[WikiEN-l] Re: Proposal: Requests for rollback

Thu Jun 30 02:51:37 UTC 2005

Michael Turley wrote:

>The blocking feature makes newbie biting much easier, which is not a
>good thing.
>...
>Regarding "domination".  I chose the word to best express why *I* am
>uninterested in a particular subset of admin tools.  I prefer
>persuasion to force.  I have no current interest in tools of force
>here at Wikipedia; I intend to test the boundaries of wikilove, good
>reason, and persuasion.
>...
>Finally, the rollback feature, as far as I can tell, is unique, in
>that it is a very valuable editing enhancement, but is the only one
>that doesn't have any powers of enforcement behind it.
>
The rollback feature *is* a power of enforcement, just like blocking is, 
in the rhetorical framework you're using (other people prefer the 
rhetoric of janitorial tools). Blocking doesn't have any additional 
powers of enforcement behind it either, as we regularly find when 
dealing with vandals who can edit from multiple IP addresses. Rollback 
is just as susceptible to use in biting newbies as blocking, although 
people may differ on the degree of seriousness involved.

Reverting is widely considered a "slap in the face" to the person being 
reverted. If we are to use your rhetoric, then I don't see how we can 
avoid considering it an instrument of force. If you really are such a 
wiki-pacifist as you claim, and prefer persuasion to force in all 
circumstances, then you shouldn't be interested in having the rollback 
function either.

--Michael Snow