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Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

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Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#21

Post by herodoturtle »

There is a link in the other comments that is intended to explain the context, but as someone who isn't familiar with the structure of threads / conversations in the Wikipedia editing community, I am honestly struggling to follow it.

Can someone here please help me understand what the issue is?

(I keep seeing stuff in that linked article about canvassing and "the left marching through institutions" but again I'm not following the overall argument / issue. Please forgive my ignorance if I'm missing something obvious.)

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#23

Post by OrvalWintermute »

At best Wikipedia is a well-edited wiki of a smorgasbord, great writing, and an incredible resource that provides amazing value.

At worst it can be a hive mind echo chamber where certain views are banished to the Abyss.

Certain topics attract the latter rather than the former…

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#25

Post by Mountain_Skies »

postflopclarity wrote: post #7

trying to contribute to wikipedia was the most miserable experience in a "collaborative" process I've ever had in my life. Like arguing with cranks at a town hall meeting, ignorant high school group project classmates, and bureaucracy-obsessed nonprofit initiative zealots all wrapped into one. in the area I was trying to contribute (a math subdomain) to there is sooooo much technical misinformation. but if you don't…

Same thing for me when I used to contribute to our local transit system's page. Things were fine for years but one day an editor for some reason took an interest in me and started going after my contributions for all manner of petty legalistic policies that were usually "best practices" rather than rules. He even moved on to my edits on other pages, which mostly were where I'd corrected a spelling or formatting error. Never understood why that happened because I wasn't involved in any edit wars or even contributions on anything that could be considered political or ideological. I just moved on to other things and left Wikipedia behind. So he "won" something, but no idea what that was.

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#26

Post by john_strinlai »

herodoturtle wrote: post #21

There is a link in the other comments that is intended to explain the context, but as someone who isn't familiar with the structure of threads / conversations in the Wikipedia editing community, I am honestly struggling to follow it. Can someone here please help me understand what the issue is? (I keep seeing stuff in that linked article about canvassing and "the left marching through institutions" but again I'm not…

it appears that larry sanger used twitter to promote an active wiki-related proposal ("WikiProject Intellectual Diversity"), and that is bad.

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#27

Post by avaer »

postflopclarity wrote: post #7

trying to contribute to wikipedia was the most miserable experience in a "collaborative" process I've ever had in my life. Like arguing with cranks at a town hall meeting, ignorant high school group project classmates, and bureaucracy-obsessed nonprofit initiative zealots all wrapped into one. in the area I was trying to contribute (a math subdomain) to there is sooooo much technical misinformation. but if you don't…

Most people don't realize that essentially all parts of Wikipedia are owned by random nerds versed in the beaurocracy who will revert all outsider edits. Unless you have hours per day dedicated to arguing with them (which they do!), the sign says you're welcome but the people say you're not.

Not to say Wikipedia isn't great + useful! But realize that it is owned by a distributed network of feudal nerd-lords that will defend to their death the contents of Wikipedia articles because they get off on being the dictators of what's true.

Saying this as a former Wikipedia admin + nerd.

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#28

Post by Mountain_Skies »

TZubiri wrote: post #24

Most of his posts and articles are about policy and criticism towards Wikipedia. Ironically they might have amplified the reach of their articles to laymen and editors and made him a martyr in the process.

Quite often in activist spaces, the primary goal isn't to convince others of a viewpoint or even the censor other viewpoints, though those are nice side effects. The real goal is demonstrating loyalty to the group's current core beliefs, whatever those might be on that day. In spaces where the values are in constant flux, there's a greater need to constantly reaffirm allegiance to the group's current world view.

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#29

Post by InsideOutSanta »

herodoturtle wrote: post #21

There is a link in the other comments that is intended to explain the context, but as someone who isn't familiar with the structure of threads / conversations in the Wikipedia editing community, I am honestly struggling to follow it. Can someone here please help me understand what the issue is? (I keep seeing stuff in that linked article about canvassing and "the left marching through institutions" but again I'm not…

My understanding is that he was unhappy with some of Wikipedia's direction and decided to go outside official Wikipedia channels to mobilize people to rewrite policies, which is not allowed.

Re: Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger blocked from editing Wikipedia

#30

Post by [deleted] »

john_strinlai wrote: post #26
herodoturtle wrote: post #21

There is a link in the other comments that is intended to explain the context, but as someone who isn't familiar with the structure of threads / conversations in the Wikipedia editing community, I am honestly struggling to follow it. Can someone here please help me understand what the issue is? (I keep seeing stuff in that linked article about canvassing and "the left marching through institutions" but again I'm not…

it appears that larry sanger used twitter to promote an active wiki-related proposal (" WikiProject Intellectual Diversity "), and that is bad.

[deleted]
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