Have all of TheDuckMan's works been deleted?
Yes, all of TheDuckMan's works have been deleted. We have also removed or rewritten all contributions made by TheDuckMan to the works of other authors.
Will the SCP slots once occupied by Bright's works be released?
Yes, most of the slots will eventually be released. The works posted in these slots will not be rewrites of the works by TheDuckMan, but original works by whomever posts in the slot. However some slots will remain unreleased and will continue to redirect to the Bright Works Message. These slots are:
- SCP-001:O5
- SCP-963
- SCP-1004
Why can't we separate the art from the artist?/Why couldn't wiki staff just leave the works up?/Why not rewrite the works to change Bright's name, redact the name, etc?
This is addressed in the current version of the Bright Works Message. We recommend you read the explanation there. But in short, there is no separating the art from the artist in this case. TheDuckMan and the Bright character are so intertwined that one cannot separate one from the other. If we attempted to do so by leaving TheDuckMan's works on the Wiki, or through some other method, staff believe significant harm will continue to occur. This is unacceptable, and so we are doing all we can to inform people and remove the Shaw/Bright characters from the Wiki.
Leaving the works up, or editing them to redact or only change Bright's name is also not an option. They contain a number of problematic elements and leaving them allows those problematic elements to remain, causing more and more harm. For this reason, the decision was made to remove the works from the Wiki. It's a decision supported by all of staff and one we will not be going back on.
When will the slots be released?
There is no timeline for their release. Users will not be informed when the slot releases will be happening or in what manner they will be released.
What will response pieces be like?
That will be up to the person writing the response piece.
When will the response pieces and/or the annotations be completed?
There is currently no solid timeline as to when the infrastructure for response pieces will be set-up. Further, we don't want to publish annotated works that are incorrectly or insufficiently annotated as this will cause more harm. Therefore, response pieces, alongside the annotations are considered to be long term projects by the Bright Works Project team.
What's wrong with using Dr Elias Shaw as a replacement for Dr Bright?
Dr Elias Shaw, commonly known as Shaw, was created to replace Bright in the works of authors who has previously used the character. Unfortunately, while the character was created with good intentions, the belief that Shaw was Bright in all but name quickly spread. This is because the authors would only change Bright’s name with Shaw’s, leaving the Bright characters personality and background intact. Further, some problematic elements associated with the Bright character also remained in some works. For these reasons, we are encouraging users to not use Shaw, and if they have used the character in their past works, to remove them.
We also want to make clear that there is no singular replacement character for Bright and staff will not be replacing Bright/Shaw with another stand in character.
Can staff write an article to justify or explain in-universe the removal of TheDuckMan's works from the Wiki?
Staff will not be creating an article that details some sort of in-universe explanation that justifies the works removal from the Wiki. Not only is this unnecessary as there is no canon, shared universe, etc on the Wiki, it would likely cause more harm for no benefit.
What are Bright Works Project staff doing to remove Bright/Shaw from non-Wiki spaces?
Wiki staff, including Bright Works Project staff, don't have control over non-Wiki spaces, even if they are SCP related. While we encourage everyone outside of the Wiki to not use the Bright/Shaw characters or anything related to them, we don't have the power to stop anyone.
How has deleting TheDuckMan's works affected the SCP canon?
There is no SCP canon. No one character, event, etc is considered keystone or important because of this. Thus, the Bright/Shaw characters aren't necessary for the Wiki or SCP to continue.
What will Bright Works Project staff to do fix any plot holes, etc in works caused by the deletion of TheDuckMan's works?
Bright Works Project staff will gladly assist any authors who ask us for advice in fixing their works. However, it is up to the authors themselves to rewrite their works.
I found a mention of or reference to Bright/Shaw in a work on the Wiki, what do I do?
Please send it across to one of the staff members listed above. Alternatively, you can bring it to the attention of any staff member who will pass it along to the Bright Works Project team.
Have all pages with a reference to Bright/Shaw been examined by the Bright Works Project team?
It’s unlikely that this is the case. Many references are more obscure and it’s likely that some remain undiscovered by the Bright Works Project team. Rest assured that the team is still on the lookout for any that remain.
Will Bright Works Project staff be removing or rewriting Bright/Shaw from works not authored by TheDuckMan?
We haven't deleted or altered the works of authors who use or reference the Bright/Shaw characters without their express permission. We have and continue to contact authors and informed them of the situation surrounding TheDuckMan. Anything else is up to the authors themselves. Many have chosen to remove Bright/Shaw from their works, are planning to rewrite or have decided to make no changes at all. While we would prefer TheDuckMan and the Bright/Shaw characters have no further presence on the Wiki, we will not force or make changes for authors.
The only times the above doesn't apply is for works that contain sections written by TheDuckMan themselves. In these cases, we have removed or rewritten these sections while also informing the authors of what we've done, why and that they can revert our changes at anytime. We have also made very minor changes to non-TheDuckMan contributions in some works. This was only to facilitate our removals or rewrites by changing the name of the Bright character to another.
Can I rewrite or remove a reference to Bright/Shaw in a work myself?
This may seem like a quick and easy solution, but it causes far more harm then good. Not only would the work be changed without the authors permission, it may leave in potentially problematic references to Bright/Shaw that might not initially seem to be problematic. It also robs the author of the chance to make changes themselves that align with their vision of the work.
We also want to avoid the accidental creation of another Shaw. The mass changing of works to remove Bright/Shaw that replaces them using only one character or a limited roster of characters could very well create another Shaw. Not only would that necessitate more authors be contacted who would then need to consider altering or deleting their works, the creator of the character (if the character used is pre-existing) could face harassment for something they had no control over.
Finally, doing so would be a violation of Wiki rules that may result in disciplinary action.
What will the Bright Works Project do about works by TheDuckMan and/or works containing the Bright/Shaw characters on the international branches?
The EN Wiki cannot make any of the other branches make changes to their sites. This includes removing works by TheDuckMan, or that in someway reference the Bright/Shaw characters. We will be in the future sharing what we've done on the EN Wiki regarding TheDuckMan with the other branches, but any changes will be up to the staff of each individual INT branch.
I have a suggestion for the Bright Works Project, can I share it?
While we welcome all suggestions, how we will be handing works written by TheDuckMan and/or that contain the Bright/Shaw characters has already been decided. After discussion and a vote, the Remove and Counter proposal was selected which details in full how the Bright Works Project would handle the works. You can view this proposal here.
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