Oh my! That's news for you? Let's see. Just a sample from firsthand experiences.

1) From Meta: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Vapmachado#Updated_request_for_assi...

"The work on Meta was being done in an orderly manner until the disruption provoked and caused by those same people mentioned above. The user is the same. Trouble only started after the interference of the same people from the Portuguese Wikipedia on Meta. Their votes can be seen popping up on the RfA. There has never been a single block on any other Wikimedia project where these editors do not have any influence. The obvious conclusion is that the hostile behavior stays with that people, not this user."

2) From Wikimedia Outreach: http://human-rights-in-cyberspace.wikia.com/wiki/The_Outreach_debacle

"Please edit those pages as though they were your own wiki. Make yourself at home on the Outreach wiki." Wrote Lennart. Wow! I was in awe. This project and/or these guys had the right stuff." "When I revisited Wikimedia Outreach, my user page had been deleted, my own name suppressed from my message and replaced by (Redacted)." Later, my user page was restored with this quite amazing summary: "restoring per request, it appears this user intended to out himself, removing personal address". It was decided that "Apartado 313, 2826-801 Caparica" is my personal address. Well I regret to have to let you know that "Apartado 313, 2826-801 Caparica" is not my "personal address". It's one of my many mailing addresses. "Apartado" is the Portuguese word for Post Office or P.O. Box, and I can assure you that I never lived there.

From the Portuguese Wikipedia: http://human-rights-in-cyberspace.wikia.com/wiki/The_crusaders_against_educa...

3) http://human-rights-in-cyberspace.wikia.com/wiki/The_crusaders_against_educa...

Em engenharia, quando a obra não é executada de acordo com o projecto é um caso sério. Na Wikipédia chama-se «ajudar». «Em Roma, sê Romano.» É assim. Uma pessoa põe o seu «espírito criativo» a funcionar, é «ajudada» e pronto, lá se foi o que planeou para o «galheiro». Já se tinha agradecido, portanto, é tocar para diante e esperar por melhores dias ou que o «ajudante» vá de férias. Não há nada que um vulgar editor faça que um atento administrador, burocrata e membro do conselho de arbitragem não possa desfazer. Nesta Wikipédia o que não falta são ajudas. Se alguém encontrar por aí a definição de «período para discutir o mérito da página», agradece-se desde já.

4) http://human-rights-in-cyberspace.wikia.com/wiki/The_crusaders_against_educa...

With all the details of the "help" I got to be blocked for the first time. Moral of the story: I'm currently banned and my "helper" is King on the Portuguese Wikipedia, a fine example of a "meritocracy."

Even in these modest examples, if you find anything not verifiable, please let me know.

5) "Furthermore, if someone, under the false pretenses of helping you can turn things from bad to worse for you, they will. That's the name of the game here." Another example:

"Instead of complaining, you might like to notice how your own attitudes lead to fairly predictable results, and a genuine, noticeable and enduring change of them changes the results." FT2

"That does not mean that there are not isolated cases of injustice. Such users need to patiently and persistently bring their situation to the attention of the community." Fred

Could some "consensus" be reached on this matter?

6) Fred Bauder might also be willing to fill you with the details of how extremely helpful he has been to me. Permission is granted to make public all my e-mail messages to him, showing my appreciation for his good deeds.

Any further questions?

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

At 05:14 25-05-2011, you wrote:

Oh dear. This just lost a lot of respect (whatever respect is remaining).

So if someone (anyone?) can cause another person problems, they will? I must remember that as the default expectation of society, or Wikipedia communities at least. Documented as being that extreme by reliable sources no less.

Instead of complaining, you might like to notice how your own attitudes lead to fairly predictable results, and a genuine, noticeable and enduring change of them changes the results.

FT2

On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 4:34 AM, Virgilio A. P. Machado vam@fct.unl.ptwrote:

...

Furthermore, if someone, under the false pretenses of helping you can turn things from bad to worse for you, they will. That's the name of the game here, as it has been extensively documented on reliable sources, which makes this statement verifiable, as required.