[Wikipedia-l] Caste system? I don't like it.

[Daniel Mayer]

On Sunday 02 June 2002 12:01 pm, Ruth wrote:
>      Another issue is whether we want to identify
> members' functions, at all, on the user page. There are
> many other ways to identify developers and sysops on
> Wikipedia and they should be considered too. There could
> be a sysops page and a developers page with a list of
> such people.
>      Frankly, I like the site as it is. Developers are
> identified by going to Source Forge, usually, and if a
> developer has not been included on this site, I think
> they can simply ask. Sysops know who they are by the
> sidebar on their view of the Wikipedia pages.

I agree with Ruth here and don't think it is necessary to label anyones 
"status" as a matter of policy. If a sysop or developer wants his or her 
status known, then they will say so on their user page. 

Contributors are already able to get a good idea who is a sysop, developer or 
whatever by either digging a little, paying attention to RecentChanges for a 
few weeks or by asking. 

I kinda like the fact that potential vandals don't know who is a sysop and 
who isn't or even if a sysop is online at a particular moment. 

Anybody of good intentions can be a sysop if they want to be.  I don't think 
we should label people as having a particular status and thus imply that this 
status is anything particularly special. Having different user's labeled as 
having particular status would only enforce a sense that a cabal exists here 
-- which it doesn't. It might also lead to confusion when there are valid 
disagreements about an article between a non-sysop party and a sysop. The 
non-sysop would be able to see that a particular person is a sysop and this 
knowledge might imply that the sysop is acting in some type of official 
capacity -- which they seldom are in these cases. 

I for one don't want that weight constantly on my shoulders. 

But, that's just me.

--maveric149