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'''Defence'''. Principled and good-faith criticism of another person is not the same thing as a personal attack or harassment.  Everyone accepts that fair and principled criticism of another editor's action is essential to the continued survival of the Wikipedia project.  But the evidence below shows that my criticism of the editor called FT2 has been principled and in good faith.  My actions should not therefore be labelled as 'harassment'.

'''Defence'''. Principled and good-faith criticism of another person is not the same thing as a personal attack or harassment.  Everyone accepts that fair and principled criticism of another editor's action is essential to the continued survival of the Wikipedia project.  But the evidence below shows that my criticism of the editor called FT2 has been principled and in good faith.  My actions should not therefore be labelled as 'harassment'.

'''Summary'''. The sections below contain detailed evidence in the form of 'diffs' (time-dated edits to the Encyclopedia).  In overall summary: [[#Peter Damian Background | first]], I present a list of the articles I have written (or been the main contributor to) since June 2003.  This shows beyond reasonable doubt that I have been a good-faith contributor to the 'mainspace' (article space) of Wikipedia over a long period.  I have never had a block for an 'edit war' over an article, and nearly all my articles have stayed in their original form to the present date (September 2008).

'''Summary'''. The sections below contain detailed evidence in the form of 'diffs' (time-dated edits to the Encyclopedia).  [[#Peter Damian Background | First]], I present a list of the articles I have written (or been the main contributor to) since June 2003.  This shows beyond reasonable doubt that I have been a good-faith contributor to the 'mainspace' (article space) of Wikipedia over a long period.  I have never had a block for an 'edit war' over an article, and nearly all my articles have stayed in their original form to the present date (September 2008).

In the section on [[#My concerns about Wikipedia | my concerns about Wikipedia]] I present the issues that I feel are dividing the project.  The first problem is the rise of an administrative 'class' in Wikipedia who have little or no expertise in encyclopedia development, and whose main function is to block vandals and abusive 'sockpuppets' (multiple accounts).  While they are a solution to a real problem (vandalism caused by the lack of editorial vetting) they have become a Frankenstein's monster that is almost destroying the project (which is to write an encylopedia).  The second problem that afflicts Wikipedia is the proliferation of 'cruft' and of crank material.  (Cruft is crank material that is placed in the encyclopedia for financial gain, since Wikipedia gets a high or top ranking in most search engines, crank material is just cranky).

In the section on [[#My concerns about Wikipedia | my concerns about Wikipedia]] I present the issues that I feel are dividing the project.  The first problem is the rise of an administrative 'class' in Wikipedia whose priority has shifted from writing an encyclopedia to the blocking of vandals and abusive 'sockpuppets' (multiple accounts).  While they are a solution to a real problem (vandalism caused by the lack of editorial vetting) they have become a Frankenstein's monster that is almost destroying the project (which is to write an encylopedia).  The second problem that afflicts Wikipedia is the proliferation of 'cruft' and of crank material.  (Cruft is non-encyclopedic, unsourced material that is placed in the encyclopedia for financial gain, since Wikipedia gets a high or top ranking in most search engines, crank material is non-encyclopedic, and unsourced).

In the section [[#Criticism of FT2 | Criticism of FT2]] I argue that FT2's contributions to the Wikipedia project are net negative.  He or she is the leader of the adminstrative 'security force' whose main function has been subverted to the blocking or banning of genuinely good editors (point one), and he is also responsible for much cruft-ish and cranky material in his own right.

In the section [[#Criticism of FT2 | Criticism of FT2]] I argue that FT2's contributions to the Wikipedia project are net negative.  He or she is the leader of the adminstrative 'security force' whose main function has been subverted to the blocking or banning of genuinely good editors (point one), and he is also responsible for much cruft-ish and cranky material in his own right.

== Peter Damian Background ==

== Peter Damian Background ==

The following summarises the articles to which I have made significant contributions in my time at Wikipedia.  The articles in bold are those to which I was the main contributor, and whose subject is important or notable (e.g. ''History of logic'', which had not been covered properly until 2008).

The following summarises the articles to which I have made significant contributions in my time at Wikipedia.  The articles in bold are those to which I was the main contributor, and whose subject is important or notable (e.g. ''History of logic'', which had not been covered properly until 2008).  My main area of expertise is in Anglo-American analytic philosophy (I graduated from a top-class British university in the 1970's, did my PhD there, and taught there until the late 1980's.  I have published in a number of good quality journals, and continue to work and publish, although I no longer teach).  I also have an interest in medieval philosophy, and set theory and mathematics.  My contributions to the project mostly reflect these specialisms.

=== Mathematics, logic and set theory ===

=== Mathematics, logic and set theory ===