At 11:26 PM 5/13/2003 -0700, you wrote:
I hardly dare to ask, I have been sorry so many times because of misleading pseudos... Are you really a woman ? (if this question is not considered too personal ?)
LOL -- yes, I'm really a woman, and yes, this is even my real name. My user page lists me as "mother / artist / programmer / role-playing gamer", and that's all for real too -- I have a wonderful son and daughter that I hope will have fun using and contributing to Wikipedia someday. My three-year-old son is already so used to interactive websites and DVDs that he gets frustrated just WATCHING a movie -- he wants to be able to click something, change something, make things happen! Perhaps that's the nature of three-year-olds and short attention spans, but I think it's good that he doesn't just want a passive experience. It's part of the reason that I've become addicted to Wikipedia too. I can't tell you how many other error-laden websites I've visited that actually had me reaching for the mouse to go click that "Edit This Page" link.....
I've occasionally wondered if it's been wise to use my real name as my username, given how easily unpleasantness can arise at Wikipedia and argumentative trolls can cause trouble for real people, but if people like Brion Vibber can do so, I suppose I can too. Just for my own curiosity, would it be possible to change my username without creating a new account, and retain my watchlist etc.?
Overall, I've been pleased with the interactions I've had here ... we're all an expert in something. I've had a few brief confusions with other editors over British/American usage and a mistaken copyright issue, but they were both settled swiftly and with courtesy -- I just wanted to add my two cents that the WikiLove really does outweigh the negativity in my experience -- we just don't talk about it nearly as much.
You may follow other more gentle ways to help with very annoying users, rather than just "banning" them by a crude block.
I highly recommand reading the inspiring
http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bans
http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bans_and_blocks
and http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikipediAhimsa
and to lay out any thoughts there
Thank you very much for the links, Anthere -- I haven't browsed the Meta much, because I'm much more interested in real work than meta-work. ;) But that gives me a better idea of the community's previous thoughts on the issue.
Cheers, Catherine