Re: [WikiEN-l] Cuts both ways

If I repeat my offer from last year, will Steve or anyone else accept it? Make me a "lieutenant" or "sheriff" or "nursery school teacher", and I will liberally apply "time-out" to anyone who breaks a rule. I'll use something like Andrew's graded system of "consequences": 1. A friendly explanation or reminder. 2. A warning. 3. A unilateral temporary ban (length: anywhere from, say, 3 to 24 hours) 4. An indefinite ban (to be resolved on the mailing list and/or by appeal to our Captain or Head Marshall, Jimbo Wales) I keep proposing this every 6 months or so, but people keep objecting that it will erode our freedom. Well, have you ever counted the number of writers who LEAVE Wikipedia because they have NO FREEDOM freedom to contribute in peace here? I say we ought to try it out: say, for a 6-weeks trial period. If it works, let's keep doing it. If it works but needs refinement, let's tweak it. It if it doesn't work, let's stop it. But anything's better than having several dozen edit wars simmering at a low boil, ready to erupt like volcanoes at a moment's notice. I say, let's give it a try.