QUOTE(Anna @ Mon 27th June 2011, 1:57pm)
Adversary --
Is it really all that surprising?
I mean, really, how many people are fortunate enough to have actually made it, say, 30 years in life (if not less) without being confronted with at least a credible threat of bodily harm, if not actual violence?
Yes, there are criminals in the world.
Well, I live in a very peaceful part of the world. I would say at least 90% of people I know have made it to their 30th birthday without the threat of bodily harm. At least. (In my country you will be fined/go to jail if you slap your own children. No kidding.)
There are those those who
do face violence on a regular basis (police, wardens, etc) are quite well paid to do so, and, (more importantly) have a back-up system to support them when they do.
But wikipedia is a
hobby, dammit!
It is not as if it pays a lot
(read: at all).
That you (or someone close to you) should have to face treats of violence, direct or indirect, because of a
hobby, is ..is... beyond words.
QUOTE(Kelly Martin @ Mon 27th June 2011, 1:51pm)
Being an arb is tough, especially if you try to actually do the job as advertised, instead of being a political gameplayer. And even if you don't you're still a target for all the nutters involved in Wikipedia.
The fact that the job is so hard and has so few meaningful rewards is one of the reasons I'm deeply suspicious of anyone who consents to do it, and especially anyone who consents to do it twice.
<> Sane people flee such places once they realize what they're up against, or at best stay on the peripheries, editing uncontroversially and ducking whenever they run into conflict.
Understandable, but sad.
It basically leaves any controversy to people who are in an "untouchable" situation..eg. being anonymous. With all the opportunity for misuse that gives.
(btw, if one thinks about the info being presented here...and the "hunt" for Iridescent
here... I feel deeply uncomfortable.)
As I see it: wikipedia is presently in a completely unsustainable situation: one one hand we expect, nay,
demand openess and and accountability from its "officials", ..on the other hand: when they are subjected to any nutters out there, we give them
zero in support.