User:Catherineyronwode

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I am catherine yronwode also known as cat yronwode. I am editing in the folklore, magic (paranormal), magic (illusion), occult, jug band, and blues music sections at the present time, and dipping into any page where i think i can help. I live in Sonoma County, CA with my Beloved.There is a page about me at Wikipedia (which i did not create!) due to my work as a writer and editor in comic books, gardening, folklore, and other fields. More information on me can be found at my home page

• http://www.yronwode.com/catherine.html

I regularly copy-edit random pages and sometimes contribute to articles and their discussion pages under an IP address. I sometimes take wiki-breaks due to having other requirements on my time or because editing for Wikipedia ceases to be fun for a while.

If you wish to contact me and do not get a quick response via my talk page, you may email or telephone me at my work site, the Lucky Mojo Curio Co., which can be found on the world wide web.

[edit] What is Wikipedia?

I see a cascading series of failures of human decency here: The horrific Poetlister / Slim Virgin debacle and especially the clearly worded attempts to shush it up for the sake of Wikipedia's reputation (and the clearly worded instructions to allow the culprit to "slink off" rather than to expose him, so similar to the mentality that lay behind the Catholic pederast priest scandal); my brief time spent reading Wiki Review, Encyclopaedia Dramatica, WikiTruth, et al; and my reading of the pages on previous MEDCABs, ANIs, RfCs, and so forth, pointed out to me by helpful readers -- all of these make clear the multiple failed attempts by editors to put a stop to the incivility and ownership and cabalism of people who are trying to negatively impact important portions of Wikipedia. I am now convinced that MEDCAB, ANI, and RfC pages are utter time-wasters. I hold out little hope for ArbCom, either.

My thinking turns to the view that, contrary to the slogan "Wikipedia is not a Battleground," Wikipedia IS a Battleground, and that it was designed that way and is being played that way by a bunch of gamers. It's a MUD or a Dungeon where the premise is "Let's build an Encyclopedia." It is structured upon the storyline that "editors" are needed, and it sucks in a lot of high-minded writers who tend to be a little lonely and would love to have occasional text exchanges with others interested in whatever obscure topics interest them ("Hi, Danny! Wow! I couldn't help but notice that you took your nym from a book by the poet Ketheth Patchen! Cool!") -- but we, the writers, are just cannon fodder or targeted Red Shirts, while the REAL players at Wikipedia are those who know that it provides a shoot-em-up free-fire zone where people can take on anonymous personae and tear apart our writing (called "editing" by the gamers) on any class of thought or belief with which they don't agree.

We set the words up; they take them down. They award themselves points. They promote one another to high offices. That's the game.

To this end, complaints from hard-working writers that they are being treated with incivility are ignored, while the writers themselves are given the run-around. ("You need to develop a thicker skin." "Go ahead, just take a Wiki-Break." "Have you tried Wikiquette alerts?" "Why don't you try MEDCAB?" "This isn't a MEDCAB issue; try Dispute Resolution." "This is unlikely to be resolved; take it to ANI." "This is too long for ANI; take it to RfC." "This isn't an RfC matter; take it to ArbCom"). Meanwhile, the uncomplaining writers who leave in sorrow, confusion, fear, or disgust are said to have "retired." Nothing must interfere with the Battle.

I could say more, but i think you understand my point. No, i take that back. I have no idea if you understand my point or oppose it or are snickering with laughter right now. You are just another anonymous nobody here, and the fact is that you and your Wikipedian comrades are either writers who have thanklessly provided thousands of hours of good writing for target-practice or you are one of the real patrons, the shooter-boys, just hoping to find a handy target.

If i "retire" now, another writer-geek will take my place, and the Battle can go on . . . and on . . . and on.

catherine yronwode Catherineyronwode (talk) 03:23, 12 September 2008 (UTC)