jayjg wrote:
Joe was a multiple sockpuppeteer who was indefinitely banned long ago by the Arbcom for linking to attack sites. I happened to be one of the Arbcom members involved in that decision. I'm sure his current level of vitriol has nothing whatsoever to do with those facts, and everything to do with his love for Wikipedia.
As for Sheldon? I would imagine his interests lie with SourceWatch.
Ok.
Presuming for the moment that they are bad people who want to hurt Wikipedia, I now understand even less why you wanted to have a long on-list discussion with them, especially given the way you said you aren't advocating any particular position on the topic.
The storm has apparently passed, and thanks for aiding that. But next time you suspect people are participating in bad faith, perhaps you should just let their posts flow on by. If they are trolling, then there's no reason to feed them. And if they aren't, then mutual suspicion can easily cause things to escalate out of control. Either way, I don't think it helps you or the bystanders much.
Thanks,