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0 pointsaspenmayer8mo ago0 comments

Is there some kind of automated NSFW/nudity detector that runs against Wikipedia/Wikimedia uploads? One would think there would be at their scale, I just don’t actually know. I saw your user page the other day while looking at a proposal to have a .onion URL for Wikipedia, and I thought that I’d seen you around here, and figure you’re as good a person as any to ask.

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bawolff8mo ago

Not as far as i know, i think things are just manual review.

NSFW images on Wikimedia tends to be a very hot button issue when it comes to Wikimedia politics. There obviously some cases where such images are needed, and there is a lot of debate on where the line should be drawn (or if it should be drawn at all). Wikipedia is traditionally very anti-censorship in any form. Fun fact - Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales lost a bunch of his user rights when he went on a deletion spree of classical art work containing nudity.

There is an automated filter for child sexual abuse images. Its not public what the procedures related to it is, but i assume if it goes off the fbi gets called.

aspenmayerOP8mo ago

I think I heard about Jimmy getting his privs revoked, but had no idea what precipitated that to occur. Some kind of misguided heading-off-at-the-pass of future naysayers and potential lawfare, I guess. Heavy hangs the head that wears the crown, and I guess he’s a figurehead as much as he’s a lead of operations. It makes sense to tie his hands so he can say he tried I guess. Interesting interplay of authority, both individual and collective.

No means or methods are necessary. I am familiar with the work of the NW3C and other groups who do important work in that area. My sympathies to the janitors. Truly difficult and important work.

bawolff8mo ago

[NSFW] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2... has a summary of the issue. From what i understand Fox news was running a bunch of stories at the time on how Wikipedia was full of porn.

In full fairness to jimmy, i think only a handful were risque art from the 1800s. Many of the other images would probably be classed as sex educational if you're being sympathetic, and exhibitionist if you are not. However the ultimate issue was not what the files contained but that he acted alone without agreement to delete outside of proper procedure.

aspenmayerOP8mo ago

Thanks for the inside baseball play-by-play, coach! Much appreciated.

> However the ultimate issue was not what the files contained but that he acted alone without agreement to delete outside of proper procedure.

Were any changes to Wikipedia policies implemented as a result of this, and if so, do you know which ones?

I found the link to the discussion I referred to upthread since the discussion was from a bit ago:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:IdeaLab/A_Tor_On...

Did this ever go anywhere? I found a grant proposal, but I need to sign up for an account or reactivate my existing one, or whatever.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/A_Tor_Onion_S...

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bawolff8mo ago

Not as far as i know, i think things are just manual review.

There is an automated filter for child sexual abuse images. Its not public what the procedures related to it is, but i assume if it goes off the fbi gets called.

aspenmayerOP8mo ago

No means or methods are necessary. I am familiar with the work of the NW3C and other groups who do important work in that area. My sympathies to the janitors. Truly difficult and important work.

bawolff8mo ago

aspenmayerOP8mo ago

Thanks for the inside baseball play-by-play, coach! Much appreciated.

> However the ultimate issue was not what the files contained but that he acted alone without agreement to delete outside of proper procedure.

Were any changes to Wikipedia policies implemented as a result of this, and if so, do you know which ones?

I found the link to the discussion I referred to upthread since the discussion was from a bit ago:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:IdeaLab/A_Tor_On...

Did this ever go anywhere? I found a grant proposal, but I need to sign up for an account or reactivate my existing one, or whatever.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/A_Tor_Onion_S...

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse