User:Tristessa de St Ange

A word on personal differences

As a person who is a gender-variant, pacifist, anarchocollectivist Buddhist, I tick many "minority" boxes.

I have noticed on multiple occasions a phenomenon whereby the impending fear of an person's attributes being impugned is enough to create a reaction similar to as though they really had been subject to bigotry, hatred, or some similar fear. This is extremely common on Wikipedia.

There is nothing wrong with wearing what makes us unique "on our sleeves"; as we are all unique, and our uniqueness is what really forms the core of the beauty to find in others. What is wrong is when we take what others wear on their sleeves to be a threat to our wearing of our things on our sleeves. The answer, put simply, is to wear a sleeveless shirt when your sleeve-badges are too precious to take out in public.

Build up your confidence gradually; wear them at home; then with some close friends; then in places you feel comfortable; then throughout your life.

Once you have learned to stop fearing yourself, you will no longer fear the perceptions of you by others.

Wiki-philosophy

Wikipedia 5R

A wiki is designed to be rewritten.

Consequently, some code of behaviour is necessary to ensure that this takes place in a manner that leads to some kind of improvement versus constant argument.

That code of behaviour is extremely simple:-

1. Respect: Treat both viewpoints and contributors with respect and common sense.
2. Reserve: Hold a dispassionate view of all subject matter, regardless of your own view on the subject. Reserve strong personal opinion for venues outside Wikipedia.
3. Resolve: Change anything that you see as being broken around Wikipedia in the most productive way possible - that is, aim to resolve issues rather than continue them.
4. Respond: Always be responsive and ready to talk to any colleague or interested party.
5. Relax: It's a wiki. It's designed to be changed, and things will change. It will be alright.

Contacting me

If there's any way you think I might be able to help you, I'm entirely at your service. I don't bite... honest! (well, I try very hard not to)

• Leave a message on my talk page. I'll respond to you on both your talk page and mine, copying all dialogue.
• Send me an e-mail. Click here to send me a message
• Grab me on IRC. I usually use the nick "Tristessa" on Freenode; you can usually find me hanging around #wikipedia, and if you ask about for me someone will know my whereabouts.