Q1: Should the Greek letters be removed because Wikipedia is not one of the seven places where they can be shown?
A1:
One of Wikipedia's central policies is that Wikipedia is not censored. Removing the letters because of FIJI's bylaws is considered to be a form of censorship. Wikipedia is not a member of FIJI, and is therefore not bound by its rules. Q2: Should the Greek letters be removed to avoid offending members of the fraternity?
A2:
There are many reasons why some groups want to censor Wikipedia, but one of Wikipedia's central policies is that it is not censored. Some organizations' bylaws ask for certain information to be hidden, some religions ask that some images or spellings be avoided, some people want to avoid seeing spoilers, some information is considered not safe for work, some information is considered to be inappropriate for children. Wikipedia cannot accomodate all of these demands and still be a neutral and free source of information. Warnings about what content might appear in Wikipedia is contained in the content disclaimer. Q3: FIJI rarely uses its Greek letters, so do they really represent the fraternity?
A3:
Because the images are used on member badges, on the seal, on the flag, on houses, on memorials to deceased members, on a certificates of membership, and on a college rings, the consensus of Wikipedia editors is that the Greek letters do, in fact, represent FIJI. Q4: Why do we need to have the Greek letters in the article?
A4:
It has been long-standing consensus, lead by members of WikiProject Fraternities and Sororities, that including the Greek letters in articles about fraternities provided encyclopaedically useful information. Q5: Must Wikipedia remove the letters because they are trademarked by Fiji?
A5:
Under Florida law, the publisher of an encyclopedia does not require permission to include a trademarked name in an article about the owner of the trademark. In addition, Phi Gamma Delta does not hold the trademark for the three greek letters in that combination. It does have a trademark for the letters spelled out in English: Phi Gamma Delta Q6: Should an article about a secretive organization be written by members of that organization?
A6:
Members of an organization are likely to have a conflict of interest with articles about that organization. They should therefore take extra care to be neutral when editing the article, and in many cases, they should avoid editing it altogether and should instead request that others make the needed edits. The fact that the organization is secretive makes no difference because all information in the article should be cited to a reliable and verifiable source. |
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