[WikiEN-l] Featured editors?

[Alec Conroy]

On 11/12/07, Durova <nadezhda.durova at gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm a firm believer in the principle that ethical decisions where good
> people disagree belong to the individuals who live with the consequences.

It's sort of an abstract philosophical question, but for what it's
worth, it seems to me that the people who have to live with the
consequences are probably the very last people who should be making
decisions.

So, to use a concrete example, if I have an off-wiki dispute with an
individual or website-- they are strongly criticized, attacked, or
(noncriminally) harassed me in some way-- I'm now probably the last
person on the entire project who ought to be making decisions about
that individual/website's articles.  Nothing to do with my character,
my judgment, or my faith-- I just am now personally involved, and
should stay away from those articles-- if only to avoid even the
appearance of impropriety.

And actually, this principle extends beyond personal disputes, but to
any subject we're "too" passionate about.  I know I have, in the back
of my own mind, a set of articles I will never ever edit, because I'm
just a little too close to them.  I don't have an recognizable COI,
but I care a little too much, and that work is best left to someone
who doesn't care as much as I do.  Passion is the enemy of precision.

I don't know that you're actually disagreeing with any of that, of
course.  It's just when you say "Let the person who has to live with
the consequences make the tough calls", I say "No!  Let absolutely
anybody BUT the person who's gonna have to live with the consequences
make tough calls-- the calls are tough enough as is, without being
blinded by personal interests or emotions".

Stoically,

Alec