Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bertrand Meyer (talk | contribs) at 17:17, 28 January 2007. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

I read your text about Misplaced Pages. I feel very sorry that you were disappointed, after you defensed wikipedia. Probably things are easier (more professional?) in german wikipedia? I use to contribute there (I'm not that good in english), mainly in articles connected with austria (history of austrian film etc...). Of course there are sometime difficulties (of course rather in articles where different opinions meat each ohter...kindly said) but usually the rationality wins. (of course, sometimes there are extreme negative examples, but even they dont last forever). Probably the whole wikipedia-project is more difficult in the english version, because there are double as much articles than in the german version, and probably 10 times as much users. And a few hundred million, or even more than a billion people speaking english compared to just about 100 million german speaking people are of course a big difference. kind regards -- Otto Normalverbraucher 19:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Thanks for the comments. I devoted quite some time to writing something decent about the topic and was taken aback by the reaction to my efforts. B-Meyer 23:26, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Hi. I'd also like to say how awful the way you were treated was. I'm sorry it turned out that way. There really isn't much more I can say. Viel Erfolg mit anderen Tätigkeiten. Grüße aus Vancouver, BC/New York ...Zweifel 07:04, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

Aaah! You are French. I am sorry, sir. Call me provincial, but I just like using my German. ..Zweifel 07:26, 12 September 2006 (UTC)

In Misplaced Pages often a lot of patience and perseverance is needed. If arguments don't help it is sometimes better to ask another (older and wiser) user (or admin) to mediate (and help). For that, in german language wikipedia a kind of "mediation commitee" exists (de:Misplaced Pages:Vermittlungsausschuss). User who think that they have troubles with another user (or other users) can explain their problem there. A few volunteers always try to help. I don't know if this exists here too. But to throw in the towel because of one single (and probably the first) quarrel is, I guess, not the best way. I had quarrels too (and I think so has everyone). But they are usually not that bad that one has to leave. Because there are always a lot of users who are more into a specific theme and who act more carefully with other users. For example in the portals. In your case probably the Portal:Information_technology could be a place to discuss the case? I just think you should not leave after such short time and better find a solution. greetings. -- Otto Normalverbraucher 19:45, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

I was very sorry to read this warning, particularly after your "laudatio" at the Swiss Misplaced Pages Day. I hope you will once find your way back to Misplaced Pages, maybe after some changes (keyword "stable versions") have occured. All the best! Michael Bimmler --Mbimmler 16:49, 18 September 2006 (UTC)

since when is it allowed to edit another ones user page like P3Do did? isnt that against wikipedia rules?62.203.102.106 01:24, 29 November 2006 (UTC)

As a matter of fact the problem that arose last summer basically corrected itself once I stopped contributing. It quickly turned out that the controversy was entirely due to a handful of individuals, who were setting themselves up as Misplaced Pages experts and vigilantes, while in fact representing no one but themselves. As soon as the Misplaced Pages community was objectively asked for its opinion, with me out of the picture, they were overwhelmingly defeated and things went back to normal. This self-healing process was really impressive.

The less pleasant lesson from this little incident is that if you are connected to an idea, a technology or any other development you just cannot and should not contribute to the corresponding Misplaced Pages article. Such is the fear of bias and self-promotion that people will shoot you down not for what you write but for who you are. While understandable, this fear leads to a gut-level anti-elitist attitude which I find regrettable. I trust, however, that as it matures Misplaced Pages will find the right way to accommodate contributions by concept originators.

I would appreciate if someone removed the last sentence in the Misplaced Pages entry about me, which adds nothing to the comments that precede it but invites confusion. It's true that I have no intention of contributing to Misplaced Pages in the near future, but this is just a pragmatic decision coming out of the previous analysis, and there is no reason to suggest that I have any hostiity to the Misplaced Pages project. B-Meyer 17:17, 28 January 2007 (UTC)