Not all who contribute content to Wiki are operating in author mode. The primary goals of a Wiki Author are to support, improve, create, and encourage Document Mode and Signed Document Mode content. The Wiki Author achieves these goals by working collaboratively or alone to form pages that elucidate, define, present, or teach.
A Wiki Author...
A Wiki Author avoids the use of first and second person references because s/he knows these encourage discordant-contrarianism.
Instead, the Wiki Author attempts to author without personalities to encourage collective-prose.
A Wiki Author does not contribute responses to arguments in Thread Mode pages.
Instead, the Wiki Author attempts to author statements or conclusions that retain meaning outside of their conversational context.
A Wiki Author does not sign Thread Mode contributions unless they are a transient way to clarify miscommunication.
Instead, a Wiki Author adds their signature to the list of contributors to a completed Document Mode page and refactors miscommunications once they have been resolved.
A Wiki Author does not post questions for others to answer, as this encourages conversation instead of prose.
Instead, the Wiki Author uses Prompting Statements
A Wiki Author does not argue a point in Thread Mode.
Instead, the Wiki Author will try to author a new Document Mode page that presents the dissenting point of view. The Wiki Author does this because s/he prefers to see two well presented cases rather than an interwoven debate.
Wiki Author tips...
To keep a Document Mode page pristine, a Wiki Author uses Move Thread Mode To Discussion Page. For example, discussion about Null Object is moved to Null Object Discussion.
A Wiki Author kills a Thread Mode page slowly by using Tentative Summary and Therefore But so that a Document Mode page may emerge in its stead.
As an alternative to Thread Mode a Wiki Author considers Dialectic Mode..
A Wiki Author is energized by diversity. Because of this, the Wiki Author does not like to see points flying back and forth hidden within a single page where a user's power of persuasion is more compelling than the actual perspective being presented. Instead, a Wiki Author prefers it when each page perfects a single point of view. Instead of arguing against something, the Wiki Author endeavors to argue for something else. For example, instead of railing against Big Design Up Front on the Big Design Up Front page, we create another page named The Source Code Is The Design that argues for this point of view instead of against the Big Design Up Front point of view. This way, readers evaluate ideas rather than arguments. This is the Wiki Author way.
A Wiki user need not always operate in the mode of a Wiki Author. This is a preference, an ethic. It is not a list of unbreakable rules. A Wiki Author says only that these are his or her preference without saying it should be everyones.
See original on c2.com 