[WikiEN-l] Self-sensorship, how far should it go?

[Matthew Brown]

On 8/1/07, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> This is a problem that could be solved not by "appeasement", that
> loaded but meaningless term, but by a simple and pragmatic decision by
> a handful of [already-pseudonymous] users to stop editing for a few
> weeks and come back under another name. I don't care who you think
> "wins" if that happens - it's the best solution, inasmuch as it stops
> this vast amount of noise and disruption.

Unfortunately, this is not possible.  You can't easily come back to
Wikipedia under another name and not be recognized, if you're
recognizable, if people already know you and your writing style and
your interests and your behavior.

It's been tried over and again by people trying to escape their
reputation and start afresh, and it fails often enough that I must
conclude that it's not a winning strategy.

And if you disappear and come back under another name, it'll only add
gasoline to the flames in terms of conspiracy theorists.

-Matt