[Gendergap] Meta: Don't be a dick

[Fred Bauder]

That essay is as close to policy as any essay can get. Basically, it
means that if you are constantly upsetting other people by engaging in
gratuitous aggressiveness you're bad news even if you are always "right".

It could be titled, "Don't be a cunt", or Don't be an asshole" without
changing its essential meaning.

Feel free to suggest a new title and revise the article accordingly.
We've used that expression for a long time, but I don't think there is
any good reason to not change it. However, the title needs to be both
descriptive and memorable; as I say, it's pretty much policy and users
have been banned on that basis. This sort of character is familiar in
life:

Behold the Pale Horse. And the man who sat upon him was Death. And Hell
followed after...

Fred

> Now here’s something. As soon as I saw it, I thought “This belongs in
> the Gendergap Digest!” It is a Meta essay called “Don’t be a
> Dick”. I know that many people will rally for or against it, but before
> we do, we have to do four things:
>
> 1. Read the essay at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_be_a_dick. It
> isn’t that profane. Also read the disclaimer “This is an essay. It
> expresses the opinions and ideas of some wikimedians or Meta-Wiki users
> but may not have wide support. This is not policy on the Meta-Wiki, but
> it may be policy or guideline on other Wikimedia projects. Feel free to
> update this page as needed, or use the discussion page to propose major
> changes.”
> 2. Realize that this essay uses a vulgar, yet not excessively profane,
> casual line of speech that is inherently manly. Women might not like
> that.
> 3. Wikipedia is supposed to be a melding of knowledge and opinions.
> 4. Wikipedia and its sister projects advise against personal attacks (yet
> this deals with being attacked, or accused of being a dick and politely
> dealing with a dick).
> 5. Wikipedia and its sister projects advise against removing content for
> the benefit of any group, no matter how large or powerful (the only
> exception is hardcore pornography).
>
> Considering these four things, I believe that the best course of action
> is to read a lot of essays. They are often the opinion of one or a few
> editors.Reading the opinions of many people can help broaden your mind,
> even if it is a little vulgar. Take it with a little salt. They didn’t
> say something like “If you’re a dick, I will f***ing blank your p***y
> c** page because you’re a sl***y b****y c*** who I hope gets raped by a
> b***h p***y n****r every day because you’re a dick!”
>
> Finally, I hope that using the word “dick” in this entry has been
> excused. I believe that this can be seen offensive to both men and women,
> but mostly women. But, I believe that if “Don’t be a dick” inspires
> anyone to leave Wikipedia or its sister projects, that person shouldn’t
> have even been on Wikipedia in the first place. Wikipedia is supposed to
> be a melding of opinions. As this is an essay and not an article, it is
> supposed to be a place for exclusively
> opinion._______________________________________________
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