From: Jimmy Wales <jwales(a)wikia.com>
Regarding at least the political templates, I would
like to raise,
gently, a different issue. I have concern about
people massing together
in groups based on political affiliations at
Wikipedia.
For me, when I enter Wikipedia, I try to leave my
personal politics at
the door. I try to leave my personal opinions about
religion, etc. at
the door. Here, I am a Wikipedian. And this
inspires in me a feeling
of serious quiet thoughtful reflection. A mood of
kindness and love. A
mood of helpfulness and productivity. Neutrality
and _getting it right_
in the company of others who are doing the same,
this is what I'm here for.
Outside, I may be an advocate. But here, I am a
Wikipedian.
The point is a good one Jimbo, but it doesn't seem to
operate in the real world IMO. People come to the
'pedia with their POVs intact. It would be lovely if
they correctly left them at the door but they don't -
they're only human.
My userboxes are on my userpage not for my personal
gratification, but to make a statement: "My views
are...". That way, if ever I get into a NPOV dispute
with someone, they can see what I believe and work
from that point. In effect, I'm declaring an interest
and forcing myself to edit against that type so that
no-one can ever say "your edit there betrayed the fact
that you are a XXX".
I've found that a lot of POV is subtle. It isn't
"George W is a hero"/"George W is a murderer", it's "X
church is fundamentalist"/"X church is extreme"/"X
church has different views from the majority of Y
churches"/"X church is an evangelical church". The
choice of words is always going to be POV in those
cases.
I declare on my userpage that I am an aethist.
Therefore, any edit I make to [[X Church of Y]] should
be seen through that prism; and I must ensure that my
publically stated views don't show through in that
edit.
Of course, I'm also expecting impossibly high
standards of others in this - members of X church are
just as likely to write NPOV as anyone else. But if
they declare on their userpage that they are X church,
then it's easier to judge the quality of a disputed
edit.
So I'd make the userboxes a requirement if I ruled the
world. But I don't (something for which we should all
be eternally grateful).
:"REDVERS"
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