Forum:Fanon stealing

In the Editing Policy, it states that storyline content and linking to another users' article is fanon stealing. In this discussion, the ambiguity of that has been brought to attention. It's not clear, for example, if using "Mace Windy" could count as fanon stealing because the name comes from the first drafts of Star Wars, let alone if using any fanon character's name would be fine as long as it wasn't linked to, as whether mere names count as storyline content is debatable. Similarly, Darth Persia is a character created by MPK, but he made neither parts of the name, so whether using the name "Darth Persia" is fine or not is also debatable.

I propose these options. If anyone has any other ideas, please propose them in the discussion below.
 * Option 1: Using names such as Mace Windy or Darth Persia are completely fine as they're not created by the articles' authors.
 * Option 2: Using names such as Mace Windy or Darth Persia are fine as long as credit is given to the authors who first used them.
 * Option 3: Names such as Mace Windy or Darth Persia would not be allowed to be used whatsoever if they've already been done without permission from the original article's author.
 * Option 4: It's taken to a vote. Similar to the Deletion Policy.
 * Option 5: Administrator descretion is used. For example, an administrator could decide, based on other edits by a user using a name such as the examples above, whether the user was intentionally stealing fanon or only was inspired to take the names from their original source.
 * Option 6: Other users' names can just be used by anyone, as long as the content of an article isn't used. I don't think anyone's going to vote for this, but since this is what it's technically and/or debatedly like with the current policy, it's kind of necessary.

If Option 1 or 2 succeeds, I'll then start another vote of what exactly counts as names taken from original content and names that are stolen. An example being whether or not the name Idnum-Ki is fanon stealing because it's basically Ki-Adi-Mundi in reverse, or whether Jar Binks is because it's only one word taken away from Jar Jar Binks. Drewton  ( Drewton's Holocron ) 19:40, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

EDIT: Forgot to add, voting lasts for one week (until March 4, 2:40 pm EST) but will be extended if need be. Drewton  ( Drewton's Holocron ) 21:33, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

 * 1) Oppose due to the potential for a gray area. See my points in my support vote for the fourth option. - Brandon Rhea (talk) (contribs) 21:39, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

 * 1) Option 2 is unfair because it gives one user more rights than the other. Both users should do it. --Michaeldsuarez (Talk) (Deeds) 19:44, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * 2) Per Michael. Drewton  [[Image:Era-old.png|20px]] ( Drewton's Holocron ) 21:31, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * 3) I agree with Michael, and per my points in option four. - Brandon Rhea (talk) (contribs) 21:42, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

 * 1) Absurd, particularly the examples given. Do I need to ask George Lucas to use Mace Windy? Does MPK need to ask Iran to use Darth Persia? I would hope not. Would you want to be the one to tell Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that you're using "Persia" for the name of a Sith Lord? I think not. - Brandon Rhea (talk) (contribs) 21:44, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Support

 * 1) We have never, ever had a genuine problem with this. This whole vote is stemming from a conversation between only five or so people on a talk page, and this conversation happened today because someone merely mentioned the name "Darth Persia", a combination of the Lucas-owned "Darth" and the Persian Empire. Someone didn't exactly make an "Ussej Padric Bac" and call him the "Shaman of the Whills" here. This was using names owned by George Lucas, history and, arguably, the Iranian people. If the name was Ussej Padric Bac, then okay. That's obvious. But a name like Darth Persia? That's a complete gray area. I will agree that we can't just allow it to go undiscussed because there is the potential that it was fanon stealing, but we also can't leave it up to one administrator, even if there was a second opinion. Administrators are simply users with editing rights beyond those of everyone else; we make mistakes and are biased, even if we try our hardest not to be. The only fair way of resolving something like this is to put it up for a vote, because forcing people to credit MPK for "Darth Persia" is, in my view, absurd. - Brandon Rhea (talk) (contribs) 20:57, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Oppose

 * 1) Ridiculous. Drewton  [[Image:Era-old.png|20px]] ( Drewton's Holocron ) 19:51, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * 2) Anarchy in the SWF. --Michaeldsuarez (Talk) (Deeds) 19:53, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Neutral (+2)

 * 1) For now, I'm undecided about this, except for opposing Option 6. Drewton  [[Image:Era-old.png|20px]] ( Drewton's Holocron ) 19:42, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * 2) Same, but sorta leaning to 2. Unit 8311 [[Image:1110 Big small.jpg|20px]] Talk!  19:44, 25 February 2009 (UTC)
 * 3) Neutral. --Michaeldsuarez (Talk) (Deeds) 19:46, 25 February 2009 (UTC)