Talk:Columbia University rape accusation controversy/FAQ
 | Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the corresponding page Columbia University rape accusation controversy. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please feel free to change this material in light of new discussion. |
These issues have been discussed on the talk page or noticeboards, in some cases several times. Please consult the FAQ before raising the same questions. Many thanks!
Q1: What does it mean to say that discretionary sanctions apply to the page?
The Arbitration Committee has approved special sanctions for pages about gender-related controversies and (separately) for pages about living persons. Both sets of sanctions apply to this article and talk page. This means that administrators may topic-ban and block editors who cause problems, particularly editors who violate the living-persons policy (BLP).
Q2: Do I need to create an account to edit this article and talk page?
No. You may edit while logged out if the pages are not semi-protected. But you should not edit logged out or use alternative accounts to avoid scrutiny or give the impression that you are more than one person. While alternative accounts are allowed in some circumstances, they should be avoided on pages that have become contentious.
Q3: Does Wikipedia have an opinion about these allegations?
No. WP:BLPCRIME says: "A person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty and convicted by a court of law."
Q4: If I believe the allegations are true or false, may I add that?
No. BLP applies to all living people. The article must be neutral in tone, and should not state that the accused or accusers are lying, wrong or acting in bad faith. Wikipedia must assume a disinterested position. AVOIDVICTIM may apply to all parties.
Q5: May I offer my opinion on the talk page about what happened?
No. BLP applies to all pages on Wikipedia, including talk pages. Furthermore, a talk page is not a forum.
Q6: Why does the article not link to the lawsuit?
The lawsuit is a primary source, which means it was written by one of the involved parties. BLPPRIMARY allows the careful use of primary sources, but they should not be used to support contentious claims about living persons. Anything contentious in the article should rely on independent secondary sources (articles written by people not involved in the dispute).
Q7: Why does the article refer to Sulkowicz with the pronouns that it does?
MOS:IDENTITY says: "Any person whose gender might be questioned should be referred to by the pronouns, possessive adjectives, and gendered nouns (for example 'man/woman', 'waiter/waitress', 'chairman/chairwoman') that reflect that person's latest expressed gender self-identification. This applies in references to any phase of that person's life, unless the subject has indicated a preference otherwise. [...] Direct quotations may need to be handled as exceptions (in some cases adjusting the portion used may reduce apparent contradictions, and ' [sic]' may be used where necessary)."