[WikiEN-l] Moderation on this mailing list

[George Herbert]

On 2/23/07, Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:
> Marc Riddell wrote:
>
> >on 2/23/07 12:26 PM, Ray Saintonge wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Until we can find a way to deal seriously and severely with the
> >>behaviours that Parker mentioned we cannot hope to build the
> >>collaborative community that most of us profess to support.  Those of us
> >>who have invested serious amounts of time in these projects, and have
> >>thought deeply about its underlying principles despair just as much over
> >>the actions of the petty tyrants as over the actions of the vandals.
> >>
> >>
> >There are ways to solve the problems you present to. Companies and other
> >organizations are recognizing, confronting and dealing with them every day.
> >
> >But, in the context of Wikipedia, this is a tough one. You and I and others
> >in this Community can identify the problems, commiserate, gnash our teeth,
> >and go through countless other fruitless gyrations. But without the power to
> >make change ­ nothing can or will. Unless change is recognized as needed -
> >and mandated - by those with the ability to do so ­ nothing can happen. We
> >need leadership (with teeth).
> >
> All we get from gnashing our teeth is broken dentures. :-(
>
> Profit-making companies have some tools that we don't have, notably
> control over salary.
>
> Acknowledging leadership is difficult in a community brought together
> because it is such a collection of individuals.  The individuality is
> needed to keep the project innovative.  Acknowledging leadership means
> giving up a little power for the greater good, but that requires trust.
> The world around us gives us cause to not trust any kind of leadership.
>
> Ec

It's not quite that bad - volunteer organizations work like this all the time.

Wikipedia is very young, evolving very fast, and virtual (not people
meeting and working in real life together), all of which make it
harder.

But things do work out.


-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com