Many times folks simply don't understand something and can eventually be brought along. Trying several times would seem to be better than just once. Some of the other suggestions like revert after two weeks are very good and energy conserving.

It's a good rule in personal relations to assume people do not change, but perhaps a better practice to have faith that they can provided not too much is risked on the effort.

Fred

Message: 9 To: wikipedia-l@nupedia.com Date: 25 Oct 2002 11:48:33 +0200 From: elian elian@gmx.li Subject: [Wikipedia-l] how to deal with uncooperative users Reply-To: wikipedia-l@nupedia.com

Hello,

I followed the ongoing debate about how to deal with uncooperative users with some astonishment. Some people seem to forget the first rule of online-communities: Don't feed the trolls!

Precisely, it depends largely on each one's personal attitude how to deal with jerks.

First, try to discuss only once. If your adversary does not answer in a way you regard as serious, is insulting or refuses to substantiate claims with arguments, immediately stop discussion - forever or until you see somewhere else that he has changed his attitude. Don't try to educate people except you specially  like to do this. Don't feel responsible for a jerk's metal health!

Second, take your time. Let him have his way, put the article on your watchlist and silently revert the changes two weeks later without further discussion. Time is on the side of the regulars, not the jerks.

Third, just an idea: to feel not so alone, you could put up a page [[Wikipedia:Annoying users]] where you could state your feelings. If enough votes come up on one person, this person could _ eventually_  be banned.

Just my experiences from the German wikipedia where we had almost no edit wars at all up to now. We have questionable contributions, some are silently moved to talk pages, some are rewritten. Discussion is tried once, after this fails the person is simply ignored.

just my two cents, elian -- Computers are like Airconditioners - they stop working properly when you open windows

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