From: wikien-l-bounces(a)Wikipedia.org
[mailto:wikien-l-bounces@Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of Ray Saintonge
Peter Mackay wrote:
Having said that, one must also consider the
question - what
is the highest
priority? Building an encyclopaedia or having a
good working
community of
editors?
Of course, building an encyclopedia has first priority, but a good
working community of editors is essential to accomplishing that goal.
I won't be popular for saying so, but I don't know that it is. My high
school biology teacher used to delight in seating people together who hated
each other. She reckoned you got more interesting and lively discussions
that way and everyone benefited. My objective was to sit up the back
somewhere and go to sleep, but that didn't happen in her class and I have
fond memories of high school biol as being a great education experience.
Would we produce a great encyclopaedia if we all thought and worked the same
way? I'm thinking that a certain degree of tension, conflict and competition
helps us go beyond the banal. Some of the best features of Wikipedia are
produced as a way of handling conflict. 3RR, for instance. It's silly, but
it works.
And having ongoing experience with problem users - especially problem admins
- makes us more able to handle future threats. Look at the way a solution
emerged to the WoW thing. Of course it took a certain amount of screaming
and kicking to get there, but it happened.
Peter (Skyring)