I've asked myself similar questions about how I could have gone about editing Wikipedia for profit, without getting banned in October 2006.
The honest answer is fairly simple. It was becoming clear to me that my business was not likely to skyrocket. In about six weeks' time, after press release blasts and other gimmicks, we had netted about eight clients. Only three were ambitious enough to request follow-up projects, but only one of these requested truly legitimate additions to Wikipedia. The other two were just pushing too hard and skirting the policies of NPOV and NOTABILITY, so I backed away politely from their additional requests.
Then we tried direct-mailing about 120 professionally-designed "letters of offer" to radio stations and professional-grade golf courses that did not have articles on Wikipedia. I had surmised that radio stations and golf courses were untapped opportunities within Wikipedia and industry players who would definitely respond well to the notion of "visibility" on Wikipedia.
We got one feedback inquiry from that mailing, and they didn't even turn out to engage our services.
I got frustrated.
And all the while, I was collecting information on how Jimmy Wales was directly profiting from Wikipedia's "feed" to Wikia, Inc., and it made me angry that he so expressly forbade Wikipedia Review the "appearance of a conflict of interest", all while he sat atop a heaping pile of COI.
So, I made the unconscious decision to not "leave well enough alone", and I began to take a too-interested part in the evolving WP:COI policy. When I e-mailed Jimbo that October night when WP:COI was upgraded from guideline to policy, that was the tipping point for Jimbo; his excuse to go ape-shit on my account.
Like Moulton should, I have to be a big enough boy to admit that I played plenty a part in getting myself banned. But, it was mostly because my sense of fairness wouldn't allow me to "leave well enough alone" within an environment that is fraught with unfair advantages to certain people. My anankastic tendencies didn't help, either.
Greg
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