Talk:Chinese Wall

Etymology

I suspect that the current usage of Chinese Wall might have a connection with John Searle's thought experiment Chinese Room, but I might be wrong. Dbfirs 21:25, 8 February 2008 (UTC)

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# {{idiom}} {{business}}{{finance}} An established [[zone]] of [[non-communication]] between distinct sections of a business, in order to prevent [[conflict of interest]]. For example, an [[information]] [[barrier]] inside a firm intended between people who make [[investment]] [[decisions]] from people who are [[privy]] to [[undisclosed]] material information, which may [[influence]] those decisions. 
# {{idiom}} {{computers}} In [[computer science]], a [[reverse engineering]] practice of silent during the testing phase.  One group reverse-engineers the original code and writes thorough documentation, while the other group writes new code based only on the new documentation.  The first group never writes new code, and the second group never looks at the original code. 
# {{idiom}} {{law}} In [[law firm]]s, the practice of confidentiality between people working on different or opposite legal interests.

Chinese Wall

RFV-sense of several usages. It would be worth checking what countries use the term in (A) computer science or programming and (2) legal firms, if any, as well as getting sample quotes of such. Goldenrowley 02:47, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Also, someone should move Chinese walls to Chinese Walls to make the singular and plural agree with one another. Unless Chinese Wall and Chinese wall are both valid; English is not my primary language. Globish 03:08, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

This part is done. As a plural of something, I moved it to Chinese Walls.Goldenrowley 04:04, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Odd; we used this term in my computer security class, but for a completely different concept; from what I remember, it was an algorithm for ensuring that read-access did not exceed write-access, or some such. —Ruakh_TALK 03:49, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

The usage note says the term can be used pejoratively. I had never heard it used pejoratively in management consulting, in law firms, or in investment banking. Dismissively or ironically, sometimes. DCDuring 04:03, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

A law firm quote:-

• NY Times January 3, 2006 - By BRUCE LAMBERT - Awaiting Next Word in 17-Year-Old Murder Case
• (near the end of the article) To distance himself, Mr. Spota assigned the case to Mr. Lato, who declared a Chinese wall between Mr. Spota and the case.
  I'm sure more can be found. Algrif 10:19, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

I've heard it used quite frequently in law, particularly where an attorney changes firms, and the new firm is adverse to the old in a case. On a side note, I've met a few Chinese attorneys, and never known one to be offended by the term (since it alludes, after all, to the Great Wall, a point of national pride). Cheers! bd2412 T 23:06, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

The term definitely exists in law, finance and a number of other businesses where confidentiality plays a role, but there is no fundamental difference between them which would justify keeping the definitions #2 and #4 separate. Hekaheka 16:41, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

I modified slightly def #1, and I think it now covers both #2 and #4, which could be deleted together with the quotes, which seem to be argumentation from court cases. As for the computer science sense, I have never heard of it and it sounds like a complicated method for doing the job (which may be blatantly wrong, of course). Furthermore, I do not understand why this is supposed to be a pejorative term. Hekaheka 21:55, 20 January 2008 (UTC)

merged into general sense, removed redundant, passed - [The]DaveRoss 04:45, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Clarify the usage note

Is it "pejorative" in the sense that people talking about Chinese walls are people who disapprove of such silence and secrecy? Or do we mean "offensive to Chinese people"? Equinox ◑ 05:46, 7 June 2021 (UTC)