[WikiEN-l] Userboxes: A rational proposal

[John Lee]

Steve Summit wrote:

>Fred Bauder wrote:
>  
>
>>The question I have is how can we establish a workable procedure to  
>>delete destructive user boxes, one that doesn't generate a lot of  
>>conflict and wheelwarring. AND make it vary clear that  userboxes  
>>which just express opinions are perfectly acceptable...
>>...I like to not have to worry about things going wrong there.
>>    
>>
>
>Even before establishing that workable procedure, I think there
>needs to be more consideration of whether we truly want such a
>procedure.  Jimbo's informal wish that people voluntarily remove
>divisive and polemic userboxes doesn't seem to have done much to
>defuse the current situation, but the initial few rounds of
>deletions certainly haven't, either.
>
>At the very least, we need a clearer consensus on what a truly
>"destructive" user box is, so that we don't have people speedily
>deleting, say, the UDUIW one.
>  
>
I've already clarified my stance on this on the talk page for [[WP:CSD]] 
(yes, I'm the Commienazi who deleted the UDUIW userbox): I couldn't care 
less about political userboxes. Whether those go or stay, it matters 
little to me. What concerns me is the existence of userboxes and 
categories that exist solely for the purpose of factionalism. To me, the 
UDUIW stuff fits that definition to a tee, splitting Wikipedians into 
"us and them". Ideological userboxes (i.e. "This user trusts Jimbo") are 
arguably factionalist, but not blatantly so, as evidenced by the split 
in the community over polemical userboxes. However, the only argument 
put up for keeping userboxes like UDUIW I have seen is "T1 doesn't apply 
in userspace, undelete and kick that fascist Johnleemk in the balls!" If 
Jimbo won't make a *clear* and final stand on polemical userboxes 
(something I wouldn't blame him for not doing), the least he could do is 
make such a stand on blatantly factionalist ones.

John