[Foundation-l] (Flashback) A short (and revised) FAQ about Wikimania in Alexandria

[Mike Godwin]

Greg Maxwell writes:

>  In the message I responded to you stated that the collection of
> emergency contact information would present considerable privacy
> concerns.   Here you seem to be suggesting that the foundation would
> instead prefer to pass off the collection to a volunteer driven
> project.  This seems like a completely inconsistent position, but
> perhaps I just do not understand.

I guess I'm both callous and inconsistent. Next thing you know I'll be  
downright evil. (That's where you going, isn't it? Just admit it.)

It should be noted that the concerns that have been raised to me, both  
publicly and privately, are themselves inconsistent. Some people are  
concerned about their privacy. Some are concerned about security. Some  
are concerned about both privacy and security. Some are concerned  
about neither. Some are concerned about wholly separate matters. Some  
feel that they can't post publicly to this list without themselves  
being criticized.

So don't be surprised if you hear from me representations of  
inconsistent concerns. This is not exactly a consistent crowd.  (News  
flash!)

> I'm at a bit of a loss as to what means could possibly be more
> efficient and effective than simply adding a single additional field
> to the official Wikimania registration form.  Could you please
> elaborate?

I can elaborate by saying that I think you have spent more time  
responding to me than it might have taken you to come up with a  
solution that addresses the concerns you state here. This strikes me  
as callous.

Is there a registration form somewhere that the Foundation has access  
to, Greg, that you don't? I don't know of one. Have you considered  
making your concerns known to those who are actually organizing the  
conference, such as Delphine and the local team? (The Foundation is  
only paying for it.)

> Some of the earliest concerns about safety were raised after the
> safety advice provided by the local team were found to be in direct
> contradiction with advice provided by professional travel agents (in,
> particular with respect to advisable dress for women).

I don't know what you are attempting to refer to here. (The issue of  
"advisable dress for women" is also addressed in the INTERNATIONAL  
STUDENTS GUIDE -- see below.)

>  It was the
> belief of some, myself included, that although the local team has the
> greatest access to information they may, understandably, not be the
> most objective parties available to assess the risks and mitigations
> specific to their region and its local cultures.

I love the passive voice.

I have twice forwarded to the list a link to resources for foreign  
students attending the American University in Cairo.  It addresses  
many and perhaps most of the concerns raised by those who worry about  
the local team's advice.  Did you bother to read it?  It's still here:

<http://www.aucegypt.edu/StudentLife/StudentServices/isso/Pages/InternationalStudentHandbook.aspx 
 >

> With that in mind I hope you can understand why some people are
> dissatisfied that the foundation's response to concerns about safety
> is to restate that those issues have been delegated to the local team.

That is not at all what I said. If you are going to attempt to  
paraphrase me, please don't just make stuff up. I neither stated nor  
restated that safety issues "have been delegated to the local team."

> Given the large volume of mail that has already been exchanged on this
> subject I do not expect that a uniformly agreeable fully solution will
> be found.

Thank you for your efforts in forging agreement. I feel much more  
agreeable now.

I look forward to further interrogation. Uh, I mean, constructive  
suggestions.


--Mike