Talk:Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight)/FAQ

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: Why is the article named after the performance art?

The performance art made the allegations notable. It was therefore decided that the art and its reception should be the focus of the article.

Q4: Why does the article not name the accused?

A criminal allegation was made, but the accused was not convicted or charged. An additional consideration is that he is otherwise not notable. Although he has given interviews to newspapers that have named him, he has been photographed for these from behind, so he appears to want to preserve some anonymity. One discussion concluded that the accused could be named only if the his full defense was detailed in the article. This condition has not been met, so the accused's name currently cannot be included. The decision not to name him applies to the article and its talk page.

Q5: Does Wikipedia have an opinion about these allegations?

BLPCRIME says: "A person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty and convicted by a court of law."

Q6: 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. Neither the article nor talk page should state or imply that any of the involved parties are lying, wrong or acting in bad faith. Wikipedia must assume a disinterested position. AVOIDVICTIM may apply to both the accused and the accusers.

Q7: May I offer my opinion on the talk page about what happened?

No. BLP applies to all pages on Wikipedia, including talk pages.

Q8: 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).