http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:CABAL
Yet on 27 January 2003, an anonymous IP added this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=...al&oldid=624106
QUOTE
Face it, there's a w:cabal here. Notable members include those who call themselves the Wikipedia:Volunteer fire department, but are actually just intent on enforcing their own views, without any trace of consultative process.
Their rallying cry is this unimplementable concept of neutral point of view, which has no meaning other than a w:war of attrition until the wiser of the individuals participating leaves in disgust, leaving the more persistent idiot to finish off the article. Wikipedia is probably doomed if this continues, and will likely resemble the "fr." version en francais, which has been taken over by a more honest cabal.
Notable evidence of a cabal is lack of participation on meta site, no discussion of more detailed access to usage logs, and Wales' taking positions on issues like offensive usernames while his cabal rationalizes it as if it were really a community decision.
Their rallying cry is this unimplementable concept of neutral point of view, which has no meaning other than a w:war of attrition until the wiser of the individuals participating leaves in disgust, leaving the more persistent idiot to finish off the article. Wikipedia is probably doomed if this continues, and will likely resemble the "fr." version en francais, which has been taken over by a more honest cabal.
Notable evidence of a cabal is lack of participation on meta site, no discussion of more detailed access to usage logs, and Wales' taking positions on issues like offensive usernames while his cabal rationalizes it as if it were really a community decision.
Supposedly, the essay moved to meta here:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Cabal
And of course the meta page has nothing related to inappropriate actions on Wikipedia on it.
If we look through the history, however, we can see where the cover up began:
On 30 May 2003, the first bits of censorship came in:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?titl...next&oldid=7537
But this was reinserted, and it remained in a half decent fashion until this edit on 3 May 2004 totally rewrote the article from something legitimate to a back-patting episode:
http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?titl...ext&oldid=34052
So for a bit over a year, the meta cabal page was somewhat useful. Then it became a back patting episode, by Wikipedia fans trying to suggest that they are wonderful and anyone criticising them is a troll.
And then finally on April 1, 2005, they buried it for good by making it in to an April Fool's Day joke.
No, the April Fool's Day joke didn't start the cabal joke. It ended the real cabal charges. It was a tool of censorship.
And of course, Wikipedia now has this handy bit as a redirect for WP:TINC :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:TINC
QUOTE
There is only a cabal if you want there to be one
QUOTE
"When you start accusing everyone of being in on a conspiracy, you shouldn't be surprised if they decide to confirm your paranoia by banding together against you." —khaosworks
With such wonderful logic, they can easily dismiss every criticism imaginable.
