[WikiEN-l] Some Restrictions May Apply

[Christopher Mahan]

--- Denni <dwindrim at shaw.ca> wrote:
> I do not want anyone to be denied the opportunity to participate in
> Wikipedia to its fullest extent, except for three groups of people:
> the
> presently banned, anons, and newbies (he said, seeing keyboards
> around
> the planet ignite spontaneously).

Anon, in general, do not bother me. I am an anon at times. It helps
me gauge the response of active sysops.
Newbies do not bother me either. They are like teens trying to figure
sex out. 


> I have no great sympathy for most of those banned; while mistakes
> happen, MNH and friends are "away" for good reason. However, anons
> and
> newbies have, as a group, no less ability to create havoc.

People are banned for various reasons. Just because a user is banned
does not mean they are worthless. They may have heated up too much in
 the wrong situation. 

> I come at this as remembering my own first days here - trying to
> find my
> way around, trying to navigate what appeared to be darkness,
> editing a
> bit here and a bit there until I had the nerve to do my own
> userpage or
> submit a small article (can't remember which came first). Yes, I
> screwed
> up, not through bad intent, but through ignorance, and posted a
> couple
> of articles that got me leapt upon by irate sysops.

That fumbling around in the dark is hopefully now better addressed.
Perhaps there should be a sysop "Guided tour" feature.


> There are also
> those
> "anons" who are only anonymous to us. They know who they're dealing
> with, and sock puppetry is the least of their bad manners
> sometimes.

> I put forward as a suggestion that newbie and anon postings be
> screened...

And who monitors the screeners? And define newbie. And define anon.
Someone who comes for ten minutes per month will be a newbie for a
very long time. Jimbo may be a anon.

> While this does not negate Wikipedia's promise of being
> able
> to "edit this page right now", it does add the caveat that the edit
> may
> not be immediately visible.

That would not be good. The very idea of transparency and immediacy
is highly critical to the W's success.

> VfD has a big group of vigilant eyes, myself among them. But if I
> could
> be of help in screening anon vandals, and helping newbies find the
> right
> way, I'd sure rather spend my time on such a page. I propose this
> to the
> powers that be for consideration.

I propose the opposite: that the powers that be not spend any time on
this. Rather, newbies need better help. 

Heck, publiching a hardcopy Wikipedia Guide would go far to alleviate
newbieism.

 


=====
Chris Mahan
818.943.1850 cell
chris_mahan at yahoo.com
chris.mahan at gmail.com
http://www.christophermahan.com/


		
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