-----Original Message----- From: Anthony wikimail@inbox.org To: wjhonson@aol.com; wikien-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 7:20 pm Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] Citizendium
"All Citizens are required to maintain biographies on their userpages. Why? Because we are taking real-world responsibility for our contributions and making real-world relationships with each other. A name by itself conveys little information to others. The purpose of user pages is to be helpful to the development of Citizendium. Therefore, authors' user pages will be regulated by the Citizendium's constabulary. " http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/CZ:User_Pages (linked from the application) ---------------------------
"Maintaining a biography of your userpage" is not equal to "Filling out a biography box in order to get a userid" I'm sure you can see that.
Nowhere does it say this will be your biography on your userpage. It doesn't say we're going to use this *in order to* accept your application. Even the text you quoted above does not make it clear that this is a part of the application-acceptance process. That's the issue.
You're looking backward from already being a member and treat anyone who can't understand with contempt. That's not really a position that a site which wants member should be taking.
"If you can't understand this, you're an idiot and we don't want you."
That would explain why Citizendium is dead. Does that really seem like what Citizendium would want?
A site that wants members would make it easy and clear *how* you apply. Not complicated and unclear.
Finally, "bitching" is another man's "constructive criticism". I am not complaining with no possible resolution. I am stating exactly what Citizendium *should* do to clarify the process.
Will Johnson