[WikiEN-l] Brandt unblocked by Jimbo - community support?

[Ray Saintonge]

Slim Virgin wrote:

>On 4/19/07, Tony Sidaway <tonysidaway at gmail.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>On 4/19/07, Slim Virgin <slimvirgin at gmail.com> wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Erik, I think this post sums up what a lot of people are feeling.
>>>http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_sanction_noticeboard&curid=9413741&diff=124142298&oldid=124142009
>>>      
>>>
>>I appreciate that.  As we've already discussed, this appears to be due
>>to a very serious misperception of the status of voluntary edits on
>>Wikipedia.
>>    
>>
>It's worth clearing up once and for all, and letting new editors and
>admins know what the situation is. Lots of people believe that if
>they're threatened with violence or a lawsuit while carrying out work
>on behalf of Wikipedia, they can look to the Foundation for help. I
>think it's important finally to clarify how the Foundation sees itself
>in law, how it see its admins and editors, what Jimbo's position is,
>and when something is an OFFICE action, and when not. And when it's
>not, what the status of it is.
>
>Wikipedia's too large and prominent now for the loose understandings
>that it's relied on in the past, understandings that not everyone
>shares or even knows about.
>
I don't think that anyone has threatened me with violence or a lawsuit 
in connection with Wikipedia activities, though if it were to happen I 
would first pause to assess the credibility of the threat.  In the case 
of a threat I would be very much inclined to tell the person, "Put up or 
shut up, but do it in my jurisdiction." 

I don't think that it's up to WMF to protect admins from themselves.  
WMF has no control over the way that admins do their work; they are not 
employees.  Just because they have gone through the gauntlet of earning 
adminship does not magically turn them into representatives of the 
Foundation.

Ec