Can anyone think how to rephrase this better? Would it actually get through to anyone who needs to hear it?
(I eagerly await all the people saying I should read what I wrote.)
==== Cultural expectations
These are the things we do that aren't actually codified. The feel of the project. The social structure. This stuff is process too, but if you contradict it you'll really upset people. Breaking a rule is just breaking a rule; but breaking a cultural expectation is breaking people's basic assumptions about the fabric of this small world of ours. And upset volunteers fade away.
If you think you're keeping to the fundamental rules and the sensible processes but repeatedly upset people in the same way, your approach is ineffective. If you are in fact right, and cultural expectations are getting in the way of writing the encyclopedia, you've got a hard job ahead of you changing them. But that's the trouble with vision. ====
- d.
I don't know what the prompt to write this was, but it was relevant recently on commons.
It's a damn, damn hard thing to help people see their own cultural assumptions, and to be constantly aware of your own.
Brianna user:pfctdayelise
On 30/09/06, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Can anyone think how to rephrase this better? Would it actually get through to anyone who needs to hear it?
(I eagerly await all the people saying I should read what I wrote.)
==== Cultural expectations
These are the things we do that aren't actually codified. The feel of the project. The social structure. This stuff is process too, but if you contradict it you'll really upset people. Breaking a rule is just breaking a rule; but breaking a cultural expectation is breaking people's basic assumptions about the fabric of this small world of ours. And upset volunteers fade away.
If you think you're keeping to the fundamental rules and the sensible processes but repeatedly upset people in the same way, your approach is ineffective. If you are in fact right, and cultural expectations are getting in the way of writing the encyclopedia, you've got a hard job ahead of you changing them. But that's the trouble with vision. ====
- d.
Wikipedia-l mailing list Wikipedia-l@Wikimedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikipedia-l
On 30/09/06, Brianna Laugher brianna.laugher@gmail.com wrote:
I don't know what the prompt to write this was, but it was relevant recently on commons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Practical_process
It's a damn, damn hard thing to help people see their own cultural assumptions, and to be constantly aware of your own.
- d.
David Gerard wrote:
Can anyone think how to rephrase this better? Would it actually get through to anyone who needs to hear it?
(I eagerly await all the people saying I should read what I wrote.)
==== Cultural expectations
These are the things we do that aren't actually codified. The feel of the project. The social structure. This stuff is process too, but if you contradict it you'll really upset people. Breaking a rule is just breaking a rule; but breaking a cultural expectation is breaking people's basic assumptions about the fabric of this small world of ours. And upset volunteers fade away.
If you think you're keeping to the fundamental rules and the sensible processes but repeatedly upset people in the same way, your approach is ineffective. If you are in fact right, and cultural expectations are getting in the way of writing the encyclopedia, you've got a hard job ahead of you changing them. But that's the trouble with vision.
Regretably, those who most desparately need to understand this, are the ones least capable of it. For them it needs to be put in the form of a rule, often one with punitive consequences for failure to adhere to it. Perhaps being blocked for upsetting some number of people in the same way despite being technically correct according to the literal rules.
Vision is great, but it requires being able to see beyond the rules. It requires being able to see where the rules are likely to interfere with the mission.
Ec
On 04/10/06, Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net wrote:
Regretably, those who most desparately need to understand this, are the ones least capable of it. For them it needs to be put in the form of a rule, often one with punitive consequences for failure to adhere to it. Perhaps being blocked for upsetting some number of people in the same way despite being technically correct according to the literal rules.
It was written for them as well. "Gosh darn it, you must be blocked because we're just too stupid."
- d.
wikipedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org