New subject: Trust and safety on Wikimedia projects

23 May 2020

      Hi  Lodewijk,
This ecosystem you are describing is exactly what we are hoping for.
And we absolutely agree that what you called "education" is needed.
We referred to it as "training" and "capacity building" in this sentence in
the statement:
"To that end, the Board further directs the Foundation, in collaboration
with the communities, to make additional i*nvestments in Trust & Safety
capacity*, including but not limited to: development of tools needed to
assist our volunteers and staff, research to support data-informed
decisions, development of clear metrics to measure success, *development of
training tools and materials* (*including building communities’ capacities
around harassment awareness and conflict resolution*), and consultations
with international experts on harassment, community health and children’s
rights, as well as additional hiring."
Best,
Shani.
...
From: effe iets anders effeietsanders@gmail.com
Date: Sat, May 23, 2020 at 4:26 AM
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Trust and safety on Wikimedia projects
To: Wikimedia Mailing List wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
Thanks for this step - I wish that it wouldn't be necessary. I'm not sure
of all the implications, but was mostly wondering: will this be primarily a
stick, or is the foundation also going to invest more heavily in carrots
and education?
I get the impression that we have much progress to make in training,
educating and exposing correct behavior (some chapters have made attempts
at this). So much of our energy already goes into the bad behavior, that it
exhausts many community members. I'm confident that the Trust and Safety
live through a more extreme version of that daily.
I'd wish that we manage to build an ecosystem that encourages good
behavior, diverts bad behavior at a very early stage, and removes the bad
actors that cannot be corrected. Probably not as popular as punishing
people, but hopefully more constructive for the community as a whole.
Lodewijk
On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 4:52 PM Nataliia Tymkiv ntymkiv@wikimedia.org
wrote:
...
Hello, Dennis!
Not at all. What it means is that this a not a process that goes into
play
...
*before* a decision to act is made, but *after*. It should stand as an
option for those who want to ensure that actions taken are fair, as long
as
...
the case does not relate to legal risks or other severe concerns.
Best regards,
antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working
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advance!
On Sat, May 23, 2020, 01:58 Dennis During dcduring@gmail.com wrote:
...
"Work with community functionaries to create and refine a retroactive
review process for cases brought by involved parties, excluding those
cases
...
which pose legal or other severe risks "
What does "retroactive review process" mean?
I hope it doesn't mean applying standards that were not promulgated at
the
...
time to past actions and applying severe sanctions to the alleged
perpetrators.
On Fri, May 22, 2020 at 5:59 PM María Sefidari maria@wikimedia.org
wrote:
...
Hello everyone,
Today, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees unanimously passed
a
...
...
...
resolution and published a statement[1] regarding the urgent need to
make
...
...
our movement more safe and inclusive by addressing harassment and
incivility on Wikimedia projects. The statement builds on prior
statements
...
from 2016 and 2019,[2][3] affirms the forthcoming introduction of a
universal code of conduct, and directs the Wikimedia Foundation to
rapidly
...
and substantively address these challenges in complement with
existing
...
...
...
community processes.
This includes developing sustainable practices and tools that
eliminate
...
...
...
harassment, toxicity, and incivility, promote inclusivity, cultivate
respectful discourse, reduce harms to participants, protect the
projects
...
...
from disinformation and bad actors, and promote trust in our
projects.
...
...
...
Over the past nearly twenty years, the movement has taken a number of
unique and sometimes extraordinary steps to create an environment
unlike
...
...
anything else online: a place to share knowledge, to learn, and to
collaborate together. In order for the movement to continue to thrive
and
...
...
make progress to our mission, it is essential to build a culture that
is
...
...
welcoming and inclusive.
Research has consistently shown that members of our communities have
been
...
...
subject to hostility and toxic behavior in Wikimedia spaces.[4][5]
The
...
...
...
Wikimedia 2030 movement strategy recommendations have also identified
the
...
...
safety of our Wikimedia spaces as a core issue to address if we are
to
...
...
...
reach the 2030 goals, with concrete recommendations which include a
universal code of conduct, pathways for users to privately report
incidents, and a baseline of community responsibilities.[6]
While the movement has made progress in addressing harassment and
toxic
...
...
...
behavior, we recognize there is still much more to do. The Board’s
resolution and statement today is a step toward establishing clear,
consistent guidelines around acceptable behavior on our projects, and
guiding the Wikimedia Foundation in supporting the movement’s ability
to
...
...
ensure a healthy environment for those who participate in our
projects.
...
...
...

Developing and introducing, in close consultation with volunteer

contributor communities, a universal code of conduct that will be a
binding
...
minimum set of standards across all Wikimedia projects;

Taking actions to ban, sanction, or otherwise limit the access of

Wikimedia movement participants who do not comply with these policies
and
...
...
the Terms of Use;

Working with community functionaries to create and refine a

retroactive
...
...
review process for cases brought by involved parties, excluding those
cases
...
which pose legal or other severe risks; and

Significantly increasing support for and collaboration with

community
...
...
...
functionaries primarily enforcing such compliance in a way that
prioritizes
...
the personal safety of these functionaries.
Together, we have made our movement what it is today. In this same
way,
...
...
we
...
must all be responsible for building the positive community culture
of
...
...
the
...
future, and accountable for stopping harassment and toxic behavior on
our
...
...
sites.
We have also made this statement available on Meta-Wiki for
translation
...
...
and
...
wider distribution.[1]
On behalf of the Board,
María, Board Chair
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/May_2...
...
...
...
[2]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Novem...
...
...
...
[3]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Archi...
...
...
...
[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:Harassment_survey_2015
[5]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Insights/2018_Report#Experience_of...
...
...
...
[6]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategy/Wikimedia_movement/2018-20/Recommen...
...
...
...
== Statement on Healthy Community Culture, Inclusivity, and Safe
Spaces
...
...
==
...
Harassment, toxic behavior, and incivility in the Wikimedia movement
are
...
...
contrary to our shared values and detrimental to our vision and
mission.
...
...
They negatively impact our ability to collect, share, and disseminate
free
...
knowledge, harm the immediate well-being of individual Wikimedians,
and
...
...
...
threaten the long-term health and success of the Wikimedia projects.
The
...
...
Board does not believe we have made enough progress toward creating
welcoming, inclusive, harassment-free spaces in which people can
contribute
...
productively and debate constructively.
In recognition of the urgency of these issues, the Board is directing
the
...
...
Wikimedia Foundation to directly improve the situation in
collaboration
...
...
...
with our communities. This should include developing sustainable
practices
...
and tools that eliminate harassment, toxicity, and incivility,
promote
...
...
...
inclusivity, cultivate respectful discourse, reduce harms to
participants,
...
protect the projects from disinformation and bad actors, and promote
trust
...
in our projects.
Specifically, the Foundation shall:

Develop and introduce a universal code of conduct (UCoC) that will

be a
...
...
binding minimum set of standards across all Wikimedia projects.
** The first phase, covering policies for in-person and virtual
events,
...
...
...
technical spaces, and all Wikimedia projects and wikis, and developed
in
...
...
collaboration with the international Wikimedia communities, will be
presented to the Board for ratification by August 30, 2020.
** The second phase, outlining clear enforcement pathways, and
refined
...
...
with
...
broad input from the Wikimedia communities, will be presented to the
Board
...
for ratification by the end of 2020;

Take actions to ban, sanction, or otherwise limit the access of

Wikimedia
...
movement participants who do not comply with these policies and the
Terms
...
...
of Use;

Work with community functionaries to create and refine a

retroactive
...
...
...
review process for cases brought by involved parties, excluding those
cases
...
which pose legal or other severe risks; and

Significantly increase support for and collaboration with community

functionaries primarily enforcing such compliance in a way that
prioritizes
...
the personal safety of these functionaries.
Until such directives are implemented, the Board instructs the
Foundation
...
...
to adopt and implement policies for reducing harassment and toxicity
on
...
...
our
...
projects and minimizing legal risks for the movement, in
collaboration
...
...
with
...
communities whenever practicable. Until these two phases of the UCoC
are
...
...
complete and operational an interim review process involving
community
...
...
...
functionaries will be in effect. In this interim period, the Product
Committee of the Board of Trustees will also advise the Trust &
Safety
...
...
...
team.
To that end, the Board further directs the Foundation, in
collaboration
...
...
...
with the communities, to make additional investments in Trust &
Safety
...
...
...
capacity, including but not limited to: development of tools needed
to
...
...
...
assist our volunteers and staff, research to support data-informed
decisions, development of clear metrics to measure success,
development
...
...
of
...
training tools and materials (including building communities’
capacities
...
...
around harassment awareness and conflict resolution), and
consultations
...
...
...
with international experts on harassment, community health and
children’s
...
...
rights, as well as additional hiring.
The above efforts will be undertaken in coordination and
collaboration
...
...
with
...
appropriate partners from across the movement, seek to increase
effective
...
...
community governance of conduct and behavioral standards, and reduce
the
...
...
long-term need of the Foundation to act. It is the shared goal of the
Board
...
and Foundation that these efforts advance a sustainable Wikimedia
movement
...
and support, rather than substitute, effective models of community
governance.
We urge every member of the Wikimedia communities to collaborate in a
way
...
...
that models the Wikimedia values of openness and inclusivity, step
forward
...
to do their part to create a safe and welcoming culture for all, stop
hostile and toxic behavior, support people who have been targeted by
such
...
...
behavior, assist good-faith people learning to contribute, and help
set
...
...
...
clear expectations for all contributors.
--
María Sefidari Huici
Chair of the Board
Wikimedia Foundation https://wikimediafoundation.org/
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Dennis C. During
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