71.237.181.220

August 2024

Hello, I'm Mathglot. I noticed that you made a comment on the page in this discussion that didn't seem very civil, so it may have been removed. Wikipedia is built on collaboration, so it's one of our core principles to interact with one another in a polite and respectful manner. If you have any questions, you can leave me a message on my talk page. Please do not refer to other editors as "xenophobic"; a continued pattern of such comments could risk sanctions. Thanks. Mathglot (talk) 20:09, 16 August 2024 (UTC)

nevermind, im being a dick, sorry, i'll be good 71.237.181.220 (talk) 05:56, 20 August 2024 (UTC)

(edit conflict) No apology necessary for a ping; that's part of how things work around here. I have seen some editors specifically request not to be pinged, or who subscribe to discussions (and therefore are automatically notified of changes) but I'm far from so in demand that a ping annoys me; on the contrary, I appreciate it.

As far as condescension, it is not my intent. The list of policies and guidelines around here is quite long, and can be complex and mysterious for new users, and everybody, including me, runs afoul of some rule or other at some point, even after many years. What may appear to be condescension to you might just be my trying to explain something to a new user the best way I know how. It's a tricky thing to do, essentially teaching a new user about some rule or other. In the case of edit warring, that is one thing that seems natural to a new user, and is a habit that is important to break early, because you can end up blocked if it becomes a habit.

The other part of it, maybe the major part, has to do with internet culture, because almost all new users comer here with experience with social media or other types of internet forums, and are used to arguing with people and are used to seeing a lot of strife among users who disagree, sometimes vehemently, with each other, leaving nothing in their wake, by which I mean, no lasting edifice, result, decision, or anything of value; just strife, which then fades into the ether, leaving only a slight bad taste in the mouth. And then they come here, and perhaps resent some upstart telling them about some rule, like 'Wtf, who the hell are you to tell me anything?' So, there can be a definite culture clash, and the really crucial point to explain to a new user, and it's a very hard one to get across, is to explain that that's really not the dna of this place, or what it's about.

Instead, this is an encyclopedia, we are trying to build something lasting. Naturally, there are disagreements all the time about how best to word some article, but there are organized ways of handling disagreements, too (as well as ways not to, like edit-warring). New editors get a *lot* of slack while learning the ropes, because there are so many rules (not that many really important ones) and there's a lot of toleration for carry-over of habits learned elsewhere, but the hope is that new editors will become excited about the project of collaborating to build an encyclopedia, and unlearn the old habits and gradually pick up the culture here.

Maybe this is sounding like someone pontificating or condescending to you, I don't know, but I'd ask you to think about Wikipedia as this amazing collaboration with thousands of editors trying to leave something lasting (what is Reddit's legacy, Facebook's, or Something Awful?) and isn't that a really cool thing? To make it all work, with thousands of editors all with their own opinion about stuff, and I think that's okay. I get disgruntled sometimes and things don't always go my way, but more and more I see the wisdom of the crowd, and for the most part, the project as a whole goes in a positive direction. Explaining to new users about how to get on board is part of how I like to help the project grow and improve. But I won't go where I'm not wanted, and if you prefer that I never show up here again, I won't.

Either way, you are still welcome to leave messages on my Talk page if there's something you don't appreciate about what I've said to you, or the way I've said it; there is always room to improve. You are also welcome to ask me questions about editing, and if you prefer there is always the WP:Teahouse and the Wikipedia:Help desk where you can ask questions. Best of luck, I really hope you enjoy it here and decide to stay. Mathglot (talk) 06:16, 20 August 2024 (UTC)

(post-edit conflict) Hi, again. Sorry, I only saw your first edit in my response, and was responding to that. Now, I just saw what you changed it to, and that is a nice gesture, but don't worry, even what you said before is understandable. I'll try and do better, too, and I always appreciate constructive criticism. The offer of help stands; feel free to contact me anytime! (post-edit conflict) Mathglot (talk) 06:19, 20 August 2024 (UTC)

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