Yair
I was in the room in 2017 when the first community consultation on the strategy program took place. Affiliates were asked to send a person specifically for the strategy process, and WMF also invited some other community members. There was absolutely no coercion, or control over what topics were raised during those discussions. The program was not run by the WMF and everyone was free to contribute any ideas they had, as the program went on we chose which areas and topics we wanted to be the focus. Trust and safety, and user conduct were areas that were identified as necessary to the future development of the movement. This process has been open for ideas, comments, and suggestions. Yes the WMF has funded the process but every choice has been made by community members without any duress or reward as to where each step lead.
As someone who actively runs projects for the last 10 years to bring in new contributors, I have concerns about the UCoC process in giving advantages to those who have been around longer but that is not something that will be unique to this as its already an issue in all projects where the new person is the one frequently dismissed as wrong when there is a clash between them and someone who has been around long enough to be known.
On Thu, 10 Sep 2020 at 09:11, Yair Rand yyairrand@gmail.com wrote:
The UCoC is obviously a WMF-driven project. It was announced in June 2019 by a member of the WMF Trust and Safety team, was added to the strategy process by the group of WMF appointees (or sometimes WMF appointee-appointees) who made up the working group, had pseudo-consultations about it started by WMF staff (with wildly-misleading reports written up afterward, again by the WMF), and the UCoC itself was drafted by a mixed group of WMF staff and WMF appointees, through a process set by the WMF.
The communities have repeatedly expressed unambiguous consensus against having a WMF-imposed UCoC. The WMF has absolutely no business in setting ordinary conduct policy, and they could have the ED and every board member and C-level declare the UCoC to be policy, and threaten every affiliate into declaring it as policy, and the only impact would be demonstrating how far removed they are from Wikimedia. The communities are self-governing and will implement policy based on community decisions.
That said, I disagree with Dan's calls for nonparticipation/noncooperation or for specifically withholding funds or support. If we end up in a situation where the WMF tries to block, desysop, threaten, or sue contributors, or to seize control over the projects, that would be the time for all editors and affiliates and donors to level-headedly level the Foundation to its foundations. Until then, we should attempt to work with them, even when their behaviour leaves much to be desired.
-- Yair Rand
בתאריך יום ד׳, 9 בספט׳ 2020 ב-16:03 מאת Jackie < jackie.koerner@gmail.com>:
Hi Dan,
I hear that you are upset by the suggestion and likely implementation of
a
Universal Code of Conduct. I also hear that you feel like this is a WMF-driven project. I cannot change your opinion about the UCoC, but I
can
say your feelings about this being a WMF-driven project are untrue. It doesn't matter how strongly you feel this, it's actually many groups of people working together. It was determined as a major need during discussions I had as part of the Community Health Working Group and I am glad to see this moving forward.
I am glad you feel comfortable expressing yourself and your feelings
about
the UCoC. I also would like to say the way in which people express themselves and mask insults as "lively discussion" is a huge reason why
we
need a UCoC. To that point, I agree with Isaac and would suggest you
share
in a (collegiate) conversation on the Meta talk page. I just cannot take you seriously with the language you used in your email. I, however, would love to take your comments seriously and have you engage in a good-faith discussion about the UCoC.
Our roles in the discussion should consider not only our needs as individuals but the needs of the broader communities. To dismiss the UCoC is failing to recognize privilege and power structures and their effect
on
people in and outside of the Wikimedia community.
Best,
Jackie
On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 1:42 PM Isaac Olatunde reachout2isaac@gmail.com wrote:
Hello Dan,
You are allowed to offer an opinion but I Honestly think that's better
and
more useful on the Draft talk page.
That being said, by "effective vote or representation in the
proceedings",
you probably expected a different model where different language Wikip(m)edia community would be represented or vote on weather to have
a
UCoC.
The current model isn't bad. I do think we should review the draft and
if
there are specific wording we disagree with, we can either suggest improvement or removal altogether. I honestly think we need to help and support the drafting committee at this stage.
Regards
Isaac
On Tue, 8 Sep 2020, 19:25 Dan Szymborski, dszymborski@gmail.com
wrote:
I'm also perfectly free to express to the IRS that I'd really like to
get a
$10 million check from them at tax time. The ability to offer an
opinion
on
proceedings with no effective vote or representation in the
proceedings
is
about as good as a fart in the wind. I'd prefer the WMF keep its
flatulence
to itself.
On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 2:17 PM Isaac Olatunde <
reachout2isaac@gmail.com>
wrote:
On the contrary, I do not think this is an imposition by the Board
or
WMF
as we are allowed to comment on the draft, and suggest improvement.
I have been following the process closely and I do not see anything
that
looks like an "imposition"
The Universal Code of Conduct is not a substitute to the existing
policy
or
guidelines but a behavioural guidelines expected of users in any
Wikimedia
project.
Regards
Isaac
On Tue, 8 Sep 2020, 16:11 Dan Szymborski, dszymborski@gmail.com
wrote:
As this is being explicitly imposed by the board from above
without
community approval, participating in any way is ethically
unsound.
Doubly
so without a board election preceding this as the WMF has
arbitrarily
denied communities the right, as manifested in the election of
the
community seats, to voice their opinions of actions that WMF has
taken
over
the last 18 months. A collaborative process is a collaborative
process
when
it's actually a collaborative process, not just when it's called
one.
The best use of time at this point is to organize the communities
to
use
every means at its disposal to resist such an imposition.
On Mon, Sep 7, 2020 at 4:18 PM Patrick Earley <
pearley@wikimedia.org
wrote:
> Hello, everyone. > > We are excited to share a draft of the Universal Code of
Conduct
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct,
which
the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees called for earlier this
year
> < >
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/May_2...
> >, > for your review and feedback. The discussion will be open until
October
6, > 2020. > > The UCoC Drafting Committee > < >
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Drafting_committee
> >wants > to learn which parts of the draft would present challenges for
you
or
your > work. What is missing from this draft? What do you like, and
what
could
be > improved? > > > Many thanks to the Committee, and everyone who has helped with translations > so far. > > > Please join the conversation > <
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Draft_review
> and share this email with others who may be interested to join,
too.
> > To learn more about the UCoC project, see the Universal Code of
Conduct
> page > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct,
and
the
FAQ
> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/FAQ
,
on
Meta. > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct > > [2] > >
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/May_2...
> > [3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/Draft_review
> [4]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/FAQ
> > -- > Patrick Earley > Policy Manager, Trust and Safety > Wikimedia Foundation > pearley@wikimedia.org > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe:
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