[WikiEN-l] WP:DENY is a steaming pile of crap.

[George Herbert]

On Nov 7, 2007 6:46 PM, Daniel R. Tobias <dan at tobias.name> wrote:

> On 8 Nov 2007 09:38:35 +1100, "Steve Bennett" <stevagewp at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > 3. Once a person with sufficient wisdom and
> > authority has deemed that a person is a troll, THEY ARE A TROLL. No
> > more time should be wasted on them.
>
> That sounds a lot like the Orwellian "Unperson", or Scientology
> "Suppressive Person", concepts, and can be really unfair to people
> who are unjustly labeled this way.  Didn't an early version of WP:NPA
> specifically say that labeling somebody a "troll" was an
> impermissible personal attack?  The Wikipedia culture has changed
> since then, and not necessarily for the better.
>
>
> --
> == Dan ==
>

I think there's been a maturing acknowledgement by the community that, in
truth, some people are not here to build an encyclopedia, or even talk about
building an encyclopedia or talk to people who are building an encyclopedia.

Some people really are here just to cause trouble and annoy others.

Some people just get off on that.

A zero-tolerance policy for such people is a common feature of online
communities, though some put up with them.

The problem is, telling the difference between someone who IS here to build
an encyclopedia or talk about building an encyclopedia, who is merely
abrasive or unusually persistent or moderately clueless or on the wrong side
of a very aggrivated community discussion.

I have no worries that any bans of actual trolls are a problem for the
encyclopedia.  I do worry about false positives in the ID process.  I do
worry about those who are for some reason or another very frustrated and
wish to expand the definition of troll in subtle ways.

There are also those who end up being not trolls, but disruptive enough that
sanctions need to be taken.  Labeling these people trolls happens, but is
unfortunate, as these are people who have good faith in the project and who
may be able to work with the community successfully in the future.


-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com