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(a)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(a)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(a)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(a)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(a)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(a)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_…
> > > >,
> > > 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_…
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Universal_Code_of_Conduct/FAQ
> >
>
> > > --
> > > Patrick Earley
> > > Policy Manager, Trust and Safety
> > > Wikimedia Foundation
> > > pearley(a)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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> > > Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org
?subject=unsubscribe>
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org
?subject=unsubscribe>
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org
?subject=unsubscribe>
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
_______________________________________________
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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
--
Jackie Koerner, Ph.D.
jackiekoerner.com
_______________________________________________
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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
_______________________________________________
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(a)lists.wikimedia.org
Unsubscribe:
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
<mailto:wikimedia-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
--
GN.
*Power of Diverse Collaboration*
*Sharing knowledge brings people together*
Wikimania Bangkok 2021
August
hosted by ESEAP
Wikimania: