Via my friend David Gerard, who writes on LiveJournal: Revealed! Why the Wikipedia community is on crack.

He links to a fantastic article by Clay Shirky which I hadn’t read before: A group is its own worst enemy. This is compulsory reading. Ever wondered why your mailing list, IRC channel, or web forum degenerated into idiocy? Shirky will reveal all. I haven’t digested it all yet, but I need to link this thing in the GeekEtiquette sidebar and re-read it a few times and get into some conversations about it and, hopefully, after I’ve digested it I’ll be able to crap out a couple of worthwhile etiquette posts around the subject.

Meanwhile, the best bit of David’s post about Wikipedia, which had me literally laughing out loud:

We have enough trouble enculturating Usenet refugees and their robust interaction style.

Robust. Interaction. Style.

Best wishes to David, btw, whose partner is in labour and unable to find her “I’m blogging this” tshirt.