[WikiEN-l] Abe's thesis

Thu Oct 2 17:48:25 UTC 2003

Stan Shebs wrote:

> Abe Sokolov wrote:
>
>> I am going to make strong pleas against any moves to ban RK or 
>> marginalize him. While Im not arguing that we tolerate his bad 
>> behavior in the short-run, it is crucial that we tolerate having to 
>> deal with, and act against, his bad behavior instance by instance in 
>> the long-run. To sum up my argument, RKs bad behavior is an 
>> indispensable asset for Wikipedia.
>>
> We shouldn't be tolerating bad behavior at all. If we make the excuse 
> that we
> have to tolerate it for the sake of content, that's just going to 
> encourage
> more bad behavior. There are people who have some detailed knowledge 
> of the
> Israeli Palestinian conflict, a generally neutral point of view, and a
> commitment to scholarly investigation,  myself for instance, but I've
> generally avoided those articles because Wikipedia is not paying me 
> enough
> to put up with constant abuse and name-calling by RK.  How many other
> neutrals are not contributing because RK and others have turned that 
> whole
> area of Wikipedia into a miniaturized version of real life?

I read Abe's analysis, and I respectfully disagree with it.  If I 
understand correctly, his thesis is that if RK is allowed to take 
outrageous positions on Israel/Palestine issues that will be more 
effective in presenting that view than a large number of moderates.  I 
see that as an endorsation of bully tactics and intimidation.

Nobody likes to be the one to confront an apparent lunatic, or the heavy 
hulk that's beating his diminutive wife in public.  That's a dangerous 
thing to do   But failing to confront these people does not make the 
world better or safer.  If people who would otherwise bring sane and 
rational opinions to a discussion keep quiet simply to avoid the wrath 
of an extremist the project has thus been diminished.

Ec