[WikiEN-l] Why can't they learn? (was [Ticket#: 115103-FW] Just wondering)

Tue Mar 22 01:14:44 UTC 2005

Rick wrote:

> I've never understood why somebody would keep
> committing obvious vandalism (like repeatedly
> vandalizing Raul's User page) so that they can get
> rebanned.  If Lir was ever interested in editing, he
> could just come in as an anon and make valid edits,
> but he seems more interested in disruption than in
> contribution.

I'm currently trying to flesh out my 'addiction' model of
pathological behaviour on Wikipedia. You can see this in
editors who are hardworking, but seem to love Wikipedia
*just a little too much* and possibly in ways nature didn't
really intend. And when they get banned, they go fucking
batshit with junkie rage at being cut off from their fix,
c.f. Wik and the vandalbot. I'll probably write it up as
a "ha ha only serious" page on meta, to go with [[m:MPOV]]
and [[m:Don't be a dick]]. In the meantime, it gives the
ArbCom considerable flexibility for more creative remedies
for bad behaviour than a mere ban, which the real addicts
tend to sockpuppet anyway. "You *really* want your fix?
Write two 500-word essays on why NPOV and No Personal Attacks
are good ideas. If we score each 9/10 or better, you can
edit again." I think there's a lot of scope there for really
*fixing* behaviour.

- d.