On 8/21/06, David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com wrote:
Yeah. The problem comes when people write what should be editorial guidelines as if they are didactic instruction. The only purpose this serves is if you want to use it as a stick to beat people down afterwards - it makes it completely useless as an actual editorial guideline. There was a lot of this during the writing of WP:LIVING and it keeps creeping back. Because it's easier to lecture people than trust them, or something. The fallacy is the instruction creep fallacy, that if you write something down people will do it.
If you write something people, people will *do* it - as long as they're the people who came to you looking for instructions. Compare:
John: How should I clean the kitchen? I've never done it before. Mary: Start with the benchtops, then the stove, clean under the microwave, the fridge, then do the floors last.
with: Steve: Hey, you want me to clean the kitchen? Mary: Sure. Start with the benchtops, then the stove, clean under the microwave, the fridge, then do the floors last. Steve: Fuck off.
(I think that example pretty much explains everything)
Steve