[WikiEN-l] Wheel warring

[Jesse W]

On Feb 6, 2006, at 10:41 PM, Guettarda wrote:
> On 2/7/06, Peter Mackay <peter.mackay at bigpond.com> wrote:
>>> From: wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org
>>> [mailto:wikien-l-bounces at Wikipedia.org] On Behalf Of Guettarda
>>
>>> This whole mess has left me feeling bruised and shocked, and
>>> rethinking my role here.  If El C and Carbonite leave we have
>>> lost a lot more than can be counted in them just as
>>> individuals.  El C, for one, made this place fun, and if you
>>> aren't having fun there is not reason to stick around.
>>
>> Are we here to have fun or to write an encyclopaedia?
>
> Actually, to have fun.  We are unpaid volunteers.  This is a hobby.  
> If it
> isn't fun, if it isn't enjoyable, then there is no reason to stick 
> around
> and no way to build this encyclopaedia.
> No fun, no community = no encyclopaedia.
Actually, that's not *exactly* true; no community = no changes to the 
encyclopedia.  It's free content.  The mirrors aren't going anywhere; 
the various full(i.e. including history) dumps aren't going anywhere.  
This is a point that needs to be remembered.  We are * making more 
encyclopedic free content * , that's all.

It certainly needs to be rewarding, or the community will leave - but 
fun is hardly the only form of reward that people can have.  
Achievement, social recognition, physical stimulation, all of these are 
forms of reward. (Not that Wikipedia provides much in the way of 
pleasurable physical stimulation, but let's not go there...)

Jesse Weinstein