[WikiEN-l] Unacceptable behaviour

Sun Jul 6 21:30:49 UTC 2003

Jimmy Wales wrote:

>Christopher Mahan wrote:
>
>>>It is acceptable for people to hold their own opinions and express
>>>them -- but not in an inappropriate forum.  One of the cardinal
>>>principles of Wikipedia is respect for others, even others with
>>>whom we have significant political or other disagreements.
>>>
>>Absolutely. Even more so, in my opinion, of long-time contributors.
>>
>
>In a sense, I suppose.  But once we're long-time contributors, we
>are friends (to a degree), and we can probably take a little heat,
>although it's best if it's kept private or avoided entirely when
>we can.
>
>If I had to choose between "act more respectuflly towards old-timers"
>or "act more respectfually towards newcomers", I'd tend to favor the
>latter.  But I don't think there's any "more so" needed.
>
>I don't always follow my own advice here -- none of us always do, and
>that's part of the human condition.  But courtesy and kindness is
>powerful magic, and we should use it in all cases to our best
>advantage.
>
>>But I do want him to know that I think that the way he expresses
>>himself in the heat of "righteous outrage" is a bit detrimental to
>>his reputation as far as I am concerned.
>>
>
>Well, I'm sure he's listening with an open heart to what you are
>saying.
>
Being too quick to treat a comment as offensive, or being excessive in 
reaction never helps.  There is often a world of difference between 
egregious anti-Semitism and perceived anti-Semitism; I would tend to 
give the writer the benefit of the doubt.  When the writer has been 
shown how his comment could be viewed as anti-Semitic, and has 
acknowledged the fact, that should be the end of the matter.

Ec