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User talk:Kmweber/What Wikipedia Is

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A Public Disputation

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After taking several months off, I come back to find that this essay has been nominated on MfD. Clearly, the nomination is groundless and the current course of the MfD reflects that, so I see no point in weighing in there myself. But while my stances as to what changes need to be made to Wikipedia, and to what constitutes legitimate governance, have not changed, after being away for several months to let the frustrations die down I'm willing to take a more cooperative approach. So I'd like to take this opportunity to hold an open, public discussion as to the validity of my ideas.

I certainly get that what I am suggesting here is radically different from how Wikipedia has been operating—that's the whole point. There would be no need for me to write this essay if Wikipedia was already operating in this manner, because there'd be no need for change. But I find the argument, as some people seem to think, that my ideas are inherently incorrect precisely because they're at odds with how Wikipedia works, to be simply illogical, for one simple reason: the way Wikipedia works is not immutable. Things can be changed. If we're only supposed to talk about how things currently work, Wikipedia will never get better. Dismissing proposals for change with "that's not how we do things around here, so not only are you wrong, but you can't even talk about that here" misses the whole point.

I invite any and all to make collegial, substantial arguments as to what, exactly, is flawed about the understanding of how Wikipedia should operate presented in this essay. Kurt Weber (Go Colts!: 16-0 and Super Bowl XLIV Champions) 16:44, 23 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]