[WikiEN-l] 142

Thu Feb 27 19:02:01 UTC 2003

I noticed that you all are discussing 142 again.

I'd just like to point out my experience that, after enthusiastically trying 
to start [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Voting Systems]], I just as quickly 
abandoned it because I didn't have the time or effort to keep up with the 
nonsensical edits of 142.  

He has knowledge about the subjects he writes about, but the entries he writes 
are often hodgepodges of related subjects, conjoined in a meaningless way.  
He frequently uses accepted terminology in non-accepted ways (e.g. 
instant-runoff voting) or makes up terminology (e.g. disapproval voting), 
then has long arguments over their meanings.

When I've challenged the veracity of articles he's written, he has never 
supplied reproducible references (although he has belittled me for failing to 
see the obviousness of his prose).  The amount of effort it takes to 
challenge an article is more than I'm willing to make anymore.

He also is not willing to join the rest of the community by getting a 
username; he says he won't do so because he doesn't want his contributions to 
be tracked.  That is part of the reason for the incoherence of this 
discussion we're having.

Yes, I'll be sorry if we lose some articles on subjects that he has some 
knowledge about.  But, on balance, we're better off without them.  And, the 
reason for the silent ban is because this is a decision we have already made, 
many times, but could not enforce consistently because he's coming in through 
a popular dial-up service.

--dk