[WikiEN-l] An open letter to Jimmy Wales

[George Herbert]

On Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 4:24 PM, Larry Sanger
<sanger-lists at citizendium.org>wrote:

> David Gerard said:
> > > Moreover, I assert that it is my right to raise hell not
> > only on this
> > > list, but also on Jimmy Wales' user talk page--if this is really an
> > > open, transparent, democratic project devoted to free speech.
> >
> >
> > It isn't the last two of those things. You need to reread
> > "What Wikiipedia Is Not":
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:NOT
>
> It certainly has changed since I wrote it.
>
> It looks as if you're trying to imply Wikipedia is not devoted to free
> speech, even in discussions about the community--even in discussions about
> the roles and public behavior of the most prominent representative of the
> community.  Perhaps you need to rethink what you're trying to say, David.
>
> > This list is not a free ranting green ink zone.
>
> I resent the implication, David, that I am "ranting."  I am not.


Wikipedia is not and should not be:
* A battleground on which to fight external conflicts
* A primary source
* A social website or discussion board

Wikipedia is:
* An encyclopedia

What you are saying falls into the first categories and not the last.

It's about the project, in a sense, regarding the history of it.  But it's
an aspect of the history that the rest of us were not there for, and which
does not bear on anything significant for the project going forwards.

Trying to use the encyclopedia project, its people and project mailing
lists, to fight a personal vendetta is blatant disregard for the
encyclopedia project.  It's insulting to us and the project.

You could be right on the facts.  I don't have any knowledge either way.
But even if you are, this is not the place for it, and your approach here
was improper and abusive to the project.  It has not helped your reputation,
has not helped clear up the history, has not helped the encyclopedia in any
way.

Please take this somewhere else.


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