User:Billybostickson

I have decided from the very start to pursue a policy of remaining anonymous. I made this decision primarily because I believe that an over-familiarity with the personalities and egos behind an online and free encylopedia can have a negative impact both on a reader’s ability to objectively appreciate the information he or she finds published on its pages, and on writers submitting their edits, who may find themselves unduly influenced by the stature (or notoriety) of the editorial team lurking behind the scenes, rather than considering the style, tone and approach of the writing itself.

I want to let the writing speak for itself, without the distraction of editorial names and reputations being attached, or concerns about whether these figures are ‘famous’ or ‘not famous’.

In some ways, I think the undue interest in who editors or authors are confirms my general belief that, as in so much of contemporary culture, the Wikipedia scene has fallen under the 21st century spell of the ‘cult of personality’.

So, first of all, I wish to declare the following:

I am not a robot. I am not the product of some cutting-edge technology designed to discover whether artificial intelligence can select and edit content for Wikipedia.

I am not the first ominous action in an insidious plan to destabilize the Wikipedia and cause internecine warfare.

I am not who you think I am. Though I might be. Even if I am, try not to think about it too much. It will only prematurely age you.

Having denied each of the above, I am able to confirm that all I am here to do is to provide accurate information which challenges us and makes us sit up and take notice—and that’s something I feel I can do better by remaining anonymous. There is no other agenda.

“The birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author” (though you may wish to replace the word ‘author’ with ‘editor’).

Roland Barthes