[Foundation-l] [EWW] Edit Wikipedia Week

[Christiano Moreschi]

Bah, it's not that hard. You wouldn't have this dilemma if you did things with even passing competence. You don't, so when you fess up we scream at you because, despite our manifest folly, we really could have done a better job. Take these bloody fundraising banners, so widely mocked. Nobody saw them before they were unveiled, but we didn't need to do so - if they'd been, say, done professionally by a firm that specialises in these things (as was done - very basic example - for the London Olympics 2012, and as is done for mostly everything else in the real world). We need have no say in these matters - except we feel that we should when things are done so badly, because we could do better (of course, if matters were being handled competently, we wouldn't have to feel this way).

Another little illusion here we might as well dispense with ASAP - the notion of "community consensus". The WMF community is far too big to come to consensus about anything, also true for enwiki. WP has never been run by community consensus. It used to be run by Jimbo. Then the first admins took over. Then they retreated to their own private alcove, and haven't ever returned into the full public gaze - but now their control is slipping. God knows what happens next. Paralysis? It even took Jimbo to shove through such very obvious polices as BLP and 3RR - community consensus is a polite fraud, a useful lie. But it's utter fiction.

Basically, you rule. You are the masters. We are the slaves. You dictate, we obey. This is the natural order of things. Sometimes, such as in the case of stable versions, you may need to act against our wishes - give us our healthful medicine, even though it tastes like muck. For the most part, though, it's very simple. Rule with competence and efficiency, don't come up with silly ideas like this Edit Wikipedia Week, and we slaves will obey. Happily. Slaves only rebel against foolish leaders.

CM


Odi profanum vulgus et arceo.

> Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:15:16 +0100
> From: notafishz at gmail.com
> To: foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] [EWW] Edit Wikipedia Week
> 
> On Nov 20, 2007 5:01 PM, Brian McNeil <brian.mcneil at wikinewsie.org> wrote:
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > We don't need pleas for help would be my closing message, we need ideas like
> > postering your local area saying "Invade Starbucks on 42nd street on
> > December 3rd through 8th and discover how you can contribute to Wikipedia".
> > If you and a couple of other wiki people can go along in shifts wearing your
> > cafepress WMF attire you can also try and persuade the management to put up
> > posters. Just don't drink too much coffee.
> 
> Leaving aside the intrinsic validity of the actuall EWW, I find your
> intervention quite interesting to say the least.
> 
> What I understand from *your* plea is that unless the project is all
> finished and ready to go, there is no point in asking the community on
> this list about idas to further it and make it work. Interesting,
> indeed.
> 
> I have heard so much of the contrary "the community has not been
> consulted" whenever anyone tries to launch something that I have to
> say... as a person who works for the Foundation and operates in the
> organisational realm, I am damned if I know what the "community"
> really ever wants. When we do something on our own, we haven't asked
> for input and when we ask for help, we  should really have thought
> this through.
> 
> Mildly frustrating, I would say. :-)
> 
> Delphine
> -- 
> ~notafish
> 
> NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails sent
> to this address will get lost. Please use my wikimedia.org address.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: http://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l

_________________________________________________________________
100’s of Music vouchers to be won with MSN Music
https://www.musicmashup.co.uk