[Foundation-l] Wikimedia Kosovo Chapter? Re: Fwd: SFK100 Press Release

[Nathan]

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 12:39 PM, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Actually, I'm quite the pragmatist. You are being an idealist by
> assuming that can just go with the nice solution and it will all work
> out fine, despite the very real risks involved with a top-5 website
> appearing to take sides in a major international dispute.
>

What might these terrible consequences actually be? "Wikipedia sides
with Kosovo independence, gives local organization chapter status:
U.N. Security Council resolution condemns interference"? Pragmatism
would have you first identify the actual consequences, then determine
if they are significant, then decide if they present an insurmountable
hurdle to action. I don't think the issue of chapters is particularly
politically radioactive, so... If the groups of people in Kosovo and
in Serbia are non-overlapping, then I don't see why we would allow
political issues, that have nothing to do with the Wikimedia
Foundation, to unnecessarily limit Wikimedia reach and resources in
that region.

Nathan