Lane,
Thanks for your message:
James: I made the edit stating the research should get approval, and I did that by jumping into the game and just making the edit based on what I read in discussion boards. I did not consider it to be a new requirement....
For the benefit of those who haven't clicked on the link, you edited [[meta:Research:Subject recruitment]] to read, at the top:
"If you are doing research which involves contacting Wikimedia project editors or users then you must first notify the Wikimedia Research Committee by describing your project. After your project gets approval then you may begin."
How could that not be seen as a requirement? Do you think there is a way to phrase it so that it would not be seen as a requirement?
Certainly this is not your fault. As you read, Dario Taraborelli stated on February 15, "this is a policy that we're enforcing ... approval is required" http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Research_talk%3AFAQ&diff=344...
And after you made that edit, Dario thanked you for it, saying, "I appreciate the documentation on the review procedure" -- even though the Research Committee had explicitly rejected an approval policy requirement in September 2010, has not discussed it since, and neither the community or the Foundation has ever endorsed any of the earlier policy proposals.
I would not be so upset about this if I hadn't been repeatedly accused of misconduct in failing to obtain RCom approval.
Given the ease and lack of remorse with which Dr. Taraborelli, Mr. Walling, and Mr. Beaudette have all repeatedly lied about me while accusing me of misconduct, I have lost all confidence in the ability of Foundation staff to adhere to basic ethics. I intend to continue to raise this issue until it is addressed sufficiently.
Sincerely, James Salsman