[WikiEN-l] Anons banned from creating articles

Tue Dec 6 14:19:46 UTC 2005

On 12/5/05, John Lee <johnleemk at gawab.com> wrote:
> http://news.com.com/Growing+pains+for+Wikipedia/2100-1025_3-5981119.html?tag=cd.top
>
>
> Why were Wikipedians the last to know about this? I only saw some
> discussion on the mailing list about this, but nothing final. Why do we
> have to learn of this from the media instead of straight from Jimbo?
> This is really disturbing.
>
Not only disturbing, but disappointing.

I guess the only silver lining is that it helps confirm yet another
cynical prediction I and others have made in the past.

Four years ago, Jimbo wrote "Wikipedia should remain permanently open
to everyone who is attempting to make a legitimate contribution." [1]

I guess by "permanently" he meant "for a few more years" and by "open"
he meant "restricted".

It's much easier to take away openness than it is to restore it.

I dare Jimbo to reverse his decision.

[1] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_How_to_Destroy_Wikipedia