[WikiEN-l] Personal attacks and low EQs

[Nathan J. Yoder]

> Calling
> somebody _a_ something implies that this person engages in this
> behaviour
> regularly, while saying "your behaviour here is something" does
> criticise only
> a behaviour at a certain place and time. 

That depends on the context, you shouldn't read implications outside
of context.

> Not to mention the fact that it is impossible to say the
> latter about
> any Wikipedian whom one does not personally know, and very well, too
> - because
> I doubt that there are any people who spend so much time on WP that
> their
> behaviour here, even if they were constantly lying (or doing anything
> else) on
> WP, would constitute most of _all_ behaviour they ever exhibit.

This is all the more reason to NOT assume that they're implying that
they're referring to that person lying all the time.  If the person
making the accusation doesn't know them, then if anything the
implication is that they're referring to being a liar just for that
incident.

Really, this is all just splitting hairs for the sake of protecting
thin skinned people.  This shouldn't become PCpedia, catering towards
people who are easily offended and read implications where there are
none is silly.

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Nathan J. Yoder
http://www.gummibears.nu/
http://www.gummibears.nu/files/njyoder_pgp.key
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