[WikiEN-l] User:UBX

[Cheney Shill]

Jeremy Cushman <mets501wiki at gmail.com> wrote:

> migrating basically all
> userboxes which cannot directly help the project, and
> keeping ones such as
> languages, education level and expertise, WikiProject
> affiliations, time
> zones, locations, and a few others?  Should a userbox
> like "This user was a
> boy scout" really not be migrated?

I was going to let this go, but then the Essjay New Yorker
situation popped up.  So, as a good wikipedia article
should do, summarize at the top:

1. All user boxes that can't be verified internally should
be migrated.
2. Add a clear, very visible, and short disclaimer at the
top of every user page that summarizes:  nothing on the
page has been verified to be true or have anything to do
with the encyclopedia - it can not be trusted.  Users,
including admins, can and do claim anything.

Analysis & review:

This user was a girl scout
This user was a black belt
This user was a highschool basketball starter
This user was a little league player
And this little user was a Ms. America contestant

If it were up to me, I'd only include those that can be
verified AND do directly have some impact.  Then the next
question is what are you actually willing and have the
resources to verify?  Can you really follow-up on everyone
who decides to claim they're a PHD?  Maybe.  A college
grad?  Good luck.

You can quickly confirm what people have done and
contributed to internally and award them the boxes
accordingly.

If they want to claim a time zone, who cares.  Live in
whatever time you like.  A location?  You can test language
online, but that won't help you verify if someone is
actually living anywhere and what are you going to do, send
out the Wikipedia census crew?

The problem with userboxes in general is that they add a
sense of authority simply by standing out and having
formatting that is hard to achieve otherwise, like a seal
on a paper document.  This goes to the weight part of the
policy in NPOV.


~~Pro-Lick
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/User:Halliburton_Shill 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Pro-Lick 
http://www.wikiality.com/User:Pro-Lick (now a Wikia supported site)


--spam may follow--


 
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