Note:Forgive me if this is a little out of date-- just catching up.
--- Jimmy Wales jwales@joey.bomis.com wrote:
...we can all just talk about how to best avoid this sort of thing in the future.
Well for starters, how about if you, Jimbo. and you, Ed, don't pamper and coddle people "like" him. If there is anything practical to learning about "this sort of thing." I would someday when the breezes permit, like an explanation as to why you let it get this far. Perhaps you think as Abe does-- that 'extremist points of view are necessary to Wikipedia,' even if they are held by people who think of a comment on their talk page as "vandalism."
Jim, you've put your foot down before-- why is it that you merely tapped your foot with RK? At least this is my perception of it. As I recall there have been around 3 users banned in connection with fights with RK. This raised to me the issue of an "imbalance," and as I suggested to you in private-- this is perhaps more an issue of your *confusion over the "ethnic issues", or lack of time for detail, rather than anything overtly POV (as others here have suggested.
Ed: I told you on your talk page that I would support you in a role where you could act as a formal moderator. I am still somewhat suspect of you, given your current cotton-glove defensism for RK. This suspicion comes from your previous statement (perhaps in haste) that your opinion on matters Israel, are not your own but rather in deference to the opinions of your religious leadership. I think perhaps you've had time to reflect on this since I first asked, and perhaps you have formed an opinion of your own. With that said-- I think of you as a uniquely soothing presence, one which was invaluable the other night in diffusing the situation with RK.
Bcorr: Your journalistic spirit is yet unmatched on Wikipedia. Thank you for your work in vindicating me-- where previously RK's accusations saw no meaninful resistance, and no specific retort could be more damning than your proof that RK himself tampered with the text to include a term I would never use. http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-October/006792.html "Shameful", to quote RK. He here violated God's 9th commandment -- "thou shalt bear no false witness..." I consider it entirely forgivable-- as is Edward's lame attempt to cover it up: http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-October/006794.html
On this whole list thread: Considering the various forms of coddling: Attacks on Erik's "strange precedent"; Abe's silly notion that extreme POV is necessary for NPOV (thank you Angela); and Jimbo and Ed's (still, or until just hours ago) seem to want to make gold out of pyrite.
It's was never a problem with his Jewishness--it was his *low-self esteem, and persecution complex* that were the real problems all along. I'm glad you all now can see it for what it was. Robert will be in a prayer or two (like it or not)-- in the hope that he comes away from this stronger, and finds some peace of mind. I hope he can someday soon rediscover his *faith-- one which perhaps he knew only of its dogmas and traditions until now. Faith is much more than what many think it is. Faith is sustaining, and the *true path to "it" is not found in any book, or on any computer screen.
On his ban-- I think *I* ( whether I have any "authority" or not, Jimbo ) must take a harder line. I would like to see "RK" permanently banned from Wikipedia. (No, I dont agree with Martin that he simply "wont be back.") That said, if "Robert Kaiser", after getting down from his self-appointed fictitional role as 'defender of all things Jewish,' wishes to return as "Robert," I would only be encouraging.
Let "RK" be no more. But if *Robert finally wants to introduce himself, I for one would like to meet him. Jim and Ed, Abe, et al. I dont mean to be rude--I simply dont have time here to beat around the burning bush.
If I may choose this as a final word: 'Shalom,' ~S~
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