Wiki Mind Wipe Reality Check

I found the discussion regarding the recent WikiMindWipe interesting. There are (thankfully) folk who are able to cut through the crap and get to the heart of the matter. But some of what I've seen reads as if this incident caused some people to understand Country and Western music for the very first time.

As if one person's writing was so valuable (relative to anyone else's) that by removing it Wiki would crumble.

But this is the time for the HallmarkPeopleToComeOut. Injected at random intervals are occasional ZenSlaps in the face that bring them back to reality. We are rightfully reminded that anyone can blobitty blob - that is the essence of Wiki. We are reminded that people can act stupidly and irrationally in real life, so we shouldn't be surprised when it happens on Wiki. This really isn't about TrustAndResponsibility folks, it's about facing reality.

Although there are a core group of people on this Wiki who know and work with each other, most of us are total strangers to each other. We know next to nothing about each other. I have no doubt there are people on Wiki who lie about their background and experiences. I have no doubt we have people who have hidden agendas. Hell, if you could peer into the private lives of some of the people on Wiki, I'm sure you would find people who cheat on their taxes, have questionable business ethics, beat their spouses, abuse their kids, or neglect their aging parents. Golly, I'll bet someone here really did shoot the Sheriff (but he didn't shoot the Deputy, oh no).

But apparently prior to Sam's departure, there was a happy illusion that everyone on Wiki is part of a nice and snuggly community, with big bearhugs to go around. Yeah, most people here are friendly, rational, helpful, and wise. Some aren't. That's how humans are in the real world, and guess what - Wiki merely reflects the best (and worst) of humanity.

-- JohnPassaniti

Funnily enough, I assumed nobody on Wiki was as stupid as you imply here. But maybe you're right. [-- Sam?]

Congrats for a real good analysis of the situation. Indeed most people here on Wiki are strangers. A reason people are here is not because they want to have a cozy hugging environment, but because they share some common interests. Common interests which might originate from a common background (but not necessarily have to). Wiki is not a living organism, doesn't have a mind - just a database - and doesn't reflect all opinions.

It's like people who meet in a bar or pub which is known for a certain kind of folks hanging out there. If one doesn't like the folks hanging around in a pub or doesn't like their conversation, one is free to go to another pub. Some might miss him, some might not, some don't care! It is questionable if one should rearrange the furniture when leaving the pub, but that's all about it (well, in a biker bar it might be part of the ritual to even break the furniture before leaving; in a celeb in-spot, one might ask that the framed photo showing one hugging some other celebs is removed and put in the closet). There is nothing more about it.

-- ThomasWeidenfeller

Wiki == biker bar? no Wiki = BikerBar?. #== is for identity. duh...<grin> But he wasn't declaring Wiki to be a BikerBar?, he was asking if it was, and as such his use of == is valid. Using "biker bar" instead of "BikerBar?", on the other hand....

What gets me is the reason my original emotionally loaded text here was edited in the first place. Apparently, Sam may once again grace Wiki, and someone is so concerned about how Sam may interpret comments on Wiki about him that he wants to "protect" Sam from nasty bad thoughts. -- JohnPassaniti

I assume John that you've read the first few sections I put up on SamGentle, a week ago now. This tries to explain my reasons. -- RichardDrake