[WikiEN-l] User boxes and what disrupts Wikipedia

Wed Jan 4 13:30:58 UTC 2006

A couple of points on userboxes:
- If there's use to some userboxes, who's to determine which ones are and
aren't acceptable?
- Aren't there at least half a dozen other ways that people could round up
votes for one cause or another, anyway; and wouldn't we just get
"off-campus" userbox phenomena if we banned them here?
At the risk of sounding like an anarchist (where's the userbox for "people
who sometimes sound like anarchists?"), I say let them be. And those who
delete them should be cited for vandalism (deleting copyrighted images is
another matter entirely).

Now, about disruption. It seems to me a range of sins disrupt wikiefforts
(and arguably also help them often):
1) Sins of hot-headedness - we sometimes get so emotional about subjects we
care about that we forget to be reasonable
2) Sins of self-righteousness - we are so convinced that we know the truth
that we close our minds to valid objections
3) Sins of subterfuge - we are deliberately pushing our point of view in
more or less sneaky ways: POV forks, obfuscations, etc., using the
credibility of Wikipedia to promote our pet causes
4) Sins of vandalism - we are deliberately trying to disrupt the Wikipedia
enterprise in various ways

Those who commit 1) should notice that their blood pressure is rising and
give themselves time off, but otherwise be easily forgiven. We want
passionate people here. Those who commit 2) should lighten up a little and
try to find more inspiration in standards of intellectual honesty. 3) have
to make to make up their minds whether they want a soapbox or an
encyclopedia. 4) should be booted out.