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> OCD of some arbitrary editor suffering from Asperger. Is it really necessary to use mental illnesses in a pejorative way to make your point ? How do you thin

> OCD of some arbitrary editor suffering from Asperger. Is it really necessary to use mental illnesses in a pejorative way to make your point ? How do you think it makes people feel who legitimately suffer from those illnesses ?

mahouse 11y ago
It should make them aware that they should refrain from holding any position where they have to deal with people. I am sure you have never edited Wikipedia; the amount of users and admins that more than obviously suffer from autism spectrum disorders and OCDs is very, very high, and they are crippling the bureaucratic processes of the wiki. I know these words are "ugly" or "not politically correct" but I think just looking the other way is not helping anybody.
- Retra 11y ago
  Maybe you should refrain from trying to diagnose mental disorders by pretending to analyze Wikipedia editor culture. That's not even a disorder, it's just plain stupid.
  - Marcomasino 11y ago
    Aw, come on, lighten up, it's just an online forum. Maybe people develop Asperger traits from working in this field. Like one time I asked a college did he know what the time was, he replied YES and walked off :)
- digler999 11y ago
  > I know these words are "ugly" or "not politically correct" It's not about PC. It's about violating their rights. Please, post your full medical charts, prescription lists, and any mental health counseling notes or treatments for addiction you've ever undertaken, so I can use them to mock you.
  - mahouse 11y ago
    None. :) And I'm not violating the rights of somebody by pointing out they have an illness, sorry.
ars 11y ago
> Is it really necessary to use mental illnesses in a pejorative way to make your point ? He's not. That is, actually, the real problem. He's not just using it as some sort of insult but explaining the specific problem. I've run into editors like that (they even proudly boast about it on their user page, so I'm not just projecting). I've had enough run-ins with them, and people like them, that I gave up on editing.
- digler999 11y ago
  > That is, actually, the real problem. So all wikipedia editors have Asperger's and OCD ? That seems astronomically unlikely, don't you ?
  - hubridnoxx 11y ago
    PC hypersensitivity..
  - ars 11y ago
    Is there some requirement that it be all? It's enough that it's some, to make it impossible to edit anything. In fact it can even be a small minority, but given that they spend (as far as I can tell) almost their entire day on it, a small number can have a huge influence.
  - jzd 11y ago
    No
Marcomasino 11y ago
I know exactly what _pmf_ means. I used deal with a self declared Asperger who was top class in his field. The thing is whenever I asked him do you know how to fix this problem. The answer was invariably, 'sorry I don't know how to do that'. Of course I should have phrased it as, I am having difficulties in solving this problem and was wondering if you would advise me on finding a solution.
- digler999 11y ago
  Wow, one anecdotal piece of evidence. Your postulate must now be proven. Tell me some of your anecdotes about black people or mexicans while you're at it. Remember, by your logic, any single sample speaks for the whole population. This should be interesting! :)
  - jzd 11y ago
    ^ this guy is why we can't have nice things
  - Marcomasino 11y ago
    Having worked with and directed people of differing ethnic backgrounds, I would pick the Chinese as best to work with. The worst who shall remain nameless, were either augmentative dishonest or lazy and some were as thick as two very thick planks glued together. You had to speak to them in very short sentences and not use big words and still they didn't get it. I didn't experience a large enough sample to form an opinion as to whether it was environmental or genetic.
    - danso 11y ago
      Initial comment from you (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10819307 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10819307): > I used deal with a self declared Asperger who was top class in his field. The thing is whenever I asked him do you know how to fix this problem. The answer was invariably, 'sorry I don't know how to do that'. From your comment above: > The worst [group of people] who shall remain nameless, were either augmentative dishonest or lazy and some were as thick as two very thick planks glued together. You had to speak to them in very short sentences and not use big words and still they didn't get it. So...how do you know that either: A. The "self-declared Asperger" is actually quite reasonable and you just happen to be in his "worst" group of people...I don't mean that you necessarily have those qualities, just that he's chosen to treat you as if you did, based on his past experiences with people of your kind? B. That you yourself don't have the stereotypical behavioral symptoms Aspergers and that this "worst" group of people may not really deserve your harsh judgment?
return0 11y ago
Given the nature of the work they have to do, it's pretty much a required qualification to have OCD.
- DanBC 11y ago
  That's not what OCD is. If you care about how you come across: You sound as ignorant as someone saying "I want my accountants to be Jews. They're good with money". (Although I accept that this level of ignorance about OCD is very common.) http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/ http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-h... >> Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as an anxiety disorder. The condition has two main parts: obsessions and compulsions. >> Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind; for example, thinking that you have been contaminated by dirt and germs, or experiencing a sudden urge to hurt someone. >> These obsessions are often frightening or seem so horrible that you can’t share them with others. The obsession interrupts your other thoughts and makes you feel very anxious. [...] >> Compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel you have to do. This could be something like repeatedly checking a door to make sure it is locked or repeating a specific phrase in your head to prevent harm coming to a loved one. >> The aim of a compulsion is to try and deal with the distress caused by the obsessive thoughts and relieve the anxiety you are feeling. However, the process of repeating these compulsions is often distressing and any relief you feel is often short-lived.
  - return0 11y ago
    Thanks for the enlightening comment; i wasn't really trying to offer a definition of OCD. Yes , it's common that people talk to OCD to refer to this thing specifically: "Compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel you have to do.", even when the action is not repetitive.

mahouse 11y ago

It should make them aware that they should refrain from holding any position where they have to deal with people. I am sure you have never edited Wikipedia; the amount of users and admins that more than obviously suffer from autism spectrum disorders and OCDs is very, very high, and they are crippling the bureaucratic processes of the wiki. I know these words are "ugly" or "not politically correct" but I think just looking the other way is not helping anybody.

Retra 11y ago
Maybe you should refrain from trying to diagnose mental disorders by pretending to analyze Wikipedia editor culture. That's not even a disorder, it's just plain stupid.
- Marcomasino 11y ago
  Aw, come on, lighten up, it's just an online forum. Maybe people develop Asperger traits from working in this field. Like one time I asked a college did he know what the time was, he replied YES and walked off :)
digler999 11y ago
> I know these words are "ugly" or "not politically correct" It's not about PC. It's about violating their rights. Please, post your full medical charts, prescription lists, and any mental health counseling notes or treatments for addiction you've ever undertaken, so I can use them to mock you.
- mahouse 11y ago
  None. :) And I'm not violating the rights of somebody by pointing out they have an illness, sorry.

ars 11y ago

> Is it really necessary to use mental illnesses in a pejorative way to make your point ? He's not. That is, actually, the real problem. He's not just using it as some sort of insult but explaining the specific problem. I've run into editors like that (they even proudly boast about it on their user page, so I'm not just projecting). I've had enough run-ins with them, and people like them, that I gave up on editing.

digler999 11y ago
> That is, actually, the real problem. So all wikipedia editors have Asperger's and OCD ? That seems astronomically unlikely, don't you ?
- hubridnoxx 11y ago
  PC hypersensitivity..
- ars 11y ago
  Is there some requirement that it be all? It's enough that it's some, to make it impossible to edit anything. In fact it can even be a small minority, but given that they spend (as far as I can tell) almost their entire day on it, a small number can have a huge influence.
- jzd 11y ago
  No

Marcomasino 11y ago

I know exactly what _pmf_ means. I used deal with a self declared Asperger who was top class in his field. The thing is whenever I asked him do you know how to fix this problem. The answer was invariably, 'sorry I don't know how to do that'. Of course I should have phrased it as, I am having difficulties in solving this problem and was wondering if you would advise me on finding a solution.

digler999 11y ago
Wow, one anecdotal piece of evidence. Your postulate must now be proven. Tell me some of your anecdotes about black people or mexicans while you're at it. Remember, by your logic, any single sample speaks for the whole population. This should be interesting! :)
- jzd 11y ago
  ^ this guy is why we can't have nice things
- Marcomasino 11y ago
  Having worked with and directed people of differing ethnic backgrounds, I would pick the Chinese as best to work with. The worst who shall remain nameless, were either augmentative dishonest or lazy and some were as thick as two very thick planks glued together. You had to speak to them in very short sentences and not use big words and still they didn't get it. I didn't experience a large enough sample to form an opinion as to whether it was environmental or genetic.
  - danso 11y ago
    Initial comment from you (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10819307 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10819307): > I used deal with a self declared Asperger who was top class in his field. The thing is whenever I asked him do you know how to fix this problem. The answer was invariably, 'sorry I don't know how to do that'. From your comment above: > The worst [group of people] who shall remain nameless, were either augmentative dishonest or lazy and some were as thick as two very thick planks glued together. You had to speak to them in very short sentences and not use big words and still they didn't get it. So...how do you know that either: A. The "self-declared Asperger" is actually quite reasonable and you just happen to be in his "worst" group of people...I don't mean that you necessarily have those qualities, just that he's chosen to treat you as if you did, based on his past experiences with people of your kind? B. That you yourself don't have the stereotypical behavioral symptoms Aspergers and that this "worst" group of people may not really deserve your harsh judgment?

return0 11y ago

Given the nature of the work they have to do, it's pretty much a required qualification to have OCD.

DanBC 11y ago
That's not what OCD is. If you care about how you come across: You sound as ignorant as someone saying "I want my accountants to be Jews. They're good with money". (Although I accept that this level of ignorance about OCD is very common.) http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/ http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-h... >> Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is described as an anxiety disorder. The condition has two main parts: obsessions and compulsions. >> Obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, images, urges or doubts that repeatedly appear in your mind; for example, thinking that you have been contaminated by dirt and germs, or experiencing a sudden urge to hurt someone. >> These obsessions are often frightening or seem so horrible that you can’t share them with others. The obsession interrupts your other thoughts and makes you feel very anxious. [...] >> Compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel you have to do. This could be something like repeatedly checking a door to make sure it is locked or repeating a specific phrase in your head to prevent harm coming to a loved one. >> The aim of a compulsion is to try and deal with the distress caused by the obsessive thoughts and relieve the anxiety you are feeling. However, the process of repeating these compulsions is often distressing and any relief you feel is often short-lived.
- return0 11y ago
  Thanks for the enlightening comment; i wasn't really trying to offer a definition of OCD. Yes , it's common that people talk to OCD to refer to this thing specifically: "Compulsions are repetitive activities that you feel you have to do.", even when the action is not repetitive.