[WikiEN-l] Just what *is* Jimbo's role anyway? - personality cult

[Marc Riddell]

on 3/25/07 12:11 PM, Seth Finkelstein at sethf at sethf.com wrote:

>> Jimmy Wales
>> Oh, he is talking about how I manipulate and control people in the cult
>> through an environment of... well, it isn't intimidation and fear I
>> think we all agree... it's manipulation and control through... uh...
>> being mostly friendly and trying to see the best in everyone, ...
> 
> "It's called a confidence game. Why? Because you give me your
> confidence? No. Because I give you mine." -- _House Of Cards_
> 
> [This quote is meant to illustrate manipulation via positive versus
> negative emotion, not to say Wikipedia is _per se_ a confidence game.]
> [This is why this discussion can be overly tedious, every major point
> has to be carefully protected against tendentious reading]
> 
> Strawman #1 in this discussion, repeated several times now:
> 
> 1) Assume all cults work only by hate and fear
> 2) Assume Wikipedia is filled only with love and happiness
> [Bang! Pow! Down goes the strawman!]
> 3) How silly it is for anyone to speak of the good Wikipedia like the bad
> cults

I guess I came late to the party, or haven't been paying attention, or -
something. What is you basic beef, Seth?

Marc Riddell