I’ve spent some time editing Wikipedia, and one of the funny things is that vandals who want attention for their pranks often don’t get it. Experienced editors just shut their nonsense down quietly and without a fuss. If a mistake appears to have happened through stupidity rather than malice, no one gets banned. Just a boring warning template.
Sounds like this guy didn’t get the attention he wanted on the wiki platform.
That being said…
I absolutely remember the thing about the Scots editor! I heard that he was trying in good faith, quite young, a bit weird, American, and equipped with a Scots-English dictionary. He just didn’t comprehend that grammar is different in other languages and that Groundskeeper Willie was nae actually speekin Scots.
I ended up feeling pretty bad for the kid, but it shows how an enthusiastic person can do an impressive amount of damage. Before the news came out, I would have pointed to the scots wiki as evidence that the language wasn’t really much more than a strong regional dialect. Similar to how a really thick Boston, Philly, or eastern Kentucky accent can sound to someone from a more midwestern US location.
I’ve spent some time editing Wikipedia, and one of the funny things is that vandals who want attention for their pranks often don’t get it. Experienced editors just shut their nonsense down quietly and without a fuss. If a mistake appears to have happened through stupidity rather than malice, no one gets banned. Just a boring warning template.
Sounds like this guy didn’t get the attention he wanted on the wiki platform.
That being said…
I absolutely remember the thing about the Scots editor! I heard that he was trying in good faith, quite young, a bit weird, American, and equipped with a Scots-English dictionary. He just didn’t comprehend that grammar is different in other languages and that Groundskeeper Willie was nae actually speekin Scots.
I ended up feeling pretty bad for the kid, but it shows how an enthusiastic person can do an impressive amount of damage. Before the news came out, I would have pointed to the scots wiki as evidence that the language wasn’t really much more than a strong regional dialect. Similar to how a really thick Boston, Philly, or eastern Kentucky accent can sound to someone from a more midwestern US location.