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I agree that everybody working on the Ann Coulter article should try to calm down a little bit and start talking about content instead of endlessly discussing each other. There's only so much I can do, though -- what we have, functionally, is an editing conflict over content, and while that is frustrating, there's not much I am empowered to do to solve that. I can't make people agree with one another.

Paul implied that I will only be taking your concerns seriously if I either "have them investigated" or block them for being uncivil, which I take issue with. The fact of the matter is that you yourself are empowered to "have them investigated" by using Misplaced Pages:Dispute resolution, you don't need me to do it for you and in fact it would be highly irregular if I did, since I've not been involved in the issues myself. There's not really been anything that I can block anyone over, quite frankly -- although personal attacks and incivility are considered against policy, administrators are strongly discouraged from blocking users for violations of these policies unless they are particularly egregious (racial slurs, physical threats, lawsuit threats). And if I was going to block folks for making "inflammatory comments," practically everybody editing on that page would end up with a block, and that certainly wouldn't help discussions. Basically, everybody needs to calm down and try to work together. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everybody sit down and listen to one another, but I can't. Try opening an RFC or engaging a mediator. · Katefan0 15:46, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Oh, and I am glad you opened an account. Much of the time anon contributions on Misplaced Pages are not given as much credence as those from registered users. So this was a good step if you're serious about contributing to Misplaced Pages. Good luck · Katefan0 15:51, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Ohh, I see; I thought you were referring to the fireworks on the Ann Coulter talk page. Well, as for sockpuppetry -- checking takes a heavy toll on the servers, so typically only developers are able to perform those checks. The only user that can perform them is User:David Gerard. Your only option really is to make a request to him; it's far beyond anything I can deal with myself. · Katefan0 16:12, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

From Paul to 67124 and Kate:
Actually, Kate may have misunderstood what I was getting at -- maybe because I was not very clear. I know she takes your concerns seriously. If you read what I wrote, I was referring to taking the accusations of sock puppetry seriously, in addition to her other actions (among which are 1] keeping an eye on the page and 2] telling people to play nice). What I mean(t) by the "seriously" remark is:

1. When people speciously (or stupidly) throw around such accusations, it is highly disruptive. Calling people's bluff and asking for real, not imagined, evidence (this is what I mean by "taking seriously") should either shut them up or get them to spill their evidence, if indeed they have any. This should quell some of the disruption.
2. If it then becomes obvious that there is no real evidence, the user needs to own up to this. The accusations I have read are rarely even qualified as "suspicions" -- they are out-and-out statements of "fact", and is making it harder to edit the page, get along, calm down, and collaborate. It is, I believe, an ugly tactic to attack other users, sully their reputations, and drive them away.

Kate is also correct to point out the many other options. I didn't mean to imply that anyone's options are so restrictive. However, I did mean to imply that, judging from the increasing incivility and recklessness of that page, there isn't a whole lot that Kate can do (not judging her intent or quality of work, just the outcome so far). She has tried her best to keep her eyes on that page, and it is getting worse.

It is informative, Kate, to hear the prevailing thinking about blocking. I respect admins' reluctance to block, but I do think that a one-hour block, from time to time, can send the right message. It need not be punitive; it can just tell the accuser to cool off and be ready to stop the accusations and apologize when they return. Calling someone a sockpuppet is an extremely serious charge; in the context of this talk page, could be construed as gaming the system. Inflammatory comments are one thing; the inflammatory and false accusations in question are, imho, outrageous and a more serious matter. paul klenk 17:33, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

Well, I don't know about that.

Here's what Katefan posted on my talk page about two weeks ago -

Be careful...

...you are coming perilously close to being blocked. Please read my comments at Talk:Karl Rove. Best · Katefan0(scribble) 04:38, 16 September 2005 (UTC)

And I might add I was still pretty much a newbie at this point (I began Sept 1.) The incident was INSTIGATED by ryan freisling unilaterally ERASING my commentary in an ARTICLE talk page!! (I know...it's never happened before or since.) Being new and completely clueless as to whether that was kosher or not, I thought, 'If Ryan can do that to me, I'll do that to her', so it went back and forth for a little bit until Kate stepped in within minutes I might add... with the above threat. Big Daddy 19:38, 3 October 2005 (UTC)