[Foundation-l] A Civil Wiki (was: Increased incivility at wikinews [en]

[Marc Riddell]

> On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 10:58 AM, Marc Riddell
> <michaeldavid86 at comcast.net>wrote:
> 
>> [snip]
>> With that in mind, I am proposing the following:
>> 
>> A guideline (or "rule" if you want) stating, Do not make any statement in a
>> discussion that does not contribute constructively towards the advancement
>> of that discussion. And that, any statement found in a discussion by
>> another
>> reader of that discussion that does not contribute constructively towards
>> the advancement of that discussion be challenged immediately, openly and
>> directly.
>> 
>> This will take time, patience, and probably involve a bit of controversy.
>> But with this very clear, direct approach a culture will be created. A
>> culture of fairness and civility that will be the signature culture of the
>> Wikipedia Project.
>> 
>> Thoughts?
>> 
>> Marc Riddell
>> 
on 2/6/09 11:33 AM, Chad at innocentkiller at gmail.com wrote:
> 
> It will never work. What's constructive? Who decides what's constructive?
> Is calling someone a troll constructive? What if they really are trolling?
> Is it constructive when I repeat a point I've already made? What if you just
> disagree with me, could you then challenge my points as being non-
> constructive since they aren't right?
> 
> Such a system requires common sense. We wouldn't be in this mess if
> people had common sense to begin with.
> 
"It will never work." ? That's a pretty solid wall you've put up, Chad.

The key phrase in your message is "common sense". And I don't believe the
term "constructive" needs to be endlessly defined here. This is a
collaboration and not a court of law. I believe the majority of editors in
the Project possess enough of a sense to be able to determine whether a
statement is constructive, i.e., helps build upon what's been said toward a
reasonable conclusion and one that serves only to be an obstacle, a
distraction to that construction. I am asking reasonable, intelligent
persons to make reasonably intelligent judgments here. I believe we are
capable of that.

As for "calling someone a troll"; we shouldn't be calling anyone anything.

Marc