On 4/19/07, Mark Ryan ultrablue@gmail.com wrote:
On 19/04/07, Erik Moeller erik@wikimedia.org wrote:
I respect your opinion, but your brain seems to be pretty well programmed for fear and aggression.
These are not appropriate ways for members of the Board of Trustees to react to criticism in public. I suggest you peruse WP:CIVIL, which will help you to respond more appropriately for a person holding your office.
My comment was not intended to be uncivil, and I regret it if it came across that way. Beyond her earlier comments to the Chair of the Board ("you're on crack", "are you daft?"), Kelly Martin has a well documented history of aggressive and abusive conduct throughout Wikimedia projects; in fact, she has openly stated that she considers "intimidating posturing ... and a willingness to act 'on the edge'" acceptable "management styles". [1] I do not; I consider them a rationalization of a deeply troubling emotional outlook.
Nevertheless, I have respect for Kelly and other people like her; she clearly has tremendous talent and passion for our ends, if not our means. I have also come to view her as the textbook example of the "useful aggressor", one of the most problematic social types one can encounter in any community. The useful aggressor, by virtue of being useful, has friends and allies, but their interactions with others are often highly toxic; their views are colored by their fear and their misanthropy. It is not easy or even desirable to remove them, but it is essential to limit their social influence, to question their deepest convictions, and to draw the line when they violate community norms.
Florence, myself and other members of this weird and wonderful community are certainly not infallible standard-bearers of peace and love. But one quality I strive for, and one I think any leader should have beyond worrying about imaginary lawsuits, is reflection: the ability to honestly assess one's own behavior and actions, and to improve upon it, instead of merely rationalizing it as a "management style." I'll let you be the judge whether you find this quality in the present Board members.
[1] http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Kelly_Martin&diff=...