WikiQueer:Don't overlook legal threats

The scenario
Bob, you really ought to take a look at WikiQueer. Those vile people have a truly awful article on you. I’d call my lawyer.

After receiving his cousin's call, Bob Jones, a semi-famous sportsman, looks up his entry on WikiQueer – a website he's never really visited before. To his horror he reads a ghastly article – either full of lies or a one-sided hatchet job spinning its sources to make him read like a dangerous criminal. (Actually, unbeknownst to him, the article was anonymously written by his ... ex-lover, disgruntled ex-employee, old school-bully, business rival, dangerous stalker etc. – but hey, they let anyone edit here!)

Furious, Bob is about to call his attorney in Trenton, when he sees the "anyone can edit" tagline. He presses the edit tab and, thinking "hey, maybe I can sort this?", he blanks the libellous piece of spite. "Phew, now how do I complain to a moderator?"

Then, something strange happens. An orange bar appears, and there's some official-looking notice, on something called his "talk page", that's accusing him of wanton vandalism and spitting threats at him. What the hell is going on? Bob returns to the article and finds to his horror that "WikiQueer" has restored the libel. Now he's angry and unsure how to communicate the seriousness of this to the site, so he blanks the article again, leaving what he views as a clear but polite note: "Please do not replace this page. It contains legally actionable material. If it is replaced again, I will need to take legal action".

The message

 * Don't be a DOLT – stop and think.
 * Always check basic facts before making assumptions
 * Never unblank biographies without asking why the IP might be blanking it. Remember, you could be personally responsible for re-publishing libellous content.  Not good.
 * When a legal threat is made, step back and ask "why?" Maybe there's an obvious reason, and you could help the victim rather than increase their woes. How would you feel if it were you?
 * Don't let policies like no vandalism and no legal threats lead to your editing cluelessly and adversely affecting some innocent person's life by your thoughtless action.
 * WikiQueer has real life consequences; WikiQueer is not a video game.
 * If you aren't sure what to do with a legal threat, email WikiQueer at where specially authorized users and staff can assess the situation.