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

[Nathan]

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 2:04 PM, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 29 September 2010 17:57, Nathan <nawrich at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 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.
>
> I very much doubt the UN would do anything. The consequences are
> likely to be primarily restricted to Serbia/Kosovo and the surrounding
> area. As I've already said in this thread, people that know more about
> the issue will be better able to judge what the consequences will be.
> Assuming there will be no consequences just because you don't know
> what the consequences will be seems like a very bad idea to me.
>


Ah, I just that that when you wrote "very real risks" you had some in
mind. Thanks for clarifying.

~Nathan