[WikiEN-l] Re: DON'T BAN RK ? hes indespensable

Thu Oct 2 16:05:37 UTC 2003

Abe Solokov wrote:

> The dynamics of the disputes on Wikipedia that arise over the 
> Israeli-Palestinian issue mean that neutrality is only going to be 
> attained when both sides are finished terrorizing and brutalizing each 
> other, after a zero-sum battle has ended in a stalemate. If RK weren’t 
> here, that would mean that the other side would consistently win.
> RK’s role as the lose cannon on the Israel-related articles - always 
> suspicious, prickly, and aggressive – bolsters the influence of his side 
> of the issues. You cannot deny that RK has steered dozens of articles 
> toward an orientation further from that of his antagonists. He often 
> starts off adding grotesquely POV content, but that’s toned down after a 
> fierce battle with his ever-observant opponents. Although his opponents 
> are more subtle in slanting articles, there are more of them, and other 
> users usually have no sympathy for RK. Whereas RK can inject hysterical 
> propaganda in a few articles, many other users can inject subtle biase s 
> in many articles. However, fear of RK’s tyranny is a check on them; and 
> when RK mobilizes his energies into a hysterical fit, balance results 
> from the ensuing struggle.
> 
> In short, if Wikipedia is to present both sides, it’s contingent on 
> letting RK be RK. He generates chaos and a lot of ill-will. He’s often 
> obnoxious (but he can magnanimously admit that he was wrong – I believe 
> that he took my advice to stop calling a very well-respected user an 
> anti-Semite). He even alienates his own supporters, and often attacks 
> potential allies with great bitterness. But due to the nature of users 
> who are attracted to the Israeli/Palestinian article, the only way to 
> get balance is stalemate after stalemate after stalemated zero-sum 
> conflict between equally powerful and committed groups of antagonists. 
> Among the non-academic partisans who take the time to write about this 
> dispute, the fanatical camps on both sides make it impossible for the 
> two sides to put aside their differences and agree on what a neutral 
> article is. It’s too idealistic to expect them to have the dexterity to 
> cooperate and quit wasting time by sniping at each other. RK’s intrans 
> igence, and often flat out bizarre behavior, but it’s an indispensable 
> part of a confluence of opposing forces required for Israeli-Palestinian 
> neutrality.

I won't lie, I'm QUITE HAPPY that RK is banned now. Sure he added a lot 
of important information to religious topic and so on, but please! He 
has called everyone that has ever been in a dispute with him an 
anti-semite. Not only those contributors who debate with him in the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict as I firsth thought, even contributors who 
has praised his work and/or are Jews themselves have gotten the stamp 
"anti-semite". It is no fun for one who has spent a lot of time and 
effort fighting racisim to be called that again and again and again.

Now I know that practically everyone who has been the target of RK's 
diatribes have responded with a remarkable calmness and tolerance 
(except for me who has written insulting comments back at him), noone 
other has responded with insulting and degrading comments. I salute you 
for that, Ed Poor, Stevertigo, JTDRL, Anthere, MyRedDice and many 
others... Stevertigo even nominated RK to a sysop, his motive for that I 
can only guess. My guess is that he thought that if RK became a sysop he 
would understand that noone was "out to get him" and that WP wasn't 
"infected by anti-semites" and maybe stop calling everyone an 
anti-semite. But it didn't work, a month after receiving a sysop 
nomination from Stevertigo, the name-calling is back and this time RK 
has "outed" Stevertigo as a nazi or someting.

Stevertigo still probably think RK should not be banned (im 
speculating). He doesn't get offended, many others doesn't get offended 
by RK. But I get offended by RK, a countless number of anons get 
offended by RK and many contributors have left WP because of RK's 
antics. It's impossible to edit articles in the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict because if you do, RK will be there reverting and calling you 
an anti-Semite. It is not fun and is one of the reasons why I don't 
spend as much time on WP anymore.

And it isn't like he hasn't been warned. He has been varned many many 
times, he got countless more chances than for example EofT did but he 
has never listened, not changed the slightest. He has gotten his chances 
and he has burnt them all. It is time to say goodbye.

BL