[Imc-uk-features] [Imc-uk-process] art on the newswire

[Mr. Demeanour]

mini mouse wrote:
>> Or do the newswire editors instantly become art critics,
>> responsible for judging the meaning of an image?
> 
> Maybe so. We seem to be letting these Latuff cartoons appear because
>  what we perceive them to say doesn't contravene the guidelines. If
> there was "Bring Back Slavery" by Latuff it might get hidden. Then
> again, if it was clearly ironic and one 'perceived it' to be
> communicating the opposite it wouldn't.
> 
>> 
>> As far as prose is concerned, the guidelines do not provide for
>> editors to hide material just because it is badly thought-out or
>> written. If the same standards are applied to art, does that mean
>> that any pointless doodle can be posted, and be immune from hiding?
>> What about (for example) an image that is apparently racist, but
>> which the artist swears means something quite different from that?
> 
> "Apparently" is the tricky word here, due to interpretation. However
> I'm pretty sure articles and comments have been hidden (I'm sorry I
> don't have the time right now to trawl through and find examples)
> which have clearly been troll posts - hidden as disruptive.

OK; I can go with that. So we have invented the concept of "Troll Art".
Perhaps that includes graffiti under bridges :-)
> 
>> 
>> I'm not making these observations because I'm opposed to posting
>> art on the newswire; I'm actually in favour of it. But I think that
>> if art is allowed, then editorial guidelines need to be extended to
>> permit the hiding of crap at the editor's discretion.
> 
> I'm sure crap wasn't what you meant here, and I'm unsure about
> 'editor'.

I certainly did mean "crap". And by "editor", I meant "one who makes
hiding decisions under the provisions of the editorial guidelines".

> In hiding posts we're moderating the newswire and enforcing editorial
>  guidelines agreed upon by consensus. Editing is to me a much more 
> hierarchical act.

Whatever.

If editors/moderators are not supposed to make decisions about which art
is and isn't crap, then the only grounds on which "art" can be hidden
must be trolling. Is that what you intend?

It's a prefectly arguable position; after all, we allow prose posts from
people who can barely compose a sentence, so perhaps we should allow art
from people who have no artistic talent. But this could give a new
meaning to "newswire clutter".

-- 
Jack.