[WikiEN-l] Dangerous factionalism (Was: Re: SlimVirgin and CheckUser leaks)

[Christiano Moreschi]

What I will say is that [[WP:ENC]] has been completely forgotten in all of this. WR, SlimVirgin, Sidaway's civility, Lar's checkusers...who cares? Just do your job as admins, folks: keep the encyclopedicity of the site intact. If you're not doing that, what good are you doing?
 
CMOdi profanum vulgus et arceo.> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:48:17 -0700> From: george.herbert at gmail.com> To: wikien-l at lists.wikimedia.org> Subject: [WikiEN-l] Dangerous factionalism (Was: Re: SlimVirgin and CheckUser leaks)> > On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:44 PM, Matthew Brown <morven at gmail.com> wrote:> [...]> > Lar is foolish, IMO, to contribute to WR; it's a shifting mess of> > crazy and often malice, and I feel that listening and engaging with> > paranoids and obsessives to that degree can affect one's thinking. On> > the other hand, I do not think he's doing so with any bad intent; I> > feel it has to do with a belief in engaging critics and listening> > impartially to all sides – noble intentions even if a bad idea in this> > case.> > I've been looking in at the Arbcom case on the principals in the> pro/anti WR guerilla war going on on-wiki recently, thinking I wanted> to make a statement but somewhat afraid that there was no good time> and place. This comment of Matthew's is prompting me to do so.> > The situation regarding a number of our external critics, a number of> our external threats, and how wiki community members respond has> broken down rather badly and completely. There is nothing more> dangerous for a community than two strong factions to form which have> both become shades of grey and who both completely distrust the> motives of the other one, and where civility breaks down.> > We have a pair of double-edged swords in play. Both the investigation> of legitimate external threats to the Wiki's stability and the> investigation of abuses within the community require investigators> (editors, admins, checkusers, arbcom members) who are aware and> engaged with problems, but who avoid falling into the dual traps of> either actually or apparently acting as proxies for internal or> external troublemakers.> > The situation has led to senior editors and administrators at each> other's throats in an increasingly dangerous manner.> > Before we proceed, I should disclose that I believe that I am somewhat> associated with one faction of this historically (both in perception> and reality) and have made mistakes in judgement associated with that> (a factual mistake that led to a questionable but rapidly reversed> block, for example, and having defended someone for a long time who in> retrospect clearly was abusing a lot of people's trusts).> > I think that "the center" needs to reassert itself forcefully as to> what behavior is acceptable both in fighting legitimate external> threats and in questioning whether those fights are subverting> Wikipedia's goals and community.> > I'll put something up in the arbcom case later, but let me posit this> - "the center" should look at everyone involved (at least as far out> as me on "my side", probably as far out as Larry and Allison, probably> as far out as Dan Tobias, Viridae, and certainly everyone more> involved than we are). Determine whether the factions have become> sufficiently hostile to Wikipedia's community and goals that this> needs to end now, and take forceful action to end this.> > It may be appropriate to ban the primary actors in both factions.> > It may be appropriate to remove all admin rights from everyone> involved. Myself certainly included. I hope not Larry or Allison - I> personally have high regard for their support for the project and> community and their good judgement and use of the tools - but take an> honest look at everyone who's become wrapped up in the factionalism.> > If you do not define a center and fight to hold it, this will devolve> into whomever can more effectively fight a long term guerilla war with> the resources at hand. I put forth that this is already in play,> though few of us are fully aware of its scope or the roles that we've> been playing.> > Arbcom and the Community have to put the stake in the ground and make> the center hold on this.> > > -- > -george william herbert> george.herbert at gmail.com> > _______________________________________________> WikiEN-l mailing list> WikiEN-l at lists.wikimedia.org> To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit:> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l
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