969512008-06-15T17:30:00.004-06:002008-06-26T13:24:22.438-06:00Haphazard Theory ConstructionThere is now a new blocking notice up on the English Wikipedia for this writer. It looks like this:You are currently unable to edit pages on Wikipedia. You can still read pages, but cannot edit, change, or create them. Editing from Moulton (your account, IP address, or IP address range) has been disabled by Blueboy96 for the following reason(s): Personal attacks, outing other editors. Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-75973573159319828062008-05-31T06:52:00.007-06:002011-03-30T02:26:57.392-06:00Ridiculous FascinationThere is a fascinating discussion underway for the past two weeks on the Wikipedia Administrators' Notice Board. It concerns the status of this writer, who has been indefinitely blocked on the English Wikipedia since 9/11 of last year. The blocking notice currently reads as follows:Unauthorized You are currently unable to edit pages on Wikipedia. You can still read pages, but cannot edit, Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-63173660150763267242008-05-22T20:30:00.003-06:002008-05-25T12:53:14.177-06:00The Quickening Pace of ProgressThe rate of progress in bringing the Wikipedia article on A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism up to standards (in terms of accuracy, excellence, and ethics in online media) appears to be picking up the pace. An anonymous editor identified only by an IP address has introduced a crucial improvement in the opening sentence: A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism (or Dissent From Darwinism) is the nameMoultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-58037953269570502122008-05-21T20:47:00.002-06:002008-05-21T20:52:25.134-06:00What Is the Rate of Progress?On Monday, I published an article here on the Media Ethics blog entitled, What Is the Name of This Problem? I also copied it, verbatim, to a discussion thread on Wikipedia Review. Today, I noticed on my watchlist that there had been some new activity on the article on A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism. Yesterday, it seems, a Wikipedian named WAS 4.250, boldly undertook to correct a Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20492229.post-9258901841806355422008-05-19T10:10:00.007-06:002008-05-19T13:53:10.445-06:00What Is the Name Of This Problem?Wikipedia has begun to recognize that it has a huge problem with biographies of living people.But that's not what I want to talk about in this post.What I want to talk about today is akin to a tiny pea under a pile of mattresses.But it's an annoying pea that illustrates the subtlety of reckoning ethics in online media.For the past ten months, I have sought, with notable lack of success, to raise Moultonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14800784950094043498noreply@blogger.com0