On Sun, Oct 11, 2015 at 2:12 AM, Anthony Cole <ahcoleecu(a)gmail.com> wrote:
2) Greg Kohs was banned from attending. I think that was a mistake. He is a
fierce critic of Jimmy Wales and Wikipedia. I am aware of the lines he has
crossed in the past (and the seemingly sincere apologies). Notwithstanding
those past crossed lines, and his propensity to walk very close to the edge
of propriety today, he has a valid critique and, along with those of more
temperate critics, his voice has a place in a truly comprehensive
conversation about this project.
No one has replied to this, so I'll just say that I support the conference
organizers efforts to make conference events safe and comfortable for all
attendees. To me, safe is not a euphemism for censoring criticism; face to
face encounters inevitably involve the exchange of personal information,
and I can certainly understand why many people may hesitate to meet Greg in
person for that reason.
I don't know if this arrangement was contemplated for this year, but if
Greg or other critics with a difficult project history want to address
future conferences then perhaps the conference committee can consider
broadcasting taped remarks or videoconferencing sessions.