Battlestar Pegasus:You are no Cain
Don't get us wrong, both Cains are pretty hardcore, but remember...
This is also true when contributing on Battlestar Pegasus.
Don't emulate FiskDon't emulate Jack Fisk, or, "Don't be dense". If people abided by this, other policies would flow naturally and be intuitive. "Don't emulate Fisk" is the basic underlying message of every editorial and policy in a social space. All rules are an attempt to define the boundaries of density. To be dense (as Fisk was), essentially, is to be slow to understand or comprehend a point, usually because the person is unaware or ignorant to the specific problem caused by their action. Although there is a vast amount of space on the Battlestar Pegasus server, it is still insufficient to provide a detailed accounting of density and its various flavors—stupidity, obstinacy, Cainery, and utter lunacy. The nature of density is such that the dense are rarely aware of their density, and so it is probably more helpful, albeit more frustrating, to explain the specific problem to a dense user rather than simply citing this policy and assuming they'll figure it out. Remember: "Assume good faith" is a nicer restatement of "Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice." Try not to be stupid either, which brings us to our next policy... Don't be a CainDon't be a Cain, also known as "Don't be a dick" on Wikipedia, is the fundamental rule of all social spaces. Every other policy for getting along is a special case of it. Although nobody is empowered to ban or block somebody for being a dick (as this would be an instance of being a dick), it is still a bad idea to be one. No definition of being a dick has been provided. This is deliberate. If a significant number of reasonable people suggest, whether bluntly or politely, that you are being a dick, the odds are good that you are not entirely in the right. Being right about an issue does not mean you're not being a dick. Dicks can be right — but they're still dicks; and their message won't be heard, because no one likes listening to dicks, no matter how correct or in the right they are. To paraphrase a central tenet of Battlestar Galactica: It's not enough to be right. One must be worthy of being right. If you've been labeled as a dick, especially if you have have been told this by several people in a particular community, it might be wise to consider the possibility that it is true. If you suspect that you may be a dick, the first step is to become aware of it. Ask yourself what behavior might be causing this perception. Try changing your behavior and your mode of presentation--in particular, identify the harsh words in your communications and replace them with softer ones. If appropriate, apologize to anyone to whom you may have been a dick. It's okay; this won't make you seem weak! On the contrary, people will take notice of your willingness to cooperate and will almost always meet your efforts with increased respect. Telling someone "Don't be a dick" is something of a dick-move in itself, so don't bandy the criticism about lightly. Don't emulate Fisk may be sufficient, but see that page before citing it. Don't pull an old skool Cain to prove a pointState your point. Don't prove it experimentally. When Commander Cain destroyed the two Cylon fuel tankers in "The Living Legend, Part I", he felt it was the right thing to do in order to get Adama to agree to his strategy of attacking Gamoray. Discussion, rather than unilateral action, is the preferred means of changing policies, and the preferred mechanism for demonstrating the problem with policies or the way they are implemented. This means that an individual who opposes the state of a current rule or policy should not attempt to create proof that the rule does not work on Battlestar Pegasus itself. In the past, many contributors have found their Wikistress levels rising, particularly when an issue important to them has been handled unfairly in their view. The contributor may point out inconsistencies, perhaps citing other cases that have been handled differently. And the contributor may postulate: "What if everyone did that?" (This neglects two important things about Battlestar Pegasus: it is sometimes inconsistent, and it tolerates things it does not condone. These are arguably not defects.) In this situation, it is tempting to illustrate a point using either parody or some form of breaching experiment. For example, the contributor may apply the decision to other issues in a way that mirrors the policy they oppose. These activities are generally disruptive: i.e., they require the vast majority of nonpartisan editors to clean up or revert the "proof." In general, such edits are strongly opposed by those who believe them to be ineffective tools of persuasion. Many readers consider such techniques spiteful and unencyclopedic, as passers-by are caught in the crossfire of edits that are not made in good faith, and which, indeed, are designed to provoke outrage and opposition. As a general rule, points are best expressed directly in discussion, without irony or subterfuge. Direct statements are the best way to garner respect, agreement and consensus. At Battlestar Pegasus, sometimes the wheels turn slowly, but surely. If one is patient, "rightness," "truthfulness," and "correctness" will rise to the surface, even if the point or idea is not initially accepted. Gaming the systemGaming the system is the use of Battlestar Pegasus rules to thwart Battlestar Pegasus policy. Another popular way to describe this is "using the letter of the law to defeat the spirit of the law." In many cases, gaming the system is a form of disruption, such as obstinately nominating yourself for RFAs repeatedly or attempting to politik votes from other online sources, which many consider to be in bad form. Examples
Egregious disruption of any kind is blockable by any administrator — for up to one month in the case of repeat offenses that are highly disruptive. HoaxesOn a related note, please don't attempt to put misinformation into Battlestar Pegasus to test our ability to detect and remove it; this wastes everyone's time, including yours. If such behavior is interpreted by an administrator as vandalism (commonly performed by users who add spam links to articles), your actions could find you blocked from editing much longer than what the offense may normally warrant. Don't stuff beans up your noseDon't rush to head off new ideas for vandalism, as you may give vandals that very idea: |
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This page was last modified 15:17, 30 October 2007. This page has been accessed 211 times.
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