[WikiEN-l] The userbox fad

Sat Jan 7 23:27:20 UTC 2006

Rob wrote:

>On 1/7/06, Peter Mackay <peter.mackay at bigpond.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>But how does a new editor know the difference between policy, policy and
>>policy? He needs to be set straight on the important things, but I can't
>>see
>>any way of doing that without some sort of discussion.
>>    
>>
>Policy pages should fufill this function, and if they do not, they should be
>rewritten.  Sure, questions are necessary to clarify fine points and
>applications in particular instances, but users who refuse to read policy
>pages after being directed to them and need basic things explained to them
>over and over again or who wish to argue about fundamental policy points are
>time-wasting problem users.
>
That's still a paternalistic, dictatorial model.  You're closing off the 
possibility that they may have better ideas.  That's also precisely 
what's wrong with many educational systems who grind children into an 
unquestiuning submission to the system.

Ec