User:L.

This is my personal profile. Additions by unqualified others will be deleted.

KZUBLIEIUMTQENGAGNLRGCIILQANYYBZ

Location: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

VIEWS ON CONTRIBUTORS

There appear to be three different type of contributors on Wiki:

1. Those who create articles where there were none before, and those who expand stubs into full articles. This is my category.

2. Those who edit articles and add/subtract items to keep them in line with fact, spelling, and proper format.

3. Those who complain and insult people in the Talk Pages without lifting a single finger to contribute to the encyclopedia.

My viewpoint:

1. This group of people is the necessary cause of Wiki, without whom it wouldn't exist.

2. This group is a vital component of Wiki, who dutifully maintain it and ensure its continuence. Nonetheless, they must defer to the first group, without which they would have no purpose.

3. This group is useless and should go find some other forum to bitch in.

VIEWS ON ORIGINAL ARTICLES

I have noted than many people believe that, when creating a new article, they have the right to push their own viewpoints. They work under the assumption that it is the duty of others to present the "opposite viewpoint."

If journalism has taught people anything, it is that this is a recipe for disaster. I believe the creator of an entry should anticipate and include possible objections, despite their personal beliefs.

This practice was recently criticized in Wired magazine. It was remarked that when an article goes up, users are advised to wait awhile before it is properly annotated by the opposition. This isn't exactly a good reputation to have.

VIEWS ON IDEOLOGY

Too many people at Wiki have "isms." Libertarianism, communism, socialism, whatever.

As far as I'm concerned, the only "ism" allowed here should be "pragmatism" and "skepticism." All ideology does is stand in the way of NPOV articles. Like the saying goes, people with ideologies don't let facts get in the way of the truth.

My opinion on ideology is nicely contained in the following quote:

Virtually all ideologues of any variety are fearful and insecure, which is why they are drawn to ideologies that offer prefabricated answers for all circumstances. - Jane Jacobs