The e-mail situation is resolved. I didn’t get my messages back, but I’m okay with the result.

I’ve been doing a lot of work lately in the the Canoeing and Kayaking category at ODP. As a kayaker, it was frustrating to see such disarray in that category. I decided to make cleaning it up a project, and I sent a proposal to the editors in the category above (Water Sports). Only one of them responded, but we exchanged e-mails and I got the go-ahead. I’ve been doing a ton of work and I was really pleased with myself.

Yesterday I got a praise-filled e-mail from a meta editor who has done a lot of work in C&K over some time, but who isn’t directly responsible for the cat. I was really delighted to hear something good and tonight I sent a message back saying thank you. I also mentioned that I had made some other changes, and I just got a response that sounded really angry and said I shouldn’t have done that, and ended with “Please do not do this again. I must not say any more right now.”

This is the first time in more than five years this has happened. I have never cried because of editing ODP before. I’m stunned and hurt. I love ODP dearly but I’m scared I may have to quit now. I guess that’s mostly because I still feel the changes I made were the right thing to do. And if my way conflicts with the right way, then maybe I don’t belong there anymore. I don’t want to stop, but I’m not sure what to do in the wake of this letter.