[Wikipedia-l] Arbitrators exempt from WP:CIVIL & WP:LIVING?

Sat Nov 11 16:07:22 UTC 2006

At 14:10 11/11/2006, Mark wrote:
>Well, I don't know about all of it, but I do know that "Don't be a
>dick" isn't ad hominem. It's a guideline on Wikipedia. I don't know
>the specific page, but it's basically talking about how you should try
>to refrain from being intentionally unpleasant, or that if you realise
>you are  being unpleasant, you should try to be more pleasant, or
>whatever. It may seem a bit blunt for someone on WP to tell you to
>stop "being a dick", but this is one of the few cases where such
>language isn't considered rude.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I have to disagree with your 
comments on "Don't be a dick". How the phrase is used will surely 
determine whether it is being used as an Ad hominem, no matter how it 
is meant. As the description itself says, "Telling someone 'Don't be 
a dick' is something of a dick-move in itself".

There are other ways of criticising someone, and referring them to 
the phrase (described as an essay, not a policy or guideline).

Regards,
Ian Tresman