4 ms·

Nothing says that attribution has to be the legal names. The usual approach is that you attribute the exact page, for which the edit history with the individual

by detaro 3y ago

Nothing says that attribution has to be the legal names. The usual approach is that you attribute the exact page, for which the edit history with the individual contributors is available.

mg 3y ago
A link is a dynamic thing. If you print or let users download a PDF of a Wikipedia page and for the attribution you link to a page with the edit history, what happens when the link is shut down or repurposed to show something unrelated or changed so that it shows a contributor list which is not in line with reality?
- Karunamon 3y ago
  The official citation links provided on the articles give you something like "so and so, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". That has to be sufficient. No way is anyone expected to credit the possibly thousands of pseudonyms, IP addresses, and automated bots that have ever touched an article.
- orra 3y ago
  You're overthinking this. If you link to the Wikipedia page, you have reasonable certainty the link will be valid for a decent length of time. If I distribute something now, the link doesn't have to be valid in 20 years time. What if in 20 years time the link no longer works and I'm still distributing the content? Then I'll update the link, or link to the web archive. If for some reason neither of these is possible, it might even be reasonable to attribute more generally 'unknown wikipedia contributors, formerly documented at [old url]'.
  - martin_a 3y ago
    > you have reasonable certainty the link will be valid for a decent length of time. Welcome to the German Wikipedia where stuff gets deleted quicker than you can look up what a Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänspatent even is.
    - jowea 3y ago
      Although it is inconvenient you can still ask an administrator for the page log https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Page_history#Moved_and_deleted_pages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Page_history#Moved_and_de...

by detaro 3y ago

Nothing says that attribution has to be the legal names. The usual approach is that you attribute the exact page, for which the edit history with the individual contributors is available.

mg 3y ago

A link is a dynamic thing. If you print or let users download a PDF of a Wikipedia page and for the attribution you link to a page with the edit history, what happens when the link is shut down or repurposed to show something unrelated or changed so that it shows a contributor list which is not in line with reality?

Karunamon 3y ago
The official citation links provided on the articles give you something like "so and so, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". That has to be sufficient. No way is anyone expected to credit the possibly thousands of pseudonyms, IP addresses, and automated bots that have ever touched an article.
orra 3y ago
You're overthinking this. If you link to the Wikipedia page, you have reasonable certainty the link will be valid for a decent length of time. If I distribute something now, the link doesn't have to be valid in 20 years time. What if in 20 years time the link no longer works and I'm still distributing the content? Then I'll update the link, or link to the web archive. If for some reason neither of these is possible, it might even be reasonable to attribute more generally 'unknown wikipedia contributors, formerly documented at [old url]'.
- martin_a 3y ago
  > you have reasonable certainty the link will be valid for a decent length of time. Welcome to the German Wikipedia where stuff gets deleted quicker than you can look up what a Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitänspatent even is.
  - jowea 3y ago
    Although it is inconvenient you can still ask an administrator for the page log https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Page_history#Moved_and_deleted_pages https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Page_history#Moved_and_de...