[WikiEN-l] Admins shouldn't shoot back

[Ray Saintonge]

The Mangoe wrote:

>On 6/25/07, Ray Saintonge <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:
>  
>
>>The issue of editors who don't have a clue about the topic can be a
>>problem, but one which is distinct from having no clue about the
>>project.  The risk here is for a project to so protect its way of doing
>>things that it becomes authoritarian.  While we cannot accept every
>>piece of idiocy that is added to an article, we still need to make room
>>for new ideas, and, even more importantly, newcomers need to feel
>>welcome and a part of the decision making process.
>>    
>>
>This is much in accordance with what I am inadequately expressing. A
>couple of times here people have used "assume good faith" not in cause
>of civility, but in what amounts to making statements about human
>nature. In that wise we cannot afford it; a more realistic level of
>pessimism is called for.
>
"Assume good faith" has a very broad application., but like any 
assumption is rebuttable.  Statements about human nature are subject to 
the assumption as much as any other.  Many such statements reflect the 
culture that a person comes from.  Something that is perfectly 
acceptable in one person's culture can sound outrageous in another.  
People use words differently as a recent discussion over the word 
"menial" showed; the derogatory overtones are only there in US usages of 
the word. 

Assuming good faith requires that we attempt to understand where the 
speaker is coming from before taking ooffence to his comments.

Ec