(This is a spinoff of the thread in WRR, at the request of the subject.)

The double standard in applying WP: COI has long been a subject of discussion here. There are instances, as in the case of Mr. Kohs, in which people who have clearly expressed their Conflict of Interest are crucified and others, such as Ms. Dunin, who are allowed to express their conflict of interest in their editing activities with the benediction, even the encouragement of the WPPTB.

Mr. Shankbone seems to be in the later category, even having his own category in Commons. Not only is his name all over these contributions, there are also numerous "contributions" which seem to concerned with documenting....David Shankbone himself :

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...d_Shankbone.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Shankbone_2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...Al_Sharpton.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...d_Shankbone.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...d_Shankbone.jpg (by the way, David, that black muscleshirt is at least two sizes too small....) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...00px-Self_2.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm...d_Shankbone.jpg

...just to point out a few conspicuous examples. It would seem that this type of activity has been attracting the attention of a particularly vicious stalker...and it would also seem that some Users are beginning to question the validity of the inclusion of many of these contributions.

And although Mr. Shankbone puts his name on every photograph he contributes, he removed the name of a contemporary artist here, suggesting that "artists are credited if they are notable"....so therefore Mr. Shankbone, in insisting that his own name is used, seems to be asserting his own "notability".

It seems to me to be only a matter of time before Mr. Shankbone has his own article: indeed, this would seem to be the logical outcome of this entire process. Granted, he does seem to produce an awful lot of content, but to what aim?

It was suggested on another thread that editors seem to contribute in areas which are of interest to them: classical music, pokemon, grind films of the 1970s, uses for electric knives etc. It was also suggested that since Mr. Shankbone's principal interest is himself that it is only logical and indeed, in his way of thinking, "altruistic" to offer himself as the supreme gift to the project.

The only question I have at this point is whether 1. WP will get tired of this self-promotion and expel him from the system or 2. whether he gets to go for the Golden prize that Durova was trying for and become the official WP media liaison. At this point, either outcome seems possible.

At least at that point, he could then interview himself about how he felt about losing his hair, instead of having to use the pretext of interviewing somebody else to get that valuable information into Wikipedia.

This post has been edited by the fieryangel: