[Foundation-l] [Wikimedia Announcements] Announcement: Building a new Legal and Community Advocacy Department & Promotion of Philippe Beaudette

[Jussi-Ville Heiskanen]

On Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 5:39 AM, Theo10011 <de10011 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> However, the issue of advocacy is not generally agreed upon by the entire
> community. SOPA blackout was the first and official action of its kind,
> before we consider an advocacy department, do we have consensus that it is
> something we should seek actively? The strategic plan and individual board
> members covered this issue in passing several times, but as far as I know,
> there is no official community-ratified outline or policy to warrant an
> active involvement at this stage.
>
> Issues like SOPA are rare, they come up once in a while. It was the only
> one of its kind that required such strong action in the last few years I
> can remember. I'm not sure if an advocacy department already, is a good
> thing. Especially, if actions like the Italian Wikipedia blackout prove
> that local communities are quiet capable of doing this on their own,
> without the involvement or even the knowledge of WMF.
>
> The issue with SOPA blackout was different, the communication from WMF was
> constantly that it is the community's decision, and the foundation will
> support what the community decides. There was a quick vote and not long
> after, a blackout. Then the impression seems to have shifted that it was
> WMF who took that decision, and everyone agreed.
>
>
 I guess what I'm trying to say is, Advocacy is a sensitive area. I really
> think if we venture too far into this territory, we might loose our
> neutrality. Encyclopedias, historically have little to do with politics and
> political advocacy, the only exception that can be agreed upon is, related
> to things that affect the existence and pursuit of the mission. Those are
> quiet rare to warrant an entire department already.
>

I think you are confusing "rare" with "first". This was merely the
OPENing salvo of a long and protracted battle to protect wikimedia and
the internets and particularly and espescially up and coming internet
entrepeneurs from draconian internet/IP legislation and international
treaties. This will now, once started, last years if not decades, and
we have to stand fast. It isn't our neutrality that is at stake, it is
our very existence, and our ability to stay neutral under pressure
from governments.


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Jussi-Ville Heiskanen, ~ [[User:Cimon Avaro]]