[Foundation-l] Can a wikimedia-b list be setup

[Jeffrey V. Merkey]

Ray Saintonge wrote:

>Jeff V. Merkey wrote:
>
>  
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>>I share with you my views and observations of the current "We" and where 
>>it should be opened to embrace
>>a broader view of humanity.
>>
>>There are three things that
>>motivate human beings I have always seen true in my 46 years on planet 
>>earth in career and life advancement.
>>
>>Knowledge, Power and Money.
>>
>>In business, anytime I ran across a person who was solely motivated by 
>>power and not money, I fired them
>>at the first opportunity. I did so because my experience has taught me 
>>that people who are motivated by power
>>and other intangible ideals are dangerous to organizations and 
>>collective efforts and will always put themselves
>>and their self-serving desires above the good of the whole. People who 
>>are motivated by money are very
>>predictable and easy to manage and are solid contributors to any 
>>organizations success. Their patterns
>>are inherently easy to anticipate and accomodate.
>>
>>    
>>
>The people who are motivated by power are especially dangerous to those 
>who already have the power. 
>
>Those motivated by "other intangible ideals" (i.e. ideologues) are not 
>self-serving.  They see their ideology as being for the good of the 
>whole, and will readily sacrifice themselves in order to have their 
>ideology prevail. They make great suicide bombers, but tend not to stay 
>in that business for very long.
>  
>
I put these people in the class of those motivated by the pursuit of 
pure knowledge.

>I agree about the money-motivated, but these are not the people that you 
>can count on for a lot of imagination.  The really bright ones become 
>MBAs where they can strive for the pinnacle of incompetence.  This 
>permits them to do an excellent job in the most complex of routine tasks.
>
>  
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>>By giving people the chance to express power over others with admin 
>>status, etc. a large majority of the current
>>community are in this first group and are there for the power and 
>>control aspect over Wikipedia's direction by
>>either oppressing others or combining into a cohesive front. There are 
>>also a lot of folks who are there solely
>>for the benefit of knowledge and increasing their skill. Almost none of 
>>the folks in the class motivated my money
>>are even present or represented. They exist outside of the community.
>>
>>    
>>
>The Wikipedia admins who most severly exercise power are little more 
>than drill sargeants who like everyone to march in step with all arms 
>swinging in unison to the same height.  They are motivated more by order 
>than by power. 
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Also true, but there are those I read about who go on rampages and have 
to be desysoped.

>  
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>>My observation of the community is that it is comprised of folks 
>>motivated by the pursuit of pure knowledge, and
>>those motivated by desire for power and to use it as a platform for 
>>various platforms. What I am talking about
>>is balancing its composition to embrace an element that is currently 
>>absent. An element to concert it into something
>>that will endure as an institution into the far future.
>>
>>    
>>
>Those motivated by knowledge or by altruism tend to pursue their goals 
>without considering how events around them influence their goals.  They 
>can be frustrated by the power games of the order freaks.  They will 
>listen to reason, and reconsider their views in the light of new 
>arguments.  They are most frustrated when opponents refuse to provide 
>reasonable arguments for their actions.
>  
>
That pretty much sums up my past frustrations when folks don't listen to 
reason.

Jeff

>Ec
>
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