[WikiEN-l] Self-sensorship, how far should it go?

[Michael Noda]

On 8/1/07, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 01/08/07, Steve Summit <scs at eskimo.com> wrote:
>
> > Though one or two of the questions were snide, I have to assume
> > that at least a few of them were in good faith: editors unaware
> > of Slim's storied history, who came across the Slashdot thread
> > and thought she might like to know about it.
>
> Okay, cards on the table, time for a slightly embarrassing admission.
> *I* don't know SlimVirgin's storied history. Or, oh, whoever else it
> is we seem to discuss regularly; all the participants in that
> attack-sites debacle seem to have backstories I don't understand. I
> basically don't remember much our internal politics before a few
> months back; it all seemed to drift past me and/or I didn't care. Do I
> have to lose my cabal license?
>
> There are a large number of people - long-experienced editors, with
> good standing in the community and clearly not crazy - who basically
> have no idea what the *fuck* all this is about, and are not happy
> about it all. Oh, we recognise the names as "harbingers of trouble",
> since wherever they're mentioned a lot of smoke and mirrors and
> violent disagreement about internal meta-stuff follows, but we have no
> idea of the context or the history behind it all. It doesn't mean
> anything to us; it's just... noise.
>
> But it's noise that's swallowing our project and wasting our time. We
> have a community on enwiki of, what, ten thousand active editors? How
> come obscure political bickering centering around half a dozen of them
> seems to take up so much time?
>
> When people try - honestly and in good faith - to find out what on
> earth is going on, they get rebuffed, yelled at, discouraged. We grow
> up an elaborate culture of secrecy - this sort of thing must be Very
> Significant, all the noise made about it, but yet it isn't ever
> discussed freely or explained; confusing things like oversight are
> thrown around to further confuse matters. I can see why people would
> end up reading Wikipedia Review to try and understand what's going on.
>
> All this is a net detriment to the project. It's internal
> navel-gazing; most of us are oblivious to it or actively discouraged
> from discussing it. It serves to reinforce the non-existent impression
> of a central cabal, it wastes the time of productive editors, and it
> provides an easy angle for trolls to disrupt and smear our work. And,
> of course, the "attacks" perpetuate it all.
>
> Wikipedia has never been bylined. We have a culture that discourages
> the individual ego; we are a collaborative work. This stupid situation
> around a tiny handful of editors is consuming the project's resources,
> burning up our goodwill and credibility both among the outside world
> and among our own community. It's time to put a stop to it.
>
> Please leave. All of you. The project is more important than your
> pride, and you are dragging it down; this situation is never going to
> improve unless someone walks away.
>
> Tidy up the loose ends, sign out of your account, and walk away. Take
> a break. It's August, the sun's shining, it's the perfect season to go
> for a walk in the hills and reflect. Then come back under another
> name, if you want to continue working here - I would be sorry to see
> hard-working editors leave. Right now, you are *net detriments* to the
> project, no matter how many thousands of edits you rack up; I'm sorry
> to say it, and I feel a heel for doing it, but it's true.
>
> This is not an attack. This request has been a long time in the
> making, and it is perfectly serious. Please treat it as such.

I would like to second all of what Andrew has said above.

This incessant cacophony of personal drama is drowning out useful
conversations actually relevant to the building of the project.  It is
causing stress and emotional pain for many of us.  It's completely
unnecessary, and is within your power to stop.  Hand in your bits, and
step away from the project for three months.  Get some fresh air.  Say
hi to your friends and family.  And don't worry about what's happening
here, because others will be rising to take your place in sharing the
workload; that's how we work.  Go.  We can afford to spare you, for as
long as you need.  We'll see you again, because those who care about
this project can never stay away permanently.  But staying in the
heart of the fire out of pride, or ego, or vanity, is folly, and can
only lead to madness.