User:Eponymous/Campaigning

"To get practice in being refused."

The New Left during infancy questioned earlier approaches and theory, turning from disillusion to revitalization. Denial of pre-war leftist parties moral illegitimacy could go on no longer, the failure of too many centralized authoritarian regimes forged new questions on philosophy, social alienation, counterculture, and rebellion. The driving influence of early New Left thinkers as it relates to RationalWiki is my belief in a cultural identity based in a semi-personal and semi-political embrace of non-mainstream views, and promoting the questioning of institutions, restrictions, and traditional roles in our community. The current issues putting RationalWiki at risk of ruination are very similar to the failures of the later New Left. The confluence of political and cultural identity was eroded as authoritarian tendencies began taking root, rigid ideas on the requirements to be a beneficial member, revanchist fantasies of reclaiming past glory, and a craving for retribution against the opposition at a time when those at odds with us are those in power.

Those threats to our community and the solutions I see as necessary to the continued excellence and growth of this site are done by the contributors. In fact, these are values we all must to some degree promote from any level of user role or activity. The actions I would take to protect our contributors, keep our site to the standard of intellectual excellence, wry in tone, and socially vibrant as moderator as detailed below.


 * I. Moynihanesque Moderation: The Daoist concept wei wu wei or 'action without action' is fundamental to effective moderation. Unless I need to act, I will not act. If I need to act, I will act in as small and unobtrusive way possible. Privately speaking to someone respectfully is a thousand times preferable to publicly asking someone to change their behavior, resolutions should be swift and private to preserve the dignity and save face of all those involved.


 * II. Anarcho-Aristocratic Ideology: My arbitration ideology is one which a portion of moderators such as myself counterpoise against the harmful enforcement of policies or groupthink of the collective moderators. To be a Devil's advocate and a representative for the ostracized against the arbitration institutions. This in no way means defending the shunned from the Mobocracy so long as things are civil within reason.


 * III. Situational Recusal: On matters which I am personally invested or have interests in I will not use my moderator ability in any way. On the reverse if I have previously used my moderation role in something brought to a vote or arbitration, I will not exercise a vote or ruling on the topic.


 * IV. No Judgement Where Shepherded: In the event that after exploring every other choice I need to publically notify the community to keep a discussion on topic or civil, I will do so without casting judgement on any parties involve for their views and opinions or wrong views and wrong opinions. If later lending my voice to the discussion (unlikely I would do so), it will be carefully separate from my moderator voice.


 * V. Contributor Assembly: In the course of my tenure as moderator I will let the Mobocracy forge it's own destiny, guarding it against the shackles of Policy and tyranny of Sysops. Should a policy be challenge, I will only do so at the behest of the contributors through revisions proposed and approved by the contributors. Let no position or document be held higher than the people.

A Brief Word on Editing Experience

I have frequented this site for many years, in truth however only as of recent dedicated myself to more active participation. While I have made the occasional account and immediately after began editing some articles over the years, they prove short lived and forgotten until another year passes. Now has come the time in my life, and in my professional schedule, to make the concerted effort and actions needed to improve this site, and steward this community. Moderator or contributor, I will be working to be among the leaders pushing for a RationalWiki Renaissance.

A Brief Word on Community Involvement

Now while I've been on the Discord for the past couple of weeks, and occasionally written in the Saloon on short lived past accounts, I have no doubt most if not all of you in the community have not heard from me. This will change. There are so many things going on in the world and across the various platforms this community has embraced. I will engage this community, because it's opinions and knowledgeably pairs fantastically with it's opinionated and darkly humorous contributors. Those who are wrong shall feel my riposte while the commendable shall know my repartee — I'm nothing if not memorable.

Eponymous (talk) 07:09, 9 November 2018 (UTC)