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.