User:Lysander/Show, don't tell

This is an essay. The views expressed are not necessarily those of BoyWiki.

BoyWiki, imperfect as it is, should be an encyclopedia. We should not editorialize and enter our own opinions - although they necessarily tend to seep through. (And to be fair, there are pages where some editorializing is okay - Talk pages, for example.) However, most of the content should be as neutral and well-referenced as possible to make it useful and respectable. There are countless other pages out there that rave about this or that evil in the world. Here, we want to approach things differently - the bad things (and the good things) should be defined as neutrally or even 'mainstream' as possible (hence some users' preference for sources like Britannica for definitions), and then show-don't-tell why is a particular thing considered bad (good, both, etc.) and by whom - then spell out the consequences. So even if we feel strongly about something, let's not offer opinion pages but let the 'authorities' speak instead, mapping out the arguments of the different sides of a debate. For example, we don't say that child pornography laws are evil, but rather define what they are and show their workings and consequences - even someone who disagrees with the typical boylover position on child pornography should be able to see why they are so against incarceration of these victimless offenders - and then we can lead a discussion on an entirely different level. (Similarly, let it not be said here that sex offender psychologists are incompetent, but show all the instances where they contradict themselves or makes mistakes.