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 | This user values third opinions and occasionally provides one. |
Taken from Friday's user page. Excellent advise that we all must follow;
Ive been rather astonished lately to see so many people misinterpreting "assume good faith" as though it means "we must always agree with each other." Nothing could be further from the truth. There's plenty of room for good editors to disagree with each other, all in good faith. In other words, criticism is allowed. Because of Wikipedia's nature as a collaborative project, criticism is necessary. Criticism of articles helps us improve them, and criticism of editors helps us become better at what we do.
Too frequently, people cry "assume good faith" or "no personal attacks", without apparently comprehending what these words mean. Being civil is about keeping our discussion focused on useful things, rather than degenerating into schoolyard name-calling. We can disagree strongly, and even use strong words, while keeping the discussion on topic. When evaluating an admin candidate for example, if you feel they have poor judgement, it's OK to say so. It's not a personal attack. When a user is disruptive and a block is being discussed, it's not a personal attack to come right out and say they've been disruptive. You should have evidence, of course, but criticism is allowed.
Admins in particular will tend to attract more criticism, and should be extra gracious in receiving it. If someone has a disagreement with your actions as an editor or an admin, you should listen to them. You might not agree that their criticism is valid (this happens all the time, and this is allowed too) but you'll never know if you don't first take the time to actually listen to it.
1 Wiki Class - This applies to everyone. Always show respect, and always assume good faith. It is sad when a single wiki user thinks they know best and acts alone. It is also upsetting when an admin overreacts and assumes someone is in the wrong because there is a complaint. Always think first and then act, and if you're wrong, say sorry.
2 Ethics - Something that is lacking around here. Remember that policy is not always black and white, there are gray areas. If wiki hurts social norms, then action should be taken to correct the mistake. Just because it's policy does not always mean its correct.
I don't count blocks or reverts or simple changes. I count number of barnstars given out and ADMIN support.
In the last week I have given: 10 barnstars and gave support to 11 admin hopefuls. In the coming week I will start to record names of all award winners! Blessings to all.
