On 6/1/06, Steve Summit scs@eskimo.com wrote:
MacGyverMagic wrote:
Either cut all religious userboxes or keep them all, don't start getting selective. The box is just as useful as a "I am a Christian"-box.
Disrepute
due to beliefs is only an issue if said editors consistently misbehave.
People worry too much over userboxes.
On the one hand, I agree, the ongoing train wreck that is the userbox "war" is silly and unnecessary. On the one hand, I agree, all "I am a whatever-tian" boxes should either stand together or fall together. Personally, I don't care if you proclaim yourself to be a Christian or a Satanist or a Democrat or a Republican or a vegetarian or a Martian or a pedophile or a Nazi; the only thing that matters to me is whether you can edit encyclopedia articles intelligently, cooperatively, and productively.
But. On the other hand:
If you honestly believe, in this society, that there is no difference between saying "I am a Christian" and "I am a Satanist", you are either being wilfully ignorant, or disruptive to make a point. And it's exactly this sort of wilfulness, disruption, and point-making that gives rise to big problems with those seemingly silly, unimportant userboxes.
Yes, in this world filled with ignorance and intolerance, proclaiming you're a satanist is probably going to get you a different reaction, but my point is that if Wikipedia wants to get anywhere near neutral we should treat anyone who can edit properly equally.
Mgm