Wikinfo:Community

From Wikinfo

See also: Wikinfo:Community Portal.

Wikinfo is developing a community of users and editors. Many come from Wikipedia and for a variety of reasons, but not every editor has migrated from Wikipedia.

Wikinfo policy might seem to be an incredibly trivial difference from Wikipedia's at first glance. Whereas Wikipedia (and other Wiki) hash out an article by consensus, by agreements reached through erudite name calling, finger pointing, Requests for Comment, threats of Request for Comment, by banning editors and threats of ban, Wikinfo makes this rather unassuming step from Wikipedia's NPOV, by changing a single letter to arrive at SPOV.

• Two articles instead of one, 'eh?. Sure, we'll break that big article into two sympathetic pieces, no problem.

But this small step makes a big difference as editors learn how this works in practice. The need to defend your edit practically disappears. The need to attack someone, to challenge their logic, and all the rest of the argument, counter-argument, and so on just disappears when you can create an article of your own point of view. Your article gets linked to the other articles about that topic. The situation begins to cool down, tempers cool off. John Sweeney-like tomatoes return to normal color. And original research is allowed too (within some limits.) Also signed articles can be created, such as Basic process by Fred Bauder. Within limits of good taste, almost anyone can publish almost anything. As editors view the dawn of enlightenment on the horizon, reactions have included:

• Whow ! You mean I can edit without being challenged ?
• b - bu - but I was EXPECTING to be deleted!

Hopefully a community of relaxed, creative individuals will develop and organize knowledge into new, creative uses.