Stung by a Scorpion

Given the title of this post, you would think that I would jump right in to the brouhaha surrounding the British block on a particular Wikipedia article about the Scorpions, because of its illustration. And I will. I will even offer a suggested compromise. But first ...

You see, the problem that Wikipedia is facing is not unique to it. People are waking up to the power of the Internet to convey ideas and images, not all of them popular. Just a few days ago, Youtube, one of very few websites that really competes with Wikipedia for popularity, announced changes in its search, which, as I understand it, would make it far more difficult to find "objectionable" material such as profanity, vulgarity, and obscenity. Many Youtubers are up in arms, including some very thoughtful individuals, such as Thunderf00t, who has created some amazing scientific videos. In his imageless video response ( a paean to Jarman's Blue, perhaps?) he talks about the value of freedom of speech, but also recognizes Youtube's advertising concerns: Youtube (hopefully, unlike Wikipedia) is a company whose clear objective is to make money, i.e., advertisers have a say too. Since I've sometimes commented on the evolution of McWiki, I was intrigued by his comparison of the emerging Youtube to Walmart: corporate and bland.

Wikipedia is in a slightly different situation. It has avoided that level of corporatism, and it can take pride in that.

On the other hand, let's face it: there's a world of a difference when the Iranians and the Saudis block Wikipedia and when Great Britain does it (even if it is only one article). The latter should certainly be a cause for much greater alarm. It should certainly be a cause for serious discussion. Here are the points as I see them:

1. The Scorpion's album Virgin Killer (1976) has an album cover that can be intepreted as child pornography.
2. An image of the album cover appears on the Wikipedia article about the album.
3. In fact, most Wikipedia articles about albums include images of the jacket.
4. None of these images are free images. They are included under supposed fair-use guidelines.
5. According to a strict reading of fair-use, these album covers should probably not be included unless the article specifically discusses the jacket art, Sergeant Pepper being the classic example.
6. Many language versions other than English do not allow fair use at all.
7. If there was ever a case to allow fair use, Virgin Killer is it.
8. This pisses off a bunch of prudish British people.

At first, my gut reaction is to say, "Big deal!" If Wikipedia gives in here, it will have to give in when it comes to the Muhammad cartoons, articles about sex, possibly even articles about religion, politics, music (Selfish Cunt, for example, is an amazing British band that reminds me of the early Talking Heads mixed with the Sex Pistols, as this video shows), etc. The problem is that this presupposes an "all or nothing" alternative, and I believe that this is a mistake. There are other options.

For instance, some people have long suggested that English Wikipedia remove random fair use unless it conforms to a strict interpretation of what fair use is. In other words, get rid of the album covers unless they are the subject of commentary in the article (and I don't mean, "The White album has an all-white jacket").

Still, that leaves Virgin Killer on Wikipedia. Yes, but it does not mean that the article needs to show the entire album cover. Can it show just the girl's face, to indicate her age? Can it show the cover with the "naughty bits" blacked out, with a comment explaining why that was necessary? Obviously, none of these are ideal situations, but sometimes the answer to either-or is neither.

Or perhaps Wikipedia should take a stand on behalf of the fully free and open exchange of ideas, if only because Youtube won't.

But if Wikipedia, like Youtube, succumbs, I can only close with the final remarks from Jarman's elegy in Blue, since I already mentioned it above: "In time, no one will remember our work. Our life will pass like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun."