David Gerard was speaking as a "Wikipedia volunteer" in the media over the past few days. He is/was press officer for WMUK 1.0...
Yes, but WMUK 1.0 was always very small and wasn't really noticed by anyone (some in the media may have known it existed, but that's about it). If WMUK 2.0 is as successful as we hope, people may well know a little more about it and there will be a possibility of confusion.
We could all speak to the press if we wanted to, since we are Wikimpedia volunteers. We do not need to have signed up to anything else.
Indeed, but there may well be cases where we want someone to speak officially as a representative of WMUK and we need a policy in place for how we handle that.
On Thu, December 11, 2008 14:06, Thomas Dalton wrote:
Yes, but WMUK 1.0 was always very small and wasn't really noticed by anyone (some in the media may have known it existed, but that's about it).
Before David gets in and screams how wrong that statement is I'll just point out that we (David and I) have ended up in just about all the press directories sfaiwct such that "some" in the media is very inaccurate!
Alison
2008/12/11 Alison Wheeler wikimedia@alisonwheeler.com:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 14:06, Thomas Dalton wrote:
Yes, but WMUK 1.0 was always very small and wasn't really noticed by anyone (some in the media may have known it existed, but that's about it).
Before David gets in and screams how wrong that statement is I'll just point out that we (David and I) have ended up in just about all the press directories sfaiwct such that "some" in the media is very inaccurate!
But to what extent is David (and you) in them as a representative of WMUK as opposed to as a WMF press contact? I believe David was a WMF press contact before WMUK was created, so how many in the media updated their directories to add that extra job title?
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
But to what extent is David (and you) in them as a representative of WMUK as opposed to as a WMF press contact? I believe David was a WMF press contact before WMUK was created, so how many in the media updated their directories to add that extra job title?
None, they list it under "Wikipedia". They have great difficulty distinguishing the entities and don't really care.
- d.
2008/12/11 David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
But to what extent is David (and you) in them as a representative of WMUK as opposed to as a WMF press contact? I believe David was a WMF press contact before WMUK was created, so how many in the media updated their directories to add that extra job title?
None, they list it under "Wikipedia". They have great difficulty distinguishing the entities and don't really care.
That's what I expected. If WMUK 2 starts to get noticed for its own activities and becomes a more significant entity in other ways (including financially) we'll have to start trying to make sure the media do distinguish between the entities. For example, people need to know the difference between donating to WMUK and donating to WMF, that requires them to know there is a difference between WMUK and WMF. Also, we can expect to get sued for libel, etc., when it is really WMF's problem (I know both WMDE and WMNL have had such lawsuits, I think WMFR has as well), obviously explaining the difference to a judge is easier than explaining it to a journalist, but we ought to get into the habit of making the distinction clear. Making that distinction will be difficult if it is the same person being "WMUK spokesman" and "Wikipedia volunteer" and "WMF press contact" (the last two are probably the same thing for the most part, but nevermind).
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
Making that distinction will be difficult if it is the same person being "WMUK spokesman" and "Wikipedia volunteer" and "WMF press contact" (the last two are probably the same thing for the most part, but nevermind).
There's a reason I bend over backwards to put the word "volunteer" in my title every single time. (Of course C4 went with "David Gerard/Wikipedia", but telly's like that.)
- d.
2008/12/11 David Gerard dgerard@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
Making that distinction will be difficult if it is the same person being "WMUK spokesman" and "Wikipedia volunteer" and "WMF press contact" (the last two are probably the same thing for the most part, but nevermind).
There's a reason I bend over backwards to put the word "volunteer" in my title every single time. (Of course C4 went with "David Gerard/Wikipedia", but telly's like that.)
Indeed, but sooner or later we are going to want to have someone speaking in an official capacity as a WMUK spokesman.
2008/12/11 Alison Wheeler wikimedia@alisonwheeler.com:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 18:17, Thomas Dalton wrote:
spokesman.
"spokesperson" surely ...
Sorry, I use "spokesman" as a non-gender specific term, I probably shouldn't do that...
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 Alison Wheeler wikimedia@alisonwheeler.com:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 18:17, Thomas Dalton wrote:
spokesman.
"spokesperson" surely ...
Sorry, I use "spokesman" as a non-gender specific term, I probably shouldn't do that...
Interesting, the OED agrees with me (it makes no mention of gender at all) and gives "1976 Times 21 May 2/4 Mary Whitehouse, spokesman for the campaign." as one of its citations, so apparently the Times agrees with me (or, at least, did 30 years ago). But anyway, that's rather offtopic - I'm happy to use "spokesperson" if "spokesman" offends people here.
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 Alison Wheeler wikimedia@alisonwheeler.com:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 18:17, Thomas Dalton wrote:
spokesman.
"spokesperson" surely ...
Sorry, I use "spokesman" as a non-gender specific term, I probably shouldn't do that...
Interesting, the OED agrees with me (it makes no mention of gender at all) and gives "1976 Times 21 May 2/4 Mary Whitehouse, spokesman for the campaign." as one of its citations, so apparently the Times agrees with me (or, at least, did 30 years ago). But anyway, that's rather offtopic - I'm happy to use "spokesperson" if "spokesman" offends people here.
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_UK http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
We are talking about wikipedians here. Spokesbeing is probably about the only term inclusive enough and given the regular comparisons to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica would be closer) somewhat appropriate.
2008/12/11 geni geniice@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
We are talking about wikipedians here. Spokesbeing is probably about the only term inclusive enough and given the regular comparisons to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica would be closer) somewhat appropriate.
Wikispeaker?
On 11 Dec 2008, at 21:10, Thomas Dalton wrote:
2008/12/11 geni geniice@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
We are talking about wikipedians here. Spokesbeing is probably about the only term inclusive enough and given the regular comparisons to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica would be closer) somewhat appropriate.
Wikispeaker?
"The speaker that anyone can edit"?
Mike
At 21:10 +0000 11/12/08, Thomas Dalton wrote:
2008/12/11 geni geniice@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
We are talking about wikipedians here. Spokesbeing is probably about the only term inclusive enough and given the regular comparisons to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica would be closer) somewhat appropriate.
Wikispeaker?
Wikifiddler?
Gordo
2008/12/11 geni geniice@gmail.com:
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me. "Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
We are talking about wikipedians here. Spokesbeing is probably about the only term inclusive enough and given the regular comparisons to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (although Asimov's Encyclopedia Galactica would be closer) somewhat appropriate.
In my university days, the SF society has a "Chair Entity" and a "Vice Chair Thing" :-)
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me.
I can't win, can I?
"Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
What should I use when I don't know the person's gender?
2008/12/11 Thomas Dalton thomas.dalton@gmail.com
2008/12/11 James Farrar james.farrar@gmail.com:
"Spokesperson" offends me.
I can't win, can I?
If you're going to worry about offending people, it's unlikely.
"Spokesman" or "spokeswoman" (as appropriate) are perfectly acceptable.
What should I use when I don't know the person's gender?
I recommend the non-gender-specific term "spokesman".
At 15:22 +0000 11/12/08, Alison Wheeler wrote:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 14:06, Thomas Dalton wrote:
Yes, but WMUK 1.0 was always very small and wasn't really noticed by anyone (some in the media may have known it existed, but that's about it).
Before David gets in and screams how wrong that statement is I'll just point out that we (David and I) have ended up in just about all the press directories sfaiwct such that "some" in the media is very inaccurate!
Alison
Can I also Alison to the list of good public speakers, who can think on their feet?
Gordo
{{You just did - Ed.}}
On Thu, December 11, 2008 22:46, Gordon Joly wrote:
Can I also Alison to the list of good public speakers, who can think on their feet?
Thankyou ;-P
I seem to recall a certain Wiki Wednesday where Sue was late and I did a "vamp until ready" talk for a half-hour... ho hum.
Alison
At 22:50 +0000 11/12/08, Alison Wheeler wrote:
On Thu, December 11, 2008 22:46, Gordon Joly wrote:
Can I also Alison to the list of good public speakers, who can think on their feet?
Thankyou ;-P
I seem to recall a certain Wiki Wednesday where Sue was late and I did a "vamp until ready" talk for a half-hour... ho hum.
Alison
It was memorable!
Gordo
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