Wikipedia talk:What Wikipedia Should Be

Making friends?

I'm really not sure that Wikipedia should be "a place to make friends". If it is, then that's an incidental factor, not an in-built or intentional mechanism of the site. There's no "friends list" or "friend watchlist" or anything like that. I'm not saying "making friends" should be discouraged, but maybe you should consider renaming that heading to "creating social networks", or something a little more appropriate. Seegoon 17:04, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

Sounds good, Seegoon. The part about making friends is somewhat expressed here, but it does sound about right. I would like a consensus about this before I change, regardless of my power as founder of this essay. Cheers, Laleena 23:55, 18 September 2007 (UTC)

For what it's worth, I agree with Seegoon. Wikipedia shouldn't be a place to make friends in the way that networking sites like Facebook and Myspace are. Sure, we have contact with other editors and through that can form friendships, but primarily we're creating an encyclopedia, not socializing. --Gimme danger 20:11, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree on the issues, and three editors that work on this essay (I'm about to check that out) agree on the basic issues. The real thing is what to change it to. I might go so far as to propose we merge this section into the community one, simply because it seems like they have the same context. My first ideas picked this one to be lone, but I see others' opinions and now think this is worth the change. Thanks, Laleena 22:08, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

I would agree that the friends section could be merged with the community section. I have slightly modified the friends section to read "friendly place", but even then it still feels like a merge might be in order. SilkTork *SilkyTalk 10:53, 24 September 2007 (UTC)

I agree it is a place to make friends, but that is more incidental than an express purpose, and should probably not be noted in its own section. Judgesurreal777 20:44, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Do I have permission to merge the section yet? Laleena 22:25, 26 September 2007 (UTC)

Perhaps this should move to join other essays at the metawiki

Early on essays of this nature were moved to the meta wiki and community discussions were encouraged there rather than litter the encyclopedia space and confuse the primary project goal ... writing an encyclopedia. Lazyquasar 08:42, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

I've seen quite a few essays over here, and according to your definition ("primary project goal ... writing an encyclopedia"), they should all be moved. Perhaps, though, I should move this to my user space, to give it the security of being hosted by the founder. It would be best done now, but I really would like consensus on the issue. Thanks, Laleena 12:05, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Oops! I have been away for quite a while. I just clicked on the category Wikipedia essays[1]. You are clearly correct. Apparently the early-on anti local essay policy/approach has been changed completely. Sorry to bother you with misinformation. Sincerely Lazyquasar 19:01, 22 September 2007 (UTC)