[WikiEN-l] Some Observations

[Chad]

List,

I wanted to say that I have been very disappointed. I realize this
post will probably elicit a lot of "Duhs" or "You expected
differently" type of responses, but I feel I must get my thoughts out
there. Recently, I took almost all of the Wikipedia: namespace off of
my watchlist. No more Administrator's noticeboard, no more requests
for arbitration, no more deletion discussions or policy battles, none
of that. I've been working on content and trying to just enjoy what
Wikipedia is about. I joined this list because I often heard
discussion referenced that I had not seen, and I decided to partake in
this, as I still care deeply for the Wikipedia community as a whole,
even though I am not editing project space. This list is supposed to
be the place of meta discussion for Enwiki, to settle disputes and to
discuss policy. Talk about the community and ways to improve it.
However, after posting a little (and reading a whole lot more), I
think it is painfully obvious:

This list does not serve the function it is intended to!

These threads are not about improving Wikipedia or how to handle
vandals. No (good) policy discussion is going on--sans BADSITES, which
everyone is really really sick of--and progress is not being made on
anything. Instead, this list is nothing more than a personal attack
forum and a avenue for trolls. Discussions are uncivil and countless
threads are debated and lead nowhere. The entire thing basically
reminds me of a gymnasium of elementary school kids, all trying to
yell and have it "their way" because only they know best. I've seen
quite a fair share of people on this list who are of the opinion that
they're right simply because of who they are. I'm here to tell you
that no one cares. The fact that you've been contributing since 1982
means nothing. To be perfectly honest, I have more faith in an anon
who makes a single typo fix than over half the people on this list. I
know my ranting will fall on deaf ears, and the bickering will
continue on and off-wiki just as it has and will continue to do so.

I will no longer be posting to this list. I will remain subscribed and
will read, hopefully one day seeing a community that appreciates the
good faith efforts of others, even if they disagree. Hopefully one day
this community will be able to accept criticism without immediately
dismissing it as trolling.  Hopefully one day this community will be
civil and courteous when discussing, and won't talk with such an air
of elitism. Hopefully one day this community will go back to what it
was designed to do: producing a free content encyclopedia, instead of
merely acting to perpetuate its existence. I invite you all today to
join me in editing the encyclopedia. Pick an article, make it
something you're interested in. Improve the article. If it doesn't
exist, make it! Find sources! Clean up disambigs and excessive
external links. Format, copyedit, write. Do what we're all supposedly
here to do.

I'm going to edit now, will you join me?

-Chad H.