[Wikimedia-l] Please, let's save the Wikipedia - from itself

[Marc A. Pelletier]

On 09/05/2013 04:18 AM, Lars Gardenius wrote:
> That "Wikipedia:Dispute resolution" mirrors a very naive approach in a worldwide organization. It has never worked before and it doesn't work now.

Where "doesn't work" is mostly defined as "didn't give the result I
demanded".

I've been part of that dispute resolution process for many years, and
came out of it with the (admittedly cynical) lesson that the vast
majority of vocal critics of it have become so as a result of "losing"
to it for having been in the wrong in the first place.

When someone leaves in a tiff because they have been prevented from
getting their way against consensus, then the system is arguably doing
exactly what it's been designed for.

Of /course/ nobody ends up in a conflict on the projects without being
convinced that they are in the right; and if they end up on the losing
side, they will clearly feel that they were wronged.  We play up the
concept of discussion leading to consensus but -- let's not kid
ourselves -- we are all humans and thus subject to ego, stubbornness,
and personality conflicts.

There *are* no vast, sweeping injustices.  No system is perfect and,
occasionally, errors *are* made; but the leap from "the system didn't
let me get my way" to "the system is broken/dying" is all to easy to
make, and is an unavoidable result of humans interacting.

This certainly could be improved.  More education of users upfront might
prevent the confrontations in the first place; less reliance on
established cliques would reduce groupthink and exaggerated
conservatism.  More robots and fewer humans would reduce the effects of
human nature...

-- Marc