Guy Chapman aka JzG wrote:
On Thu, 4 May 2006 08:57:15 -0700, you wrote:
We need to recognize that each user has a right to try to influence policy in ways that they believe are beneficial to the project.
A right? Perhaps I missed that. I thought the only rights were to fork or to leave.
I thought that too, but:
Fred Bauder wrote:
On May 4, 2006, at 3:57 AM, Alphax (Wikipedia email) wrote:
Wikipedia is NOT a democracy; the First Ammendment of the Constitution of the United States only guarantees "free speech" against intervention by Congress. Wikipedia is a private website where you have exactly TWO rights:
- The right to leave
- The right to fork
Those are your enforceable legal rights; however, you also have the right to participate on an equal basis in the project; the right to be treated with respect; and the right to a fair hearing should your rights not be respected or should you be accused of violating the rights of others. Just because you cannot go into a court and enforce Wikipedia policies does not mean that they do not exist and are not upheld.
Fred
What next? All users have the right to interpret policy as /they/ see fit? The customer is always right? Anyone who disagrees with being blocked will be unblocked? Any page which someone objects to the deletion of shall be kept? Any POV-whitewashing shall be acceptable?