[Wikipedia-l] 'old hand' status

[Daniel Mayer]

On Wednesday 31 July 2002 03:49 pm, you wrote:
> Official hierarchies of users are still undesirable, whether they're called
> an "old hand" or not.
>
> I still strongly believe in
> http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/The+Cunctator/How+to+build+Wikipedia
>
> (See "Avoid Cabals".)

Who is expanding the influence of a creating a Cabal (like we ever agree on 
anything)? How is allowing the majority of active users the ability to edit 
the Main Paqe and other protected pages and the ability to administratively 
move pages a top heavy approach? Denying the majority of active users the 
ability to do these things is rather un-wiki in my book.

I might be wrong, but wouldn't taking powers previously only usable by a 
relative few and allowing a great deal more people to have them, tend to 
democratize things? 

Wikipedia is a large target and admins are needed to protect the site from 
constant vandal abuse and unclutter the database as LDC puts it. This allows 
most users to concentrate on creating and editing content. 

Old hands will be needed to help maintain Wikpedia and the history of its 
articles and all users regardless of database status will do what they always 
have done; contribute like hell and learn the wiki way by helping create what 
someday might very well be the best darn encyclopedia there is.  

--mav