This is an early Thanksgiving. It occurs to me that I have not thanked people enough, especially the hardest-working people. I thank people all the time, but it is usually for over-and-above stuff, and when people first show up. So, at the risk of embarrassing them, I’m going to thank a whole bunch of people. I hope you don’t mind, folks.
But I should add something, because I don’t want this sort of attention to go to anybody’s head, either — I mean, frankly, I think it’s a little ridiculous that praise from me would go to anybody’s head. Most people aren’t that way and they realize that I’m just this guy, so big deal. But, you see, I’m worried and I speak from experience. In listing these people and their useful work, I do not mean, in any way shape or form, to be establishing something like a project aristocracy. I can imagine that some people might be puffed up by this sort of attention, and think that such recognition gives them rights in the project that others do not have. That would be very wrongheaded. In fact, not to malign them unjustly I hope, but certain Wikipedians seem to carry about their titles and achievements and “barnstars” and whatnot as so many bludgeons that they can use to get their way. Damn me if that ever happens on the Citizendium. I have sometimes accused Wikipedia of being egalitarian in a bad, utopian way, but in this regard I would like CZ to be *more* egalitarian than WP. I would like us to settle content disputes by kindly, rational compromise first, by reference to expert knowledge second, and by fair, open, law-governed dispute resolution processes last — but NEVER by a presumption that “I’ve been here
longer, I’m a Big Shot, so you gotta listen to me and my friends, or else!” We should always be a freer, more open, and indeed more equal community than that cliquish, competitive attitude implies.
And if you would never dream of being that way — well, clearly, I’m not talking about *you*.
That said in preface, here’s the rogue’s gallery from the Citizendium’s first year, in alphabetical order, and what I honor them for. And I’m very sorry if I left anyone out, or if I failed to mention some shining achievement of yours — I’m just going based on what I remember and what I had personal experience with, and the project is already bigger than I can always personally track. But yes, I do actually know all these people and am at least somewhat acquainted with their work for the project! I am sure I must have left out some hard-working people, some may have slipped through the cracks, and I’m sorry that I did…
Click through to the list.
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