[WikiEN-l] Us and Them (was JzG's Bannning of...)

[Alec Conroy]

Matt wrote:
>Personally, if Mongo or Guy chose to create a contentious-site-issues
>alternate account, I would disapprove of it just as strongly.  There
>has been frankly much too much of this recently.
>
>I know this is taking one point out of your larger context and not
>answering the rest, but the rest requires a more considered answer, I
>believe.

No, I appreciate you saying that, and I don't mean to make too big a
deal out of this whole "Us vs Them" issue.  Every participant in every
dispute since the beginning of time has felt like "My side is being
treated unfairly, whereas the other side is getting away with
wrongdoing"   It happens in elementary school, it happens in blended
families..   In journalism, it's called the  Hostile media effect,
where partisans on both sides of an issue are simultaneouly convinced
the journalists are biased against them.

So, maybe that's all it is.  I just wanted to share my subjective
experience with the community.   The world is full of illusions, and
no evil cabal or conspiracy is necessary to explain my feelings that
Guy, Mongo, et al can be bullies with impugnity, while the slightest
transgression on PM's part instantly meets with instant retribution.
You generally  can't trust your own impressions when you're in the
middle of these things-- you just have to report how you're feeling,
and trust the larger community to see if there's truth behind your
words.


---

One thing I am sure about, however, is that a few bad apples have
resorted to the regular use of vicious personal attacks, rumors, and
allegations in order to discredit the libertarian side of the BADSITES
dispute, and I great would welcome any help in changing that, as it
does take its toll on people.   It's not a cooincidence that PM had to
create a sock puppet.  I get emails from people saying they silently
agree with me, but don't want to speak out for fear of being flamed
out of existence.   And that shouldn't happen on something as
beautiful as Wikipedia.

Alec