-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Joly [mailto:gordon.joly@pobox.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 11:22 PM
Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Editors' exclusion due to privacy
I guess the next question might be: why does such a person want to
join the UK Chapter? There could be many other organizations that
might be better placed to represent the views and aspirations of said
person.
Perhaps because the entire Wiki* concept is about putting time and care back
in, and supporting some quite special objectives. I think the presence of
many, many good quality, dedicated editors who devote a significant time to
doing so on the Wikimedia Foundation's websites under conditions of
anonymity, are good evidence that there is usually not a doubtful wish, or a
suspect motive as implied.
Put simply, the desire to become more involved in one area of Wikimedia,
would not to my mind necessarily be a contradiction to the desire to
continue to edit with personal anonymity in another area, as many have done
in the past and continue to do.
So the above comment is essentially an old argument on privacy recast in a
new form, "If they don't have something to hide, why do they care about
anonymity". I don't think that helps. It's not a wish whose motive is
suspicious, or necessitates editors being directed to seek "other
organizations that might be better placed to represent [their] views and
aspirations".
Given how many UK-based editors continue to edit anonymously, the assumption
must be that a significant number of those who would wish fully to be
members of Wikimedia UK and might contribute well (and wish to) as members,
will avoid doing so to save their anonymity (if this is not considered
carefully), and may, if limited in how much they are permitted to be
involved, feel excluded. If it's unavoidable, then so be it... but it's
definitely worth exploring from a point of view of "how can we help and
involve them as much as possible", not just "why would they care, and why
should we".