Admin restored after desysopping; dispute centers on suitability of certain biographies
Biographical articles, especially so-called "single-incident biographies", remained the focus of heavy debate and some controversial interventions over the past week. Deletions of several articles in this class were contested on Wikipedia:Deletion review, while one administrator was briefly desysopped over an apparent offer to disseminate deleted content.
The problems grew out of uncertainty with the policy restrictions on biographies of living persons, the scope of that policy, and its intersection with other policies. The general issue has already been a source of considerable dispute and produced an arbitration case. As the discussion evolved, particular concern was directed toward subjects who were children at the time of the events, especially those who were victims of crime or tragic circumstances. Complications arose with the consideration of other factors, such as participation in publicity by themselves or family members, and the fact that some were no longer living.