[WikiEN-l] Newbie and not-so-newbie biting

[Apoc 2400]

>
> This isn't a new issue by any means, but here's a nice post by someone
> who's been contributing occasionally since 2004, about how daunting
> "wikibullying" can be for newbies and other editors who aren't
> well-versed in the procedures and processes.
>
>
> http://travel-industry.uptake.com/blog/2009/09/04/bullypedia-a-wikipedian-whos-tired-of-getting-beat-up/
>
> Unfriendliness is built into the system, even when admins and others
> who enforce the rules are perfectly civil and try to be friendly at an
> individual level.
>

This is really something everyone here should read.

I think the problem is that on Wikipedia, anyone can be a cop. When we see
ex-wikipedians complaining about abusive admins, they often didn't meet
actual administrators, but self-appointed gate keepers. Just like open
editing attracts a mix of good editors and vandals, open policing attracts a
mix of good administrators and people with a thirst for power. While we have
always been very good at dealing with the obvious negative consequence of
"anyone can edit", vandalism, we have been completely unable to reign in on
the flip side of "anyone can be a cop": bullies and people with a need talk
down on others.

An overzelous rule-enforcer is still seen as a basically productive member
of the community. If a newbie somehow figures out how to complain about
being bitten, we assume he or she is a vandal until proven otherwise.

In the beginning there was so much vandalism that we had to welcome anyone
willing to deal with it, whether their motivations were pure or not. Over
the past years the number of vandals and other simple troublemakers has
dropped and our technical means of dealing with them have improved. We still
have the army of hobby-cops and they aren't going to sit around idle. So we
get the situation that writer above faces.

/Apoc2400