User:Mackensen

My primary areas of interest are the British peerage, mid-nineteenth century British politics, railway networks, and the intellectual history of the Kaiserreich army. Sometimes I upload pictures that I've taken while travelling abroad; I've included a few at right. I've also been known to clear up the random Star Wars-related article that floats my way.

I have an abiding love for the idea of open encyclopedia edited by everyone. To me, it aims at the heights envisioned by Hegel and John Stuart Mill; total knowledge based upon the foundation of as many voices as possible. If that is your goal then you are my ally in this endeavour.

My real name is Charles and I graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2005. I'm married, employed, and a loyal fan of the Detroit Tigers (next year!) Further details are not forthcoming because my private existence is utterly boring and unimportant (really, it is, and I defy anyone to prove otherwise).

Editing milestones:

• First edit (23 August 2003): [1] Uploaded the image Image:Benjamin disraeli.png
• First new article (25 August 2003): [2] John Manners, 7th Duke of Rutland
• First known reversion (26 February 2004): [3] Otto von Bismarck
• 1,000th edit (11 May 2004): [4] Discussed policy on Baronets at Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Peerage
• 2,000th edit (9 November 2004): [5] Voted to oppose Pumpie (talk · contribs) for adminship
• 4,000th edit (8 May 2005): [6] Quarreled over whether Slrubenstein (talk • contribs • blocks • protects • deletions • moves • rights) was justified in breaking the 3RR
• 8,000th edit (26 February 2006): [7] Reverted a vandal at José Luis Alcaine
• 16,000th edit (16 December 2006): [8] Upgraded a template at New Carrollton (Washington Metro)

With five years of editing approaching things seem to have come full circle--I'm back to straight article editing and taking no share in the administration of the project. That aspect stopped being fun a long time ago; eventually I decided that I didn't owe anyone. Four years as a sysop, two years doing checkuser, a year as an arbitrator--ought to be enough for anyone. In five years you see a lot of people come and go. I've lost count of the people I considered friends (perhaps colleague is a better word) who left and did not return, whether they were fed up with vandalism, sick of arguing with people, tired of the incessant trivial bickering, disillusioned with the project's purpose or management, or simply no longer able to devote the time that this project demands (if you've drunk the Kool-Aid).

I suspect many editors have a come-to-Jesus moment in which they ask just why they spend their off-hours plugging away at this Sisyphean task. By my count I've had three. Each time I changed the way I interact with the project; usually this meant withdrawing from administration and focusing on good works editing. I can look at my contributions and see periods of intense administrative activity; there are websites proffering statistics which prove I've been a major contributor on various noticeboards. There's also a malicious (and true) rumor that I used to read wikien-l, and at times send mail to that list. This all seems very alien now. Does this mean that in six months I'll recover my fighting spirit and throw my hat in the ring for Arbcom, or run for bureaucrat again, or push some major policy change?

I hope not. It always ends in tears.

Yes, I'm Mackensen on meta. The Mackensen on Simple is an imposter.

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