[WikiEN-l] a final word on Essjay

[Stephen Park]

On 3/4/07, Sam Blacketer <sam.blacketer at googlemail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Apart from a public lynching, what else do people want from him?
>
>
> The really depressing thing about the episode is that so many editors did
> seem to want a public lynching, and thought it would be for the good of us
> all. All it was was just a childish joke by Essjay when he first signed up,
> that ran away with him and only caught up when he was well-known enough to
> really harm him. Not to say that I approve of what he did but I do have
> immense sympathy for him.

Public lynchings are a regular feature of wikipedia. Just look at
WP/ANI and especially the method of having a community ban
(essentially a wikilynching) instead of a trial by ArbComm.