![]() | This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
The Knights of Ancient Time followed a moral, religious and social code of conduct. Their lives were structured by the tenets of Courage, Honor, and Service. Chivalry was the name given to the outward expression of their inner being. The exact meaning of Chivalry changes, depending on the writer, the time period and the region. Therefore a comprehensive definition of Chivalry is elusive. But, in the tradition of the "knight in shining armor", a description of a WikiKnight would include words like valor, glory, morals, justice, Laws, adept at war, civility, tradition, loyalty, elequence, dexterity, love, diplomacy, intelligence, nobility, leadership, considerate, bold, artful, credible (trustworthy/believable). That's a long list of conduct-challenging words.
One of the more troubling aspects of my early days as a member of Wikipedia is discovering "lost souls". As with most "newbies" (I would guess) I'm jumping here and there and everywhere. Reading articles, discovering the lay of the land, creating an exceptable user page, daring to make the occasional edit. And, also, looking for acceptance and maybe a little guidance. The discussion pages are filled with wonderful conversations and more than a little verbosity. Its an advantage to be able to get a feel for an editor and then be able to go to his/her user page and find some more about who they are. But...here's the rub. Often times that editor has given up...examples...
Perhaps the "newbie" gets involved with an article at a level that they are just not ready for---they are too inexpierienced. Or, they get enbroiled in an editing war with a bureaucratic editor or administrator or a seasoned wily veteran. WikiJargon starts to flow, things get said, threats are made, names are "called", the newbie is discouraged. The Wiki-Experience changes. The Wiki-Experience ends!
It would probably do us all a WikiWorld of good to remember (each on our own) our individual early days at Wikipedia. How bright-eyed we were. How exciting the place was. OMG...The challenge of your first edit. Probably just a minor edit...punctuation more than likely! But you were hooked. You joined a World-wide phenomenon. As you wandered around the changing landscape of WP, your sense of the enormity and value of the place grew. You got a taste of what a free-flowing, ever-changing, stimulating project it was. And you wanted to be involved. You wanted to be a Wiki-Editor. WE. How much cleaner can it get? It says it all: WE. A Unifying term, a reminder that WE are all in this together. A "Don't Bite the Newbies" kinda thing. Let's leave the edit war behind for a second and remember who WE are. How it was when WE were young and innocent Wiki Editors. How WE felt when WE were chastized for the first time. How WE couldn't believe that our good faith was being challenged...by 5 people...all at the same time and in the same place. How WE felt if, in the midst of conflict, another editor came along and spoke up for us, supported us, befriended us. It was as tho angels had been sent from above. WE were not alone. Also, how WE feel to be a part of something that is endless.
WE care about moral issues, nobility, decency, happiness, goodness—--the issues that matter in the real world, but which can only be addressed, in their purity, in fiction....Orson Scott Card
So my idea is to save the day, to save the person that joined but is now dissillusioned, to be a cohort when a cohort is needed, a friend when it seems all have turned away. To give advice without judgement. To show up at a revert war and defend the indefensible. Of course, I am not referring merely to any edit war (etc) where the #'s are out of proportion. The situations that need a cohort, seem to me, to be obvious...like pornography. "I know it when I see it"
Is your Wiki-Journey really over? Are you going to let the naysayers win? What if your Wiki-experience had taken a slightly different course? Maybe what you need is a new direction, a new sandbox to play in (so to speak), a new set of priorities. I can't prove it but I KNOW that if a person merely changes their mind, they change their experience. WikiKnights are there to help forlourn editors change their minds. Most Wiki-editors start with high hopes, high purpose, high regards for others. Each Wiki-life is different. But, for some, sadly, the roads travelled have led to the same place—discontented and disheartened.
The time spent in an edit war is wasted time, for the most part. It is time that is lost. The value of an editor that gives up cannot be measured. Good Faith Editing (GFE) should not be a rare commodity.
For obvious reasons, the tactics that are available to a Wikiknight are not available to the general public nor to the huddled masses. There despersal would defeat the purpose of secrecy and provide opposing SIC/CC editors with a blueprint for encroachment and destruction. The tactics have been honed to a sharp edge, much like a surgeon's scalpel. However, they are under audit and are currently being updated (many haven't been used since The First Crusade.) As you can clearly see in the image above, work on the tunics continues. The trusted steeds necessary for quick response are rested and "chomping at the bit" for action. The call has gone out to the Winds of Wikipedia for Noble Knights. A response has been accepted. Training begins forthwith. Change is in the air! Can you feel it?
The thing about the knights of old was- they kept moving- they didnt look back. They had their sites on one goal; to keep editors, especially new editors, editing. Kind of like the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Did you ever hear of The Masked Man going back into town and asking, "So...! How's it going? Do you need any help digging that well?." The knight did not care. He had his sites on the next situation that needed his help. "Knights in shining armor", "Here they come to save the day". Mighty Mouse
A well-informed landscaper will plant many varied grass seeds in the same plot-each for different conditions. Some seeds lay dormant, waiting for their opportunity in the sun. Others thrive everywhere. No matter what conditions are, the lawn looks great. Dormancy can be a survival trait.
Peace is a state of balance and understanding in yourself and between others, where respect is gained by the acceptance of differences, tolerance persists, conflicts are resolved through dialog, peoples rights are respected and their voices are heard, and everyone is at their highest point of serenity without social tension.
...the model of this tradition....traits "such as loyalty, courtesy, munificence...are found in eminent degree among the Arabs."....the "cradle of chivalry".... "Piety, courtesy, prowess in war, the gift of eloquence, the art of poetry, skill on horseback, dexterity with sword, lance, and bow" was expected of the elite Moorish knight....
Change the drift from fighting a War to preserving Peace
![]() | This is an
essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of
Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been
thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
The Knights of Ancient Time followed a moral, religious and social code of conduct. Their lives were structured by the tenets of Courage, Honor, and Service. Chivalry was the name given to the outward expression of their inner being. The exact meaning of Chivalry changes, depending on the writer, the time period and the region. Therefore a comprehensive definition of Chivalry is elusive. But, in the tradition of the "knight in shining armor", a description of a WikiKnight would include words like valor, glory, morals, justice, Laws, adept at war, civility, tradition, loyalty, elequence, dexterity, love, diplomacy, intelligence, nobility, leadership, considerate, bold, artful, credible (trustworthy/believable). That's a long list of conduct-challenging words.
One of the more troubling aspects of my early days as a member of Wikipedia is discovering "lost souls". As with most "newbies" (I would guess) I'm jumping here and there and everywhere. Reading articles, discovering the lay of the land, creating an exceptable user page, daring to make the occasional edit. And, also, looking for acceptance and maybe a little guidance. The discussion pages are filled with wonderful conversations and more than a little verbosity. Its an advantage to be able to get a feel for an editor and then be able to go to his/her user page and find some more about who they are. But...here's the rub. Often times that editor has given up...examples...
Perhaps the "newbie" gets involved with an article at a level that they are just not ready for---they are too inexpierienced. Or, they get enbroiled in an editing war with a bureaucratic editor or administrator or a seasoned wily veteran. WikiJargon starts to flow, things get said, threats are made, names are "called", the newbie is discouraged. The Wiki-Experience changes. The Wiki-Experience ends!
It would probably do us all a WikiWorld of good to remember (each on our own) our individual early days at Wikipedia. How bright-eyed we were. How exciting the place was. OMG...The challenge of your first edit. Probably just a minor edit...punctuation more than likely! But you were hooked. You joined a World-wide phenomenon. As you wandered around the changing landscape of WP, your sense of the enormity and value of the place grew. You got a taste of what a free-flowing, ever-changing, stimulating project it was. And you wanted to be involved. You wanted to be a Wiki-Editor. WE. How much cleaner can it get? It says it all: WE. A Unifying term, a reminder that WE are all in this together. A "Don't Bite the Newbies" kinda thing. Let's leave the edit war behind for a second and remember who WE are. How it was when WE were young and innocent Wiki Editors. How WE felt when WE were chastized for the first time. How WE couldn't believe that our good faith was being challenged...by 5 people...all at the same time and in the same place. How WE felt if, in the midst of conflict, another editor came along and spoke up for us, supported us, befriended us. It was as tho angels had been sent from above. WE were not alone. Also, how WE feel to be a part of something that is endless.
WE care about moral issues, nobility, decency, happiness, goodness—--the issues that matter in the real world, but which can only be addressed, in their purity, in fiction....Orson Scott Card
So my idea is to save the day, to save the person that joined but is now dissillusioned, to be a cohort when a cohort is needed, a friend when it seems all have turned away. To give advice without judgement. To show up at a revert war and defend the indefensible. Of course, I am not referring merely to any edit war (etc) where the #'s are out of proportion. The situations that need a cohort, seem to me, to be obvious...like pornography. "I know it when I see it"
Is your Wiki-Journey really over? Are you going to let the naysayers win? What if your Wiki-experience had taken a slightly different course? Maybe what you need is a new direction, a new sandbox to play in (so to speak), a new set of priorities. I can't prove it but I KNOW that if a person merely changes their mind, they change their experience. WikiKnights are there to help forlourn editors change their minds. Most Wiki-editors start with high hopes, high purpose, high regards for others. Each Wiki-life is different. But, for some, sadly, the roads travelled have led to the same place—discontented and disheartened.
The time spent in an edit war is wasted time, for the most part. It is time that is lost. The value of an editor that gives up cannot be measured. Good Faith Editing (GFE) should not be a rare commodity.
For obvious reasons, the tactics that are available to a Wikiknight are not available to the general public nor to the huddled masses. There despersal would defeat the purpose of secrecy and provide opposing SIC/CC editors with a blueprint for encroachment and destruction. The tactics have been honed to a sharp edge, much like a surgeon's scalpel. However, they are under audit and are currently being updated (many haven't been used since The First Crusade.) As you can clearly see in the image above, work on the tunics continues. The trusted steeds necessary for quick response are rested and "chomping at the bit" for action. The call has gone out to the Winds of Wikipedia for Noble Knights. A response has been accepted. Training begins forthwith. Change is in the air! Can you feel it?
The thing about the knights of old was- they kept moving- they didnt look back. They had their sites on one goal; to keep editors, especially new editors, editing. Kind of like the Lone Ranger and Tonto. Did you ever hear of The Masked Man going back into town and asking, "So...! How's it going? Do you need any help digging that well?." The knight did not care. He had his sites on the next situation that needed his help. "Knights in shining armor", "Here they come to save the day". Mighty Mouse
A well-informed landscaper will plant many varied grass seeds in the same plot-each for different conditions. Some seeds lay dormant, waiting for their opportunity in the sun. Others thrive everywhere. No matter what conditions are, the lawn looks great. Dormancy can be a survival trait.
Peace is a state of balance and understanding in yourself and between others, where respect is gained by the acceptance of differences, tolerance persists, conflicts are resolved through dialog, peoples rights are respected and their voices are heard, and everyone is at their highest point of serenity without social tension.
...the model of this tradition....traits "such as loyalty, courtesy, munificence...are found in eminent degree among the Arabs."....the "cradle of chivalry".... "Piety, courtesy, prowess in war, the gift of eloquence, the art of poetry, skill on horseback, dexterity with sword, lance, and bow" was expected of the elite Moorish knight....
Change the drift from fighting a War to preserving Peace