[Foundation-l] Anti-ACTA protest tomorrow in Belgrade and blackout of Serbian Wikipedia

[Marc Riddell]

on 2/24/12 1:35 PM, Nathan at nawrich at gmail.com wrote:

> On Fri, Feb 24, 2012 at 1:20 PM, Marc Riddell
> <michaeldavid86 at comcast.net>wrote:
> 
>> 
>> I agree with you, Yaroslav, that repeated and indiscriminate use of the
>> method would dilute its impact; and could come back to bite the Project.
>> But
>> I think it unwise and unfair to put a flatly negative spin on the idea.
>> 
>> Marc
>> 
>> 
> I was actually against both the Italian blackout and the subsequent
> blackout of en.wp. I don't think a reference work (which is what Wikipedia
> aims to be) should take political positions. A core pillar of the project
> is its neutrality; neutrality underlies our articles so that they, and by
> extension the project and its participants, do not take and aren't seen to
> take a position on content.
> 
> There ought to be a distinction between advocacy by the Foundation and
> advocacy by content projects, in the same way we wouldn't expect Britannica
> to argue its point of view in the pages of its encyclopedia but wouldn't
> blink if it filed a legal brief or wrote to a lawmaker.

Nathan, I do not agree with your characterization that the Project is
arguing its point of view "on its pages". The neutrality/objectivity of the
content of the Encyclopedia is not involved here. You appear more concerned
with the Project's image, than confronting head-on an issue that could
directly affect its content.

Marc