Rant of the Moment (22 February 2008) edit
Well, much has happened in the nine months since the last RotM first graced this space. For one thing, I moved, and got a really cool job wearing a few hats for an Internet company in an undisclosed location. That's the good news. The bad news is... well, I kinda flounced in the process. And in so doing, I ended up doing much the same thing for which I criticized Essjay and others.
Reading my last rant, it should be painfully obvious to all that I was getting burned out on Wikipedia last May. So the following month, I took a break. I wasn't sure if I would return at first, then I admitted that I would return eventually. But it didn't quite happen that way.
Rather, I found it necessary to participate on Wikipedia for job-related reasons, being that Wikipedia-- in addition to other things-- is one of the largest public domain/open source archives in the world. However, I did not want to continue using an online persona that-- again, among other things-- is linked to writings I've made of political and religious natures that I'd rather not have used against me in my career by bigoted zealots. I have since discovered that I need not worry about such things. Thus, I have no qualms about telling you, dear reader, that I am presently editing under the name User:JeffBillman.
I think a few of you out there, including at least one admin, suspected this. To my relief, though, no one has lodged a complaint against me. For one thing, I revealed from the first day of using that new account that I did not do so for sockpuppetry-- in fact, this is made clear on the user page of JeffBillman. Secondly, the day I started using the new account was the day I stopped using this one (or at least until today, three months later). Five months had elapsed between my "wikibreak" and the new account, and I avoided at least some of the articles I'd edited previously. Also, for what it's worth, my new account is in my honest-to-goodness "real name" (not that people can't effectively track me by the name SwissCelt, but ya know...) It was a clean break... or at least it was meant to be.
But such a clean break is not an entirely honest one. Knowing this, I came here to tie up loose ends and make the move official. In so doing, though, I find I've received my first two barnstars.
Sigh. I feel like a total heel for saying this, and I don't want to seem unappreciative of the honors bestowed upon me. But don't you folks see the irony of this? I complain about the practice of awarding these "posthumous" barnstars, only to receive two myself after I, in turn, "flounce". It's as much my fault as anyone's, of course, but still I can't let this pass without a comment. Or, in this case, a Rant.
So here's to this edition of RotM: A medal I firmly place on my own lapel, and invite you to press upon it until I bleed a bit. In the meantime, I'll continue editing as User:JeffBillman, and will continue ignoring this account... er, at least until I feel the need for another Rant.
Happy editing, everyone!