Finding and interviewing ex-editors

That's interesting and pretty helpful. I guess it's the only thing that would make intuitive sense. People either leave on good terms because they have some exciting opportunities, or they leave on bad terms probably because of editing battles.

Randomran17:49, 30 October 2009

Then again, and I'm only half-joking, I think some people get addicted *because* of the battles :o)

Bodnotbod19:26, 30 October 2009

Hehe. I know you're joking. But I think some amount of debate is healthy, and most people who love knowledge will love a good debate. The problem is when we create an environment where it's fun to compete for influence, and rally some troops, and try to get their "enemies" in trouble. Then we have a battleground, and it's less attractive to jump in, and burnout is more common.

Randomran19:31, 30 October 2009

Is there really a 'universal' link between loving debate and loving knowledge or is it culturally defined? Henna 00:03, 16 November 2009 (UTC)

Henna00:03, 16 November 2009

Also a good point: not everyone likes to have a debate, and Wikipedia's discussion style may repel certain segments of the population. All the more reason to find ways to make discussions smoother, and cultivate a sense of teamwork (without cultivating a sense of "my team versus your team").

Randomran02:26, 16 November 2009