[WikiEN-l] More about PR firms

[Erik Moeller]

On 8/22/06, Erik Moeller <eloquence at gmail.com> wrote:
> When too much hard enforcement is used in an open
> wiki, it often breeds an atmosphere of suspicion, as sock puppetry is
> difficult to detect and the rules become more difficult to implement.

I should also add that, once a user has decided to "become a sock
puppet", they will then also often feel no longer any obligation to
follow _any_ rules or processes of the community, except in the
interest of avoiding detection and punishment. A user who, in
Gregory's words, is branded a "criminal" does not have much respect
for policy.

On the other hand, if we allow someone like MyWikiBiz to submit
articles through an open process, it will be hard for them to cry foul
when a fluff piece is turned into a factual article incorporating
criticism.

The WP:COI page is perhaps a bit poorly structured. It is really a
process of article submission from interested parties. This is
something, I think, we should encourage, and ideally facilitate
through our own web services, community and policies, rather than
externalizing it in ways which are difficult to track.

Wikipedia has a tradition of soft responses to slightly harmful
behavior, which I believe to be the only appropriate strategy in a
technically open environment. If we required a real world ID and
background check on everyone ever editing Wikipedia, that might be
different.
-- 
Peace & Love,
Erik