[WikiEN-l] Again, TINC (Was: Potential Wikipedian growing pains)

Wed Sep 21 17:50:27 UTC 2005

On Wed, 21 Sep 2005, steve v wrote:

> You know, Ill admit there is a certain ambiguity when
> we talk about "IAR" as a "stick of dynamite, and as a
> valve to allow "decent wikipedians" (our clique) to
> trump "trolls, vandals" (undesirables, etc.).
>
Steve, you just lost a large chunk of credibility with me by using
the word "clique".

TINC. It's a case of thinking the grass is greener on the other
side of the fence: because some people do more work, or are more
persuasive in their arguments, other people think that they are
part of some ruling clique, complete with a secret Masonic handshake [*]
& Get Out of Jail cards.

I've been on Wikipedia as long as you, & I don't see any special
favors here. I have met only one person here in Real Life, & only
know one other person from previous usenet contact -- & I doubt that
I have any special clout with them because of it. (Sometimes I
doubt anyone even reads my emails to this list -- but that's another
subject entirely.)

And if there was a clique, they'd either moderate this list entirely
("Hey, that ligwitch guy's trying to post again! Silly rabbit, hasn't
he learned that he's Not Allowed?"), or ignore it & communicate on
their own list or IRC channel.

And it's an easier idea to accept than that Wikipedia has grown so
much that unless you spend a good chunk of time looking for
conversations & disputes, things will happen & decisions will be
made that will surprise you. And even if you do extend the effort,
these surprises will still happen.

At the end of the day, after contributing hours of labor on the
dull, unexciting parts of Wikipedia, one might wish there was a
cabal or clique when some pissant resurrects the same trivial argument
for the upteenth time that her/his POV is not being heard, & that
not only could he/she be banned from Wikipedia, but someone sent to
the person's home & have their modem & hard drive smashed. But one
doesn't, because the other members of this alleged clique would be
just as angry at you for high-handedness as the pissant in question.

In short, if there was a real ruling clique on Wikipedia, we'd
all know it. For one thing, we'd have at least one mediocrity
here who would be rubbing the fact that she/he belongs in our faces.

</rant>

Geoff

* For the record, I've been shown a Real Masonic Handshake. It's
not as interesting as the Monty Python sketch makes it out to be.