on 1/28/07 11:41 PM, Rich Holton at richholton@gmail.com wrote:
I associate groupthink with a situation in which any sort of disagreement is discouraged by social pressure. Not so much that differing ideas are "outvoted" by the group, but that the person offering a different idea is ostracized until they conform.
So, for me, groupthink is very different from consensus. However, I do think we see some instances of groupthink in some areas of Wikipedia.
For instance, calling someone a "troll" for (even very persistently) disagreeing is a step in the direction of groupthink.
Just my 2 cents to the thread...
Well said! Your input is worth much more than two cents. And don't forget the presence of the person who decides the flavor of the Kool Aid.
Marc Riddell