Board Thread:New Features/@comment-5275700-20150722200934/@comment-89.241.219.185-20150809154018

Jackiespeel's questions are good ones & there are other questions that Wikia should also answer.

The first is this: Why are registered users better than IP users? Wikia is saying that they are better but is not saying why.

Also, in the introductory message at the top of this discussion, BertH asks "Was it beneficial?" ("it" being disabling anonymous editing) but there's nothing to indicate what's meant by "beneficial". Unless it's clearly defined, "beneficial" could just mean whatever an individual responder happens to like.

Depending on who's saying it, "beneficial" could mean:


 * 1. "encouraging contributors with a wider range of expertise & outlook" or


 * 2. "reducing irrelevant & misleading edits, as well as intentional vandalism" or


 * 3. "making it easier to suppress statements with which I disagree & to prevent the expression of opinions I don't like" or


 * various other interpretations...

The problem is that a responder might say and believe that they meant 2 when any objective observer would be in no doubt that they actually meant 3. There are & probably always will be people around who are unshakably certain that their personal beliefs are unquestionable facts & that disagreement is always misinformed folly or malice -- or both. Wikis have in the past had admins with this outlook & they may again in the future.

The best defence against such people is openness.

Can Wikia guarantee that disabling anonymous editing won't be abused by people of this kind? Is Wikia actually capable of detecting & preventing such abuse? If not, disabling anonymous editing will be handing characters of this kind the ability to shut out all disagreement. Only registered users will be able to edit & any registered users who make "undesirable" contributions can easily be blocked from editing.

Anyone inclined to shut out disagreement or unwelcome facts will, of course, report the ability to do so as being "beneficial". Wikia needs to ensure that "beneficial" can't mean this.