I've gotten some frantic "Talk" from RK claiming Ezra Wax is "vandalizing" the Wikipedia Judaism articls "faster than we can correct" them. He wants me to "ban" him.
I don't think I can do that. Isn't it true that as a sysop I have neither the power nor the authority to ban a signed-in user?
Anyway, I don't see the urgency. The contributor in question isn't malicious; he's just annoying the hell out of RK and Slrubenstein with his POV. It's not like he's using a bot.
Ed Poor
On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 02:26:06PM -0500, Poor, Edmund W wrote:
I've gotten some frantic "Talk" from RK claiming Ezra Wax is "vandalizing" the Wikipedia Judaism articls "faster than we can correct" them. He wants me to "ban" him.
I don't think I can do that. Isn't it true that as a sysop I have neither the power nor the authority to ban a signed-in user?
Anyway, I don't see the urgency. The contributor in question isn't malicious; he's just annoying the hell out of RK and Slrubenstein with his POV. It's not like he's using a bot.
RK is very quick in his accusations of "vandalism", and in calling people "anti-Semitic". His aggressive use of emotional loaded language doesn't make it easy for people to behave in a reasonable manner and come to a peaceful resolution.
If anything, I'd like to see RK sanctioned for a week or two, so he can cool off, and understand how offensive many find his current behavior.
Jonathan
On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 02:26:06PM -0500, Poor, Edmund W wrote:
I've gotten some frantic "Talk" from RK claiming Ezra Wax is "vandalizing" the Wikipedia Judaism articls "faster than we can correct" them. He wants me to "ban" him.
I don't think I can do that. Isn't it true that as a sysop I have neither the power nor the authority to ban a signed-in user?
Anyway, I don't see the urgency. The contributor in question isn't malicious; he's just annoying the hell out of RK and Slrubenstein with his POV. It's not like he's using a bot.
In fact, I have just now read through the Ezra Wax changes, and RK's response to him. I feel that it is RK's over-blown rhetoric and accusations of "he's making up lies! he's proseletizing! he's making pro-X propaganda!" and proclamations that "We won't let you won't get away with this!" that has caused the fellow to increase his rate of editorship. He is trying to get what he sees as some balance into the Wiki articles on Judaism. RK dubs this sort of activity as "whitewashing", "lies", "propaganda", "polemics", and the like.
I really like the approach Ed Poor has been taking. Most people WANT to help make Wikipedia the best encyclopedia ever. With some gentle nudging, most people learn how to phrase what they say so that other people will consider it a real contribution.
RK's approach, on the other hand, is alienating people. But before it alienates them to the point of going away entirely, it sometimes causes huge edit wars, and in the heat of emotion, the new contributors aren't as careful about maintaining NPOV, since they know that RK will come along and delete their hard work anyway, instead of doing the proper thing, which is to incorporate the new material when revision for NPOV.
I wish you all well, and hope that we can all together encourage RK to modify his behavior to something more socially acceptable, that doesn't alienate everyone who doesn't share his unique views on religion.
Jonathan
On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 02:26:06PM -0500, Poor, Edmund W wrote:
I've gotten some frantic "Talk" from RK claiming Ezra Wax is "vandalizing" the Wikipedia Judaism articls "faster than we can correct" them. He wants me to "ban" him.
As someone who has tried to help Lir with calm suggestions, only to be met with extreme suspicion and hostility, I can't help but wonder: how much of that is due to her early mistreatment at the hands of RK and a few editors like him?
Jonathan
None at all. Her first posting was at Iowa State University, where she insisted on including a quote from a dean that was fabricated. Someone actually emailed the dean in question and replied back to the pedia that the dean denied having ever said what Lir claimed he had said, and when she was called on it, she replied that it was obvious that the dean was lying and insisted on keeping her quote on the page. Zoe Jonathan Walther krooger@debian.org wrote:On Thu, Oct 31, 2002 at 02:26:06PM -0500, Poor, Edmund W wrote:
I've gotten some frantic "Talk" from RK claiming Ezra Wax is "vandalizing" the Wikipedia Judaism articls "faster than we can correct" them. He wants me to "ban" him.
As someone who has tried to help Lir with calm suggestions, only to be met with extreme suspicion and hostility, I can't help but wonder: how much of that is due to her early mistreatment at the hands of RK and a few editors like him?
Jonathan
Poor, Edmund W wrote:
I don't think I can do that. Isn't it true that as a sysop I have neither the power nor the authority to ban a signed-in user?
That's right.
Anyway, I don't see the urgency. The contributor in question isn't malicious; he's just annoying the hell out of RK and Slrubenstein with his POV. It's not like he's using a bot.
RK and Slrubenstein are great contributors.
If the guy is not using a bot, then surely we can revert faster than he can type. It takes a few minutes to type anything, and only moments to revert. He'll quickly tire and go away.
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