[WikiEN-l] Wikipedia broken

Fri Apr 7 14:14:26 UTC 2006

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Yes, but the problem is people who try to enforce these policies are
referred to as 'wikilawyers' and 'process wonks' - see the recent
(pre-CSD T1) userbox flamewar, where the people seeking to enforce
deletion policy (ie that there was no policy allowing speedying of
userboxes) were treated as trolls.

I'm not seeking a reconsideration of the userbox 'issue' here (thank
God/[insert alternative deity of your choice here] that's over), but it
shows just how easy it is to ignore policy if you characterise those
seeking to uphold policy as trolls, wikilawyers and process wonks.

Cynical

Steve Block wrote:
> David Alexander Russell wrote:
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>> So you basically want a group of admins with no experience in editing
>> the article concerned to vote-stack any content disputes?
>>
>> RFC generates plenty of interest, the problem is that it has no 'teeth'
>> - - there is nothing to stop the party who 'loses' an RFC from ignoring
>> its conclusions.
> 
> No, I think what's being asked for is a group of people who will apply 
> policy in a neutral way.  The votes are already stacked, that's the 
> purpose of having policy; policy is the vote stacking tool, not the 
> group of editors. RFC provides no comment, at least not at articles I've 
> listed on it.  Actually, if I'm honest, I'm finding more and more that 
> Wikipedia is imply broken.  We've got clear guidance at [[WP:RS]] that 
> message boards aren't acceptable sources, and yet we've got thousands of 
> articles that are relying on just that.  Either we need to rewrite our 
> policies and have an anything goes policy, or we need to get a lot 
> tougher in enforcing the key policies.
> 
> Steve block
> 
> 

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