I have been following this from the start. This "rebranding" has been met with considerable resistance from Wikipedias and other projects, but they persist in pretending the resistance does not exist. The idea is poor. WMF and their paid spin-doctors appear to be hell bent on pushing this bad idea through regardless of opposition or logic. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, not a movement. The movement is not Wikipedia, it is an attempt to use the Wikipedia name for the ends of the putative movement, and looks a lot like a takeover attempt. There are several other projects like Wikidata, Wikivoyage, Wikisource etc which will be even more overshadowed by the proposed renaming/rebranding. The only ones likely to profit ( and I use the word in its most literal meaning), is WMF, who may find the annual fundraising even easier to exceed targets. Personally I consider the proposal and the way it has been pushed against the resistance and objections of the people who actually create and curate the content to be ethically questionable, though in US company law, probably totally legal. This has already been divisive and will only get more so. Cheers, Peter -----Original Message----- From: WikimediaZA [mailto:wikimediaza-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Adri Baard Sent: 17 June 2020 11:47 To: wikimediaza Subject: [Wikimedia ZA] Feedback needed: Wikimedia Branding Project Good morning everyone As you may or may not know, Wikimedia is busy with a project to potentially rebrand. We now have the opportunity to give feedback on the project as it stands right now. However, in order to streamline the process, I've been asked to complete the feedback on behalf of the ZA Chapter. So.. please see the latest presentation <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3zlBGHHHiY> and accompanying slidedeck. < https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iLC7VYew1anjoIfV025hCVJFWmC0VdbJ3Qi… If you're familiar with the previous phases of the project feel free to skip to the middle of the video. If you need more information, the background on the project is here < https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Communications/Wikimedia_brands/2030_moveme… . I have two weeks from today to complete the survey, and will appreciate any feedback by next Wednesday. Kind regards Adri Baard Boardmember _______________________________________________ WikimediaZA mailing list WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza To unsubscribe, send an email to WikimediaZA-unsubscribe(a)lists.wikimedia.org -- This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. https://www.avg.com _______________________________________________ WikimediaZA mailing list WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza To unsubscribe, send an email to WikimediaZA-unsubscribe(a)lists.wikimedia.org

I agree 100% with what Peter has said and I've given my feedback in the questionnaire. I would be very much in support of Wikimedia ZA taking a position opposing the use of Wikipedia to brand the whole movement and the organisations. Cheers David On Thu, 18 Jun 2020 at 17:16, Douglas Scott &lt;douglas.i.scott(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: > Currently Wikimedia ZA does not have a position on this but it is certainly > something we can start a process to have an opinion on. Judging from the > Chapters chairpersons mailing list there are a lot of chapters that share > Peter's concerns. > > Regards, > > Douglas. > > On Wed, 17 Jun 2020 at 13:25, Peter Southwood &lt;peter.southwood(a)telkomsa.net&gt; > wrote: > >> I have been following this from the start. This "rebranding" has been met >> with considerable resistance from Wikipedias and other projects, but they >> persist in pretending the resistance does not exist. The idea is poor. WMF >> and their paid spin-doctors appear to be hell bent on pushing this bad idea >> through regardless of opposition or logic. Wikipedia is an encyclopaedia, >> not a movement. The movement is not Wikipedia, it is an attempt to use the >> Wikipedia name for the ends of the putative movement, and looks a lot like >> a takeover attempt. There are several other projects like Wikidata, >> Wikivoyage, Wikisource etc which will be even more overshadowed by the >> proposed renaming/rebranding. The only ones likely to profit ( and I use >> the word in its most literal meaning), is WMF, who may find the annual >> fundraising even easier to exceed targets. Personally I consider the >> proposal and the way it has been pushed against the resistance and >> objections of the people who actually create and curate the content to be >> ethically questionable, though in US company law, probably totally legal. >> This has already been divisive and will only get more so. >> Cheers, >> Peter >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: WikimediaZA [mailto:wikimediaza-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On >> Behalf Of Adri Baard >> Sent: 17 June 2020 11:47 >> To: wikimediaza >> Subject: [Wikimedia ZA] Feedback needed: Wikimedia Branding Project >> >> Good morning everyone >> >> As you may or may not know, Wikimedia is busy with a project to potentially >> rebrand. >> We now have the opportunity to give feedback on the project as it stands >> right now. >> >> However, in order to streamline the process, I've been asked to complete >> the feedback on behalf of the ZA Chapter. >> >> So.. please see the latest presentation >> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3zlBGHHHiY> and accompanying slidedeck. >> < >> https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iLC7VYew1anjoIfV025hCVJFWmC0VdbJ3Qi… >> If >> you're familiar with the previous phases of the project feel free to skip >> to the middle of the video. >> If you need more information, the background on the project is here >> < >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Communications/Wikimedia_brands/2030_moveme… >> . >> >> I have two weeks from today to complete the survey, and will appreciate any >> feedback by next Wednesday. >> >> Kind regards >> >> Adri Baard >> Boardmember >> _______________________________________________ >> >> >>

Personally I am also against this "rebranding". Our next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday I believe and we can discuss it further then. If there is enough support from members, we can certainly take a position. If anyone else believes Wikimedia South Africa should, or shouldn't, take a stand on this issue (either in support of one of the options, or in opposition to them all), please let us know as soon as possible. On 2020/06/21 22:58, David Richfield wrote: wrote: certainly share peter.southwood(a)telkomsa.net&gt; met they WMF idea encyclopaedia, the like use be legal. potentially stands complete slidedeck. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iLC7VYew1anjoIfV025hCVJFWmC0VdbJ3Qi… skip >>> to the middle of the video. >>> If you need more information, the background on the project is here https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Communications/Wikimedia_brands/2030_moveme… appreciate any -- Ian Gilfillan www.wikimedia.org.za<http://www.wikimedia.org.za> Facebook: www.facebook.com/WikimediaZA/<http://www.facebook.com/WikimediaZA/> Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wikimedia_ZA Zulip: https://wikimediaza.zulipchat.com _______________________________________________ WikimediaZA mailing list WikimediaZA(a)lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaza To unsubscribe, send an email to WikimediaZA-unsubscribe(a)lists.wikimedia.org