Talk:Katherine Maher

Excessive quoting

Some time ago I removed a number of quotes that seems fairly trivial, and because the volume seemed excessive (there were 20 quotes for 2020 alone). Being mindful of the guidelines at Wikiquote:Quotability, I tried to apply some editorial judgement, as to the relevance of the quotes to Maher's pubic profile, and what they tell us about her work. For example, a quote about "urgent family issues" seemed particularly irrelevant; likewise a comment about being "woefully out of shape".

I been reverted, en mass, with a claim that they are "Brief, significant, notable quotes that express her views even though controversial should not be deleted."

Note that I removed none of them on the basis of being "controversial".

What do others think? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 17:22, 8 March 2021 (UTC)

They don't seem to be very notable - they just look like some of their posts on Twitter to me. The quotes are genuine, and the subject is notable, but to me, many of the quotes themselves aren't. dibbydib^⌐■_■ (barate me) 00:32, 9 March 2021 (UTC)

@Pigsonthewing I am not sure if you are interested in my opinion, but I'll give it anyway

Background: This is what I saw when I looked at the history of the page: You showed up on this page for the first time on 1 February 2021. You did not add a single byte to this page but removed 2,298 bytes added by others. You did not post an explanation on the talkpage then and your edit summary did not explain your action.

User: Will-SeymoreIII who almost single handed built this article from scratch reverted your removal of those 2,298 bytes. They also did not explain why they reverted your removal, but I don't blame them. It is so easy, especially for users like yourself who rarely get reverted, to destroy the hard work of those who try to build content.

On 16:26, 8 March 2021 , you again removed 2,298 bytes from the page without an edit summary. Later, at 17:22 after the OP reverted your edit for the second time, with a long detailed explanation, you posted on the talk-page, and followed it up one minute later by a post to the WQVillage Pump.

My opinion: Yes we do need experienced, sensitive, thoughtful wikimedians to help at WQ. What we do not need are power-users who are only here to throw their weight around. Just my $.02. Ottawahitech (talk) 02:05, 10 March 2021 (UTC) aka malicius troll

Hello(!) Sorry for not doing a better job of justifying/explaining why this editor thinks Ms. Maher's quotes that are being disputed, are indeed notable and valuable. Of course, a million people would have a million different views. Here is an attempt to explain in brief the disputed quotations from my perspective, with respect for those who would disagree:
1. Ran without pain for the first time since quarantine! Yes, only a mile, and yes, it was very slow, and yes, I am woefully out of shape. But it was a run and it was glorious.
Value? Can be viewed as encouragement to work out, to fight the battle between what many view as the lower, lazy parts of our being and the higher, more positive & productive parts. Sharing her perspective, on her first workout in a while, by calling it "glorious" is to share one very positive attitude, which was needed when she said it at the height of Covid19 uncertainties, more than ever. Such a view is clearly lacking in the USA, where gluttony & obesity issues are everywhere to be seen, apparently most visible to international travelers. It seems there are some who not knowing any better, tend to quietly think gluttony & obesity are great, since they are very profitable for certain aspects of corporate America.
2. In 8 hours I’ll put on a mask, leave my home, head to the airport, fly for 6 hours, quarantine for 14 days, and hopefully by mid-July I’ll be able to see my mom. I would not be going if there were not urgent family issues, but I won’t lie: I am afraid.
Value? In the view of many people of both genders, these are comments of a brilliant, virtuous, role model for women & men of all ages and she is sharing the fact that she experiences the same covid19 uncertainty and fearful emotions that most people do (or did), which is one way to help people recognize their fears and to see that it's ok, that they are not alone in their discomfort, and to recognize that those emotions are simply part of being human. Shared feelings tend to bring people together. Perhaps there are some who want to keep the people divided & unaware of their intrinsic unity with all humanity?
3. a. Our 87-year-old neighbor has no power, so we’re storing his food on a freezer hooked to a generator. Our family friend is dying of pancreatic cancer and had to be transferred from home hospice, because he has no power. Hope your shareholders feel good about their dividends
+ b. Hey @EversourceCT! You made $909.1 million in profit last year. But Connecticut residents are going into night six without power in the middle of a pandemic. We all saw the hurricane coming for days - why didn’t you?
Value? Corporations that provide utility services, that are run by confused people who are more interested in maximizing profits than in doing a decent job, even if it kills people need to be recognized & called out. Some think they should face massive fines and be locked up for a while too. They need loud & clear feedback when they abuse elderly people with their incompentence and excess focus on profits. People have to speak out. The more the merrier. Along with knowledge, comes responsibilty. Some profit oriented people couldn't care less if people die because of their incompetence, as long as they can get away with it and make humongous profits. When mature, mentally healthy people have conflicts, it leads to harmony. Also, it is a well known mark of education & maturity to have empathy and a sense of responsibility for people outside one's personal circle, which is what Ms. Maher seems to be encouraging, which is very good.
4. Yeah, this is 100% BS. California, the most fire-prone state in the country, contracts prisons to fight our deadly wildfires. When prisoners are released, their firefighting experience does not usually qualify them for salaried (unionized and pensioned!) work... Furthermore... it is our imprisoned fellow citizens who are at high risk of Covid-19 exposure. They're 40% of CA firefighters, and they’re fighting for basic preventative care... As I’ve said before, my much-bigger little brother is a firefighter in CA. He sits with the weight of 60lbs of gear and fear and frustration with the multitudinous ways his profession is our society’s last resort for everything from addiction to policing to climate change... It doesn’t work. We cannot stop our lands from burning by exploiting a burning injustice of our nation. We cannot douse our apathy by sending in the engines.
Value? Speaking out against insanity & injustice, speaking up for sanity and human rights, like a competent leader/role model. Basically the same as #3. above.
Summary: in a time when human values seem to be disappearing on many fronts as far too many are focused on the dirty rat race game of maximizing profits while minimizing human decency, it seems to be of immense value for people to speak up against injustice and for human values. Hope that is helpful. Will-SeymoreIII (talk) 16:46, 10 March 2021‎

• "without an edit summary"; "only here to throw their weight around" Do let me know when - or if - you make a comment that is not predicated on false assertions and made up of personal attacks. Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 15:10, 8 June 2021 (UTC)

  @Pigsonthewing, You are right. I jumped to conclusions implying that you are only interested in throwing your weight around. And yes, you did include an edit summary in your edits.

  I realize it might be too late to try and mend fences, but I do want to apologize for my uncalled for harsh words. Ottawahitech (talk) 16:39, 22 March 2022 (UTC)