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German Wikipedia Has Problems With Paid Editing — and Threats of Violence
metasonix (650947) writes "As German journalist Marvin Oppong learned recently, there are a number of people who work to make articles about certain corporations and trade groups on German Wikipedia 'look better.' And when Oppong published his discoveries, one reaction was an openly violent threat, aimed at him, posted on de-WP's 'Kurier' noticeboard. Just as with English Wikipedia, it is apparently a 'terrible crime' to criticize German Wikipedia, even when Jimbo Wales's 'bright line' rule on paid editing is being violated. Unlike English WP, the Germans will threaten to 'curbstone' people for saying it."
One person said something mean in a comment thread. Shocking! This is not the climate of the family-friendly internet I grew up with!
Seriously, a death threat is only relevant if it was specific and realistic threat.
NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
To put someones mouth on the curb and stamp on their head.
http://www.urbandictionary.com...
I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
> "Germans will threaten to 'curbstone' people for saying it"
Pick your punchline:
1. I'm gonna have to look that up on Wikipedia.
2. Well, that's an improvement over a gas chamber anyway.
3. I found a curbstone in Elder Scrolls Online and was wondering wat it was for.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
That said, his signature specifically states, "Disclaimer: all mail to this address is answered by volunteers, and responses are not to be considered an official statement of the Wikimedia Foundation. For official correspondence, please contact the Wikimedia Foundation by certified mail at the address listed on https://www.wikimediafoundatio...."
" Unlike English WP, the Germans will threaten to 'curbstone' people for saying it."
Yeah because all german are like that. *eyeroll*. Or alternatively one or two scums doing it for paid money saw the danger of their revenue evaporating, or even more likely, one or two idiot thought it to be fun to threaten that guy.
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Original German: "Ein geistiger Tiefflieger, er soll aufpassen, dass er nicht mit dem Kinn am Borstein hängen bleibt".
Translation: "A mental low-flyer (i.e., low-flying plane), he has to take care that his chin doesn't snag the curb".
The statement is that this guy's head / brain is flying so low that any obstacle become insurmount-able, even the curbstone. It's a big stretch to see this as a threat of violence.
Reading the original discussion in German, it becomes apparent, that Wikipediocracy has misinterpreted what has been said:
brrr...was für ein seichtes Gelaber. Die Schande einer ganzen Zunft, wenn man bedenkt dass der Herr schon mal hier mit einem Kurierartikel, einschließlich offenem Brief geehrt wurde und anscheinend nichts dazugelernt hat oder es einfach wieder vergessen hat. Ein geistiger Tiefflieger, er soll aufpassen, dass er nicht mit dem Kinn am Borstein hängen bleibt.
Basically the author says that Oppong talks bulllshit (= seichtes Gelaber) and flies on such a low intellectual level (= geistiger Tiefflieger) that he has to take care not to crash into a curbstone. He is not threatening Oppoing. He is just visualizing what he thinks of Oppoing's proposals.
First, metasonix, as you get so agitated about this and looking at your posting history, can we assume you are Marvin Oppong himself.
Second, as has been pointed out here as well as in the comments to the article you cite for the threat (which only gives your ... uh ... Marvin's shortening of the threat instead of the full line), the full line in question is
"Ein geistiger Tiefflieger, er soll aufpassen, dass er nicht mit dem Kinn am Borstein hängen bleibt."
Translation (thanks to an AC) "A mental low-flyer (i.e., low-flying plane), he has to take care that his chin doesn't snag the curb".
Being German I understand the second part - as others have - as amplifying the - admittedly - insult of the first part, but definitely not a threat of violence. And you seem to understand it the same, because why else would you cite the second part out of context?
Also, the whole comment from giftzwerg (in German) ending in the insult seems to criticize not the publication of the misuse but your proposal to solve it (independent supervision council without editing rights) as non working (due to the lack of admin rights). I.e. he seems to criticize you as too weak. Does not sound at all like a paid shill threatining you after his exposure as you make it sound.
So while you might have a point with some Wikipedian authors following commercial interest, trying to exagerate the case it by makeing up a threat IMHO weakens it serverly.
The 'threats of violence' thing appears to be a naive misunderstanding of German, if not an intentionally sensationalist one: have a look at the comment by user "Required" following the article, which explains the original German idiom.
The actual "curbstone" quote in question is:
"Ein geistiger Tiefflieger, er soll aufpassen, dass er nicht mit dem Kinn am Bor[d]stein hÃngen bleibt."
It's not a threat to curbstomp anyone, but a colorful insult that loosely translates as "someone with such a low-flying intellect, they have to watch out for curbstones lest they hit their chin on one". Indeed, Google auto-translates it as:
"A spiritual low-flying aircraft, he should be careful that he does not hang with the chin on the curb."
Caveat Emptor is not a business model.