Wikimedia-l May 2011

wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org

124 participants
79 discussions

Re: [Foundation-l] No rights to participate
by Fred Bauder 25 May '11

25 May '11

> > "That does not mean that there are not isolated > cases of injustice. Such users need to patiently > and persistently bring their situation to the attention of the > community." Fred > > Could some "consensus" be reached on this matter? > > 6) Fred Bauder might also be willing to fill you > with the details of how extremely helpful he has > been to me. Permission is granted to make public > all my e-mail messages to him, showing my appreciation for his good > deeds. > > Any further questions? > > Sincerely, > > Virgilio A. P. Machado The underlying dispute is on the Portuguese Wikipedia. Fred

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Re: [Foundation-l] No rights to participate
by FT2 25 May '11

25 May '11

Oh dear. This just lost a lot of respect (whatever respect is remaining). So if someone (anyone?) can cause another person problems, they will? I must remember that as the default expectation of society, or Wikipedia communities at least. Documented as being that extreme by reliable sources no less. Instead of complaining, you might like to notice how your own attitudes lead to fairly predictable results, and a genuine, noticeable and enduring change of them changes the results. FT2 On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 4:34 AM, Virgilio A. P. Machado <vam(a)fct.unl.pt>wrote: > Furthermore, if someone, under the false pretenses of helping you can > turn things from bad to worse for you, they will. That's the name of > the game here, as it has been extensively documented on reliable > sources, which makes this statement verifiable, as required. >

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Re: [Foundation-l] No rights to participate
by Virgilio A. P. Machado 24 May '11

24 May '11

What is called "community consensus" WILL permit you to be banned from any project or mailing list. Even if there is no "community consensus," anyone with the right buttons can do it without any need to justify, explain or write anything that remotely resembles something objective. Furthermore, if someone, under the false pretenses of helping you can turn things from bad to worse for you, they will. That's the name of the game here, as it has been extensively documented on reliable sources, which makes this statement verifiable, as required. Sincerely, Virgilio A. P. Machado At 17:23 22-05-2011, you wrote: > > If the consensus of the community is to ban you from the project, even > > under > > spurious grounds, there is nothing to stop them from doing so. > > > > Tom > >Community consensus will not permit that. > >Fred > > >_______________________________________________ >foundation-l mailing list >foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org >Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l

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[Foundation-l] Interesting legal action
by Sarah 24 May '11

24 May '11

A footballer protected by one of the British "superinjunctions" is suing Twitter and persons unknown after he was alleged on Twitter to have had an affair. Something that could have repercussions for Wikipedia. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/may/20/twitter-sued-by-footballer-over… Sarah

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Re: [Foundation-l] [Internal-l] "Worthy Online Resource, but Global Cultural Treasure?" (The New York Times)
by Béria Lima 24 May '11

24 May '11

cross-posting _____ *Béria Lima* Wikimedia Portugal <http://wikimedia.pt> (351) 963 953 042 *Imagine um mundo onde é dada a qualquer pessoa a possibilidade de ter livre acesso ao somatório de todo o conhecimento humano. É isso o que estamos a fazer.* 2011/5/23 Steven Walling <swalling(a)wikimedia.org> > Interesting press with direct link to ten.wikipedia.org. :-) Nice work > Wikimedia Deutschland! > > Worthy Online Resource, but Global Cultural Treasure? > By Kevin J. O'Brien > > http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/technology/23wikipedia.html?_r=1&hpw=&pag… > > BERLIN — In its 10 years of existence, Wikipedia, the global online > encyclopedia, has amassed an archive of 18 million entries in 279 languages. > It is one of the 10 most popular Web sites on the Internet. > > But is the volunteer-driven data depository an endangered world cultural > treasure worthy of protection, like French cuisine, the Argentine tango or > the Grand Canyon? > > That is the long-shot bet being made by Wikipedia, which plans to begin a > global petition drive Tuesday to earn a spot on one of the world heritage > lists of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. > > The bid, the first by a digital entity for a place on a Unesco list, will > no doubt be controversial among heritage professionals advising Unesco, who > tend to view online innovation as lacking the necessary effect or maturity > for listing. > > “Heritage professionals tend to be rather conservative types, or they > wouldn’t choose this kind of occupation,” said Britta Rudolff, a heritage > consultant who teaches on the subject at the Brandenburg University of > Technology in Cottbus, Germany. “They like to play with the past, and > something only a decade old is going to face challenges.” > > The idea of landing Wikipedia on a Unesco world heritage list came out of > Germany, where volunteers have produced 1.2 million entries, second only to > the number in English. Wikipedia’s German overseer, a Berlin nonprofit > called Wikimedia, proposed the idea in March to Wikipedia chapters at a > global conference in the German capital. > > The reception was enthusiastic, said a Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales. > > “The basic idea is to recognize that Wikipedia is this amazing global > cultural phenomena that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands > of people,” Mr. Wales said in an interview. He said the online encyclopedia > had helped educate people around the world, providing a wealth of basic > facts, background information and key context. > > Mr. Wales also said that one aim of the petition drive — supporters can > register at a special Web page, Wikipedia 10 — is to raise awareness of > Wikipedia. > > “Of course, part of what we are trying to do is promote the idea of > Wikipedia as a cultural phenomenon,” Mr. Wales said. “Too often, people > think about us purely in terms of technology, when this is about culture, > high tech and learning.” > > Wikipedia is hoping to earn a place on Unesco’s most prestigious list, the > World Heritage List, which so far includes only historic monuments and > natural sites like the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Wall of China. > Failing that, Wikipedia could aim for Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage > List, a lesser-known directory that includes endangered traditions and > practices, like flamenco. > > Getting Wikipedia on either list will be an uphill battle. It will have to > negotiate a complicated approval process and overcome the skeptical regard > of Unesco and heritage consultants to be considered for recognition. Susan > Williams, the head of external media relations at Unesco in Paris, said a > bid by a digital entity like Wikipedia would be unprecedented. > > “Anyone can apply,” said Ms. Williams, who added that she was not aware of > Wikipedia’s plans. “But it may have difficulty fulfilling the criteria.” > > One of the criteria for inclusion, she said, is that the culture or > practice be endangered. > > She said that Wikipedia might consider applying for a third, even less > known honor, the Unesco Memory of the World Register list, which recognizes > valuable archive holdings and library collections. That list, however, lacks > the prestige of the others, which are funded more generously and promoted > more assiduously by Unesco and its member countries. > > Mr. Wales said Wikipedia was hoping to set off a debate over the role of > digital innovation in world culture. While Wikipedia, which allows anyone to > write or edit entries, has had problems with accuracy and plagiarism, the > organization has worked to improve its editorial controls and to help people > in repressive or less affluent societies. > > In Iran, where the government has periodically shut down or censored > portions of Wikipedia’s service, the online Web site is helping young > Iranians obtain information on health issues like HIV and has given some a > rare forum to post information and share views about recent anti-government > demonstrations. > > “I think Wikipedia is playing a significant role in spreading information > in Iranian society at the moment,” said one Iranian college student in > Germany, who is a regular contributor to Wikipedia’s Farsi content, which > includes 128,000 entries. The student, who did not want to be identified for > fear of government reprisal against his family, said that about 100 students > accounted for the bulk of Wikipedia Farsi entries. > > Volunteers use pseudonyms when making or editing entries, he said, adding > that the site was well read in Iran, inviting censorship and periodic > government shutdowns during civil unrest. In the past three months, the > Iranian government has allowed access to the site. > > “This gives us a window on the world that we would not normally have,” he > said. > > Similarly, in South Africa, Wikipedia is playing a role in providing free > information and learning materials in schools, many of which lack the money > to buy books and maintain libraries, said Charlene Foster, an organizer of > Wikipedia South Africa. The group in March began generating entries in > Afrikaans and Northern Sotho and will do so eventually in the country’s nine > other official languages. > > Aside from providing local-language access to basic information, Wikipedia > is giving South Africans a chance to write their own history, Ms. Foster > said. > > “South Africa and the African continent has been marginalized in terms of > information and cultural value,” Ms. Foster said. “But Wikipedia is helping > us with access to information for education not found in libraries.” > > On a practical level, Wikipedia will have to do more than just gather > signatures on a petition. Under Unesco rules, Wikipedia must find a country > to sponsor its nomination to either the World Heritage or Intangible > Cultural Heritage List. In the interview, Mr. Wales said he hoped that > Germany would sponsor Wikipedia’s bid for the World Heritage list. > > Getting nominated for the Intangible Cultural Heritage list will be more > difficult. The United States and Germany are not signatories to the 2003 > convention that created this list and cannot act as sponsors. > > But South Africa did sign on, and Ms. Foster, who lives in Johannesburg, > said she was in the early stages of asking officials in the government to > discuss the country’s making a bid on behalf of Wikipedia for one of the > lists. > > Even if Wikipedia’s South African supporters can persuade their government > to nominate Wikipedia, getting selected is by no means guaranteed. Winners > are selected by an intergovernmental committee of 24 countries. For the > intangible heritage list, those members include Iran and Cuba. > > But Ms. Foster, an organizational development consultant, said it was worth > a try. > > “We are realistic about it,” Ms. Foster said. “This has never been done > before. But we believe that the contribution Wikipedia has made is a good > argument in itself.” > > ### > > -- > Steven Walling > Fellow at Wikimedia Foundation > wikimediafoundation.org > > > _______________________________________________ > Internal-l mailing list > Internal-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/internal-l > >

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[Foundation-l] 2011 Board Elections: candidate submissions are open
by Jon Harald Søby 23 May '11

23 May '11

I'm pleased to announce that the 2011 Board Election now accepts candidates. The candidacy submission phase lasts from 00:00 UTC May 2nd to 23:59 UTC May 22nd. The election will fill the three community-elected board seats that are currently held by Ting Chen, Kat Walsh and Samuel Klein. More information on what it means to be a board member, who is eligible to be a candidate and how to submit your candidacy can be found on the election pages on Meta: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Board_elections/2011 . As always, help with translation is very much appreciated. The translation coordination page can be found at http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Board_elections/2011/Translation . Please feel free to post a note about the election on your project's village pump. Any questions related to the election can be posted on the talk page on Meta, or sent to the election committee's mailing list, board-elections(a)wikimedia.org. On behalf of the Election Committee, Jon Harald Søby <http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jon_Harald_S%C3%B8by>

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[Foundation-l] The Signpost – Volume 7, Issue 21 – 23 May 2011
by Wikipedia Signpost 23 May '11

23 May '11

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[Foundation-l] IRC office hours with Sue Gardner, this Thursday at 17:00 UTC
by Steven Walling 23 May '11

23 May '11

Hi everyone, Just wanted to give some prior notice that this Thursday at 17:00 UTC there will be an office hours in #wikimedia-office on freenode. Local time conversion and other links are in the usual place on Meta.[1] A topic has not yet been set, so watch the wiki page if you're interested and feel free to propose something. Thanks for reading, -- Steven Walling Fellow at Wikimedia Foundation wikimediafoundation.org 1. http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/IRC_office_hours

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Re: [Foundation-l] 1.3 billion of humans don't have Wikipedia in their native...
by WJhonson＠aol.com 23 May '11

23 May '11

In a message dated 5/22/2011 9:53:08 AM Pacific Daylight Time, lists(a)caseybrown.org writes: > Indeed, it doesn't mean that necessarily. However, your analogy > doesn't apply in this situation and Nikola was right. Many of the > Chinese languages share a common writing system and only differ in the > way the language is spoken. > You're missing my point. All the Latin languages "share a common writing system" and "only differ in the way the language is spoken". Address the point that the "words" within the system have the same semantic *meaning* and are formed with the same syntactic rules. If Bo Dow Kah means "your dog is dead" in one language or dialect, but Bo Dow Kah means "your mother is pretty" in another, than the fact that the spelling is the same, has no relevance to the issue at hand.

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[Foundation-l] Informing BLP subjects
by WereSpielChequers 23 May '11

23 May '11

Re the idea of informing BLP subjects that we have a biography on them. Whilst some subjects of BLPs would be quite easy to contact via Email, there are those who won't be. Especially the ones who are now senile or in jail. While most of the subjects of our BLPs are fine upstanding members of society, some are in jail and others deserve to be. Allegedly a quarter of our editors are legally minors, I would be uncomfortable with any new process that involved us encouraging adolescents to email strangers or that classified the subjects of our BLPs into those suitable or unsuitable to be contacted. There is a practical issue about informing people when we have articles on them in scores of languages. During next years Olympics there will be new sports stars emerging who suddenly have articles created about them on scores of different language versions of Wikipedias. Having a separate notification of each one would probably be seen as spam, but checking whether someone had already been notified via the intrawiki links would be difficult - even the death anomaly project only attempts to work across 80 language versions. So this would require quite a team of volunteers, especially if you included one of the larger language versions such as English, and especially if you restricted this to our older editors. Finding volunteers to do this and continue to recruit as they leave might be difficult. I can't see either the article creators or the newpage patrollers accepting this as an additional task even if we weren't worried about inviting adolescents to email Mafiosi and so forth. Also there is a serious risk of raising false expectations, over here there was a recent unsuccessful legal attempt to put the onus on the newspapers to inform subjects before they wrote about them. That didn't differentiate between writing bios on people or naming them as part of another story, and I think we would have difficulty holding the line that a one paragraph article on one person was fundamentally different to a similar length mention in a match report or an article about a Rock group or terrorist incident. In my experience a large proportion of our BLP violations don't take place in BLPs, but a policy of informing people whenever we named them on wiki would be even less practical than one of informing them when we wrote an article about them. WereSpielChequers > > Message: 7 > Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 00:40:10 +0100 > From: Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton(a)gmail.com> > Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Interesting legal action > To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List > <foundation-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org> > Message-ID: <BANLkTi=KR4FVoV12N-72sHYPkm5On5yBDg(a)mail.gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > On 23 May 2011 00:03, FT2 <ft2.wiki(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> Out of interest, when a BLP is created and not speedy deleted, could we not >> write a standard email to the subject stating that a biographical article >> has been created on them on the online encyclopedia "Wikipedia", inviting >> them to review it, explaining what it's about, and pointing them to remedies >> for fixing minor or major issues or requesting deletion? Hearing from us >> might at the very least be seen as "us trying to do something right". > > I've not heard that idea before; I like it. We should do that. It > wouldn't be difficult and would, as you say, show that we are at least > trying to do the right thing. We would need to be prepared to deal > with the increased traffic to OTRS that it would inevitably result in, > but that's not too big a problem. > >

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Wikimedia-l May 2011