What I will say is that [[WP:ENC]] has been completely forgotten in all of this. WR,
SlimVirgin, Sidaway's civility, Lar's checkusers...who cares? Just do your job as
admins, folks: keep the encyclopedicity of the site intact. If you're not doing that,
what good are you doing?
CMOdi profanum vulgus et arceo.> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:48:17 -0700> From:
george.herbert(a)gmail.com> To: wikien-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> Subject: [WikiEN-l]
Dangerous factionalism (Was: Re: SlimVirgin and CheckUser leaks)> > On Mon, Jul 21,
2008 at 12:44 PM, Matthew Brown <morven(a)gmail.com> wrote:> [...]> > Lar is
foolish, IMO, to contribute to WR; it's a shifting mess of> > crazy and often
malice, and I feel that listening and engaging with> > paranoids and obsessives to
that degree can affect one's thinking. On> > the other hand, I do not think
he's doing so with any bad intent; I> > feel it has to do with a belief in
engaging critics and listening> > impartially to all sides – noble intentions even
if a bad idea in this> > case.> > I've been looking in at the Arbcom case
on the principals in the> pro/anti WR guerilla war going on on-wiki recently, thinking
I wanted> to make a statement but somewhat afraid that there was no good time> and
place. This comment of Matthew's is prompting me to do so.> > The situation
regarding a number of our external critics, a number of> our external threats, and how
wiki community members respond has> broken down rather badly and completely. There is
nothing more> dangerous for a community than two strong factions to form which have>
both become shades of grey and who both completely distrust the> motives of the other
one, and where civility breaks down.> > We have a pair of double-edged swords in
play. Both the investigation> of legitimate external threats to the Wiki's
stability and the> investigation of abuses within the community require
investigators> (editors, admins, checkusers, arbcom members) who are aware and>
engaged with problems, but who avoid falling into the dual traps of> either actually or
apparently acting as proxies for internal or> external troublemakers.> > The
situation has led to senior editors and administrators at each> other's throats in
an increasingly dangerous manner.> > Before we proceed, I should disclose that I
believe that I am somewhat> associated with one faction of this historically (both in
perception> and reality) and have made mistakes in judgement associated with that>
(a factual mistake that led to a questionable but rapidly reversed> block, for example,
and having defended someone for a long time who in> retrospect clearly was abusing a
lot of people's trusts).> > I think that "the center" needs to
reassert itself forcefully as to> what behavior is acceptable both in fighting
legitimate external> threats and in questioning whether those fights are subverting>
Wikipedia's goals and community.> > I'll put something up in the arbcom case
later, but let me posit this> - "the center" should look at everyone involved
(at least as far out> as me on "my side", probably as far out as Larry and
Allison, probably> as far out as Dan Tobias, Viridae, and certainly everyone more>
involved than we are). Determine whether the factions have become> sufficiently hostile
to Wikipedia's community and goals that this> needs to end now, and take forceful
action to end this.> > It may be appropriate to ban the primary actors in both
factions.> > It may be appropriate to remove all admin rights from everyone>
involved. Myself certainly included. I hope not Larry or Allison - I> personally have
high regard for their support for the project and> community and their good judgement
and use of the tools - but take an> honest look at everyone who's become wrapped up
in the factionalism.> > If you do not define a center and fight to hold it, this
will devolve> into whomever can more effectively fight a long term guerilla war
with> the resources at hand. I put forth that this is already in play,> though few
of us are fully aware of its scope or the roles that we've> been playing.> >
Arbcom and the Community have to put the stake in the ground and make> the center hold
on this.> > > -- > -george william herbert> george.herbert(a)gmail.com>
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