[Wikipedia-l] Re: Ban warning to GrahamN

[Bryan Derksen]

At 01:48 PM 06/09/02 -0700, lcrocker at nupedia.com wrote:
>I'm also sympathetic to the possibility that maybe one way to
>attract and keep more experts is to be less tolerant of nonsense
>and more liberal with blocks and other "official" sanctions.

I've been thinking along these lines myself, but didn't want to be the 
first to say it. :)

Putting up with disruptive participants is noble and useful up to a point, 
especially if these participants are also providing some positive input 
along with the nonsense. But past that point it starts to drive away lots 
of other participants who don't want to put up with them any more, and one 
has to decide whether it's worth it.

Banning someone for being disruptive is not necessarily the top of a 
"slippery slope" towards censorship, as long as we're careful about doing 
it and keep a watchful eye on ourselves. On the other hand, letting 
disruptive yahoos get away with everything will eventually mean that only 
the disruptive yahoos stick around.