On 2/4/11, Fred Bauder fredbaud@fairpoint.net wrote:
To me the obvious answer is keep your head and support others, all the more so when the going gets rough.
Fred
That doesn't seem like the obvious answer to me; to me the obvious answer is to stay the (heck) away. Why would anyone deliberately stick around for this? I can't think of any remotely rational reason why any remotely rational person would do that. I think I've kept my head and supported others, all along, but that hasn't changed the situation; nothing I could do myself would change this situation one iota. If people are polite and congenial and supportive, as I have been, if people are rude and insulting, as some others have been who have fought this battle much longer than I and have grown weary and frustrated, the situation remains the same either way; it's not the behavior of neutral editors that is causing the problem I've encountered.
I came to this list to explain why I don't edit Wikipedia, because I (apparently mistakenly) thought someone here might honestly want to know why one woman has chosen not to edit Wikipedia, but so far mainly what I've got is responses that seem to be suggesting that I'm causing the problem myself somehow-- a problem that's caused, not by me, but by the failure of Wikipedia governance structures to address in any meaningful way the problem of tendentious editing in the service of an agenda-- and that if I would just (fill in the blank with random Wikipedia slogans about being a better Wikipedia editor) then all would be well. It's not true.
Woonpton
Battling ignorance is rational. Raising a small army, as we have, to battle ignorance is also rational.
There is stereotype involved here, as demonstrated in the film High Noon: a brave man fighting evil, a woman who deserts him.
I don't think the stereotype is valid, but having experience with my mother, who was easily intimidated, I know there is some truth to it.
With respect to your experience, as I said, I share it, and have given up from time to time on Wikipedia when it seemed that the ignorant and aggressive were getting the upper hand.
Fred