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

[jayjg]

On 8/2/07, Matthew Brown <morven at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

Indeed; I can think of at least a half-dozen off the top of my head
who have tried and failed. And it especially doesn't work if you have
a pack of obsessive Wikipedia-watchers hovering in the sidelines
trying to foil any such attempt.