Re: [Foundation-l] Assume good faith

I love you guys, seriously. All of you. And that's not just the eggnog talking... Wikipedia and all our Wikimedia projects are, when you think about it, *pretty darn awesome* and they exist because some *pretty darn awesome people* are working together. Those pretty awesome people include YOU! YOU are pretty darn awesome! But we do have a bit of a collective anger management problem. There's lots of flamefests on the lists, on talk pages, on village pumps, in edit wars, in irc, in private mail... I'm no saint either; I believe I used words such as "idiot" in a certain thread a few days ago which I really oughtn't to have. Well, there's no point blaming anyone or saying anything specific here. I just want to pass on a big sloppy group hug love letter to all y'all Wikimedians out there. Remember, folks, a community like this functions because its members are willing and able to communicate to reach some end goal. If you're about to type off another e-mail or talk page note in anger, please... get off the computer for a second. Get a beverage of your choice, take a walk, eat a cookie, make a sandwich, tell a joke, stretch your legs, anything -- just cool off a second. When you get back to the computer, pretend for a second that the other person might have a point. Even if they are wrong, consider whether what you're typing will lead to a useful conversation or if you know it'll just make them mad and provoke a further negative response. The worst thing you or I can do is to assume the other person is a jerk who refuses to listen to reason and, therefore, we can and should ignore anything they say. I know I'm often guilty of assuming bad faith and taking on an automatic defensive position. What say we all give the opposite a try when we notice ourselves slipping? HHHHUUUUUGGGGSSSSSSSSS love, brion