Reputation (was Re: [Wikipedia-l] Re: Quenya language request, and Chinese Wikipedia again)

[Ray Saintonge]

Stan Shebs wrote:

> Mark Williamson wrote:
>
>> Do you really think I'm /that/ stupid?
>>
> He probably does, actually. Despite repeated hints that it's
> counterproductive, you continue to try to browbeat people into
> doing what you want.
>
> As someone who's lived on the net for some 23 years now, let me
> pass along a bit of advice. You start with a default fund of
> reputation from other netizens. You do good things, like copyedit
> a thousand articles or supply a bit of requested info, your fund
> goes up. You do bad things, like call someone a nasty name in
> public, your fund goes down.
>
> Why does this matter? If your fund of reputation is high, you can
> merely suggest an idea, and people will rush to make it happen.
> If your fund is low, others will dislike your idea, *even if it's
> a good idea*. Unfair, perhaps, but that's how interpersonal
> relationships work, on the net as elsewere.
>
> Some people even tried to let you know when your fund crossed zero
> and headed into negative territory, but you blew right on by without
> slowing down. So, if you want to have any chance at all of having
> any influence on things, I suggest you cool it with all the
> accusations and criticism - I think you do enough worthwhile things
> normally that your reputation will eventually get back to the
> positive side again. 

Well put!

What I would add is that another thing that moves someone into negative 
territory is continuing "ad nauseam" with a subject.  This "Quenya" 
thread seems to keep going on  ... and on ... and on ... and on ... and 
on ... with the same cast of characters, and often lengthy posts.  It 
gets to the point where I don't even bother to look to see if there are 
accusations and criticisms.  My finger on the delete button just gets 
very heavy.

Ec