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

[Gwern Branwen]

Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 13:28:36 -0400
In-Reply-To: <C22C1FD3.2697%michaeldavid86 at comcast.net> (Marc Riddell's
	message of "Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:47:15 -0400")
Message-ID: <867it5b5bv.fsf at elan.rh.rit.edu>
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Marc Riddell <michaeldavid86 at comcast.net> writes:

> 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

That there's an article on him ([[Seth Finkelstein]]). I think 
he's also trying to follow up on Jaron Lanier's 'Wikipedia Is 
Communism^WDigital Maoism' thesis, particularly the personality 
cult accusation part.

-- 
Gwern
Inquiring minds want to know.