[WikiEN-l] "How the Professor Who Fooled Wikipedia Got Caught by Reddit", _The Atlantic_

[Anthony]

On Mon, May 21, 2012 at 2:57 AM, David Gerard <dgerard at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 20 May 2012 22:32, Gwern Branwen <gwern0 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> There's nothing to answer; and I've been copying the most informative
>> or hilarious quotes for posterity, such as an active administrator in
>> good standing wondering if it might actually increase article quality
>> and not constitute vandalism at all!
>> The whole thing was worth it just for that quote; I could not have
>> made up a better example of the sickness.
>
>
> So, your attempt to prove that no-one cares about external links that
> aren't references showed that ... no-one cares about external links
> that aren't references.

That aren't references, that aren't official, that aren't
template-generated, and that aren't the only external link on the
page,

> What I'm feeling about this *feels* just like hindsight bias, but I
> vaguely recall saying something just like that.

Certainly makes sense.

What doesn't make much sense is the simultaneous belief that 1) no one
cares; and 2) it is vandalism that absolutely *must be stopped* lest
Kant roll over in his grave.