Hello,
On English Wikipedia there are some editors and reviewers accusing a
Wikimedian in Residence of misconduct. I am not asking for any particular
response from anyone, except that Wikimedians in Residence plan to support
members in achieving compliance with rules and defense of
misunderstandings.
The above is the minimum that anyone needs to read. What follows are
details.
---------------------------------------------
My own summary and perspective: Rachel Helps, Wikimedian in Residence at a
university in the United States since 2016, is accused of undisclosed
conflict of interest editing, biased editing, and recruiting paid and
unpaid colleagues in inappropriate editing. In my opinion, this editor has
done everything correctly as the Wikimedians in Residence Exchange Network
recommends. I could be mistaken because the discussion and texts run for
hundreds of pages, but I do not immediately identify particular problems. I
posted in support of this editor in the discussion.
I do not think this accusation is easy to understand. Note also -
Wikipedia prohibits canvassing of uninterested parties to post in existing
discussions and decisions, and I am not asking anyone to casually join this
discussion.
See the discussion at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incid…
archived at
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noti…
Regardless, WREN needs the following to prevent this in the future -
1. clear guidance on how to be a good Wikimedian in Residence
2. a plan for reacting to accusations, if anyone ever wants an
organizational opinion on whether someone is following the rules
3. confirmation from the wiki community that our recommendations are
actually acceptable to wiki editors
I estimate that the university partner here has spent several hundred
thousand dollars of its own money, without Wikimedia Foundation grant
support, to develop Wikimedia content. Their particular expertise is in an
irreplaceable field of religious studies. I would regret the loss of this
institutional partnership, and our colleague, if there were a way to
negotiate a fix to this rather than an end to the program there.
thanks
--
Lane Rasberry
user:bluerasberry
🟦🌀💙🌀🟦