<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Message</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1141" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P>After several months of blissful peace, I've decided to rejoin the mailing
list -- at least for the English Wikipedia. I had stayed off because there's
just too much volume, too many words to read. I thought I could just scan the
occasional talk comment at wikipedia.org -- but when I found out that Jimbo is
"swamped" and cprompt recommended delegating someone to handle all banning
issues, I decided to de-lurk.</P>
<P>I hate banning, as I think I've made clear at several times and places on the
website. I prefer peer pressure and education as motivational tools. But
sometimes you have to draw the line.</P>
<P>What is the line? I guess it's for people who refuse to "get with the
program".<BR>*Repeatedly needling other users with personal remarks (EofT vs.
RK)<BR>*Nonsense that takes endless time to undo (Lir)<BR>*Utter lack of
comprehension of NPOV policy (Helga, if anyone remembers back that far)</P>
<P>Honest differences of opinion on how articles should be organized, titling
schemes, formats, etc. should never rise to the level of "bannable offenses" -
that's dumb. Even NPOV disputes ought to be handled without recourse to "Ban
this troll, his ideas are wacky".</P>
<P>What I propose to do - the service I offer to the WikiCommunity - is to
analyze any on-going disputes and attempt to intervene in a way that defuses the
conflict. If that fails, I may take action like demoting a sysop or even banning
an account -- any such action to be reported to this mailing list, of
course.</P>
<P>I don't expect my position to carry any more weight than any one else's,
except to the extent that my judgment seems sensible and trustworthy. I will
listen carefully to old hands like Mav, Eloquence, Martin, Anthére (just to name
a few). </P>
<P>But I'm not just going to seek a consensus: at times I will take or press for
immediate action, based on my own subjective assessment of what's best for
Wikipedia. </P>
<P>Jimbo, as always, will have the final say.</P>
<P>Ed Poor, aka "Uncle Ed"</P></FONT></DIV>
<P></P>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>