Philip Welch wrote:
We're not hunting down newbies and forcing them to
participate in
deletion discussions. Deletion discussions take place within the
Wikipedia community, and like any community we have our jargon.
The risk is too high that if they knew about these discussions they
might have a different opinion.
If someone wants to join that community, they have to
learn the
jargon. Even the most welcoming communities work this way.
Yes, communities do have their jargon, but a welcoming community helps
guide the newbie through the jargon. In the absence of a welcome they
just go away.
Is it offensive to call it "cruft"? No [more]
offensive than
vouching for
its deletion. I guess we should abolish deletion for the same reason
saying "cruft" should be a thoughtcrime.
Yes, it's offensive. The term does matter, as a term carries
connotations that a simple act does not.
Again, what connotations does "cruft" carry other than something
being low-quality or otherwise worthy of deletion?
The connotation that anything contributed by the person who put the
material there is worthless.
Ec