[WikiEN-l] Accountability: bringing back a proposal I made nearly 2 years ago

[The Cunctator]

On 3/7/07, Sheldon Rampton <sheldon at prwatch.org> wrote:
>
> On Mar 7, 2007, at 6:18 PM, wikien-l-request at lists.wikimedia.org wrote:
>
> > It is clear the WP culture needs work, care, and nurturing. But I
> > still do
> > not believe this can be accomplished by creating more RULES.
>
> Are you kidding? The entire Wikipedia community only exists BECAUSE
> of rules. Some of them look like the 3 revert rule, and some of them
> look like this:
>
> $wgAllowExternalImages = true;
>
> Rules are how a community formalizes its understanding of how members
> should behave within it. It's a much better way of shaping a culture
> than arbitrary mob action or arbitrary, case-by-case orders from some
> dictator. What's your alternative?



As you indicate, there are different kinds of rules.  Lessig has explicated
a lot of the differences and how they affect communities differently.
Sometimes computer code is best suited; sometimes explicit rules are best;
sometimes cultural norms are best.