[WikiEN-l] Jimbo and his strategy

[Jimmy Wales]

Philip Welch wrote:
> I think his argument, (and if it isn't, it's possibly a stronger  
> argument), is that it's not up to certain un-named admins to delete  
> userboxes on Jimbo's behalf, based only on their interpretation of  
> Jimbo's statements on the issue, because if Jimbo really wanted  
> userboxes to go he'd say so.

I want people to ask slowly and thoughtfully with deep respect for
others, even others with whom they disagree.  As far as I can tell,
there is a strong consensus that having various sorts of advocacy
userboxes is problematic, especially when they are promoted in the
Wikipedia namespace as if they are a normal and proper part of Wikipedia
culture.  The question is: how do we transition to a better state of
affairs while respecting people's legitimate concerns about
individuality and so on?

I think it is somewhat problematic to have users pasting bits of cruft
on their userpage which make them seem to be engaged in Wikipedia as
activists for a particular POV.  I think users should realize that
having that sort of cruft on their userpage will quite rightly diminish
other people's respect for you and your work.  But, whatever, if people
want to do it, I see no reason to get absolutely draconian about it.

However.

The current situation with these things being in the main Template
namespace, and promoted as if healthy and normal in the Wikipedia
namespace, is that they are damaging to our culture.  They are
attracting the wrong sort of people, and giving newcomers the wrong idea
of what it means to be a Wikipedian.

That's why they need to go.  Not to censor people's self-expression, but
to make it clear that _as a whole_ the community considers these things
to be divisive and inappropriate.

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