[Wikimedia-l] Slate article on Gibraltar

[Matthew Roth]

Link to the article:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/09/20/roger_bamkin_gibraltor_s_repeated_appearance_on_did_you_know_provkes_existential_crisis_for_wikipedia_.html

On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 11:25 AM, Richard Symonds <
richard.symonds at wikimedia.org.uk> wrote:

> User:Panyd, who spotted the start of this whole incident on DYK, gave an
> interview with Slate magazine, which she's been very misquoted in and is a
> little upset about. She just emailed the UK list explaining her thoughts on
> all this, so I'm sharing them here:
> *
> *
> *"I gave Slate an interview in the hopes of being the first non-crazy
> person to talk about what Roger is actually doing - which, yes, I still
> have problems with - but which isn't being Scrooge McDuck using WMUK to
> grab all the money in the land whilst writing all the articles about
> Gibraltar himself under the watchful gaze of the Tsar of Tourism. That is
> the only reason I gave those people the time of day. They have now quoted
> me as saying that Roger was writing and promoting the articles himself.
> They completely contradict themselves at the end of the paragraph, which is
> a hell of a lot closer to what I actually said, but...whatever, they can't
> write.*
> *
> *
> *For the record, no. No I did not say that. Yes, I have issues. You know
> what? I asked the community about them and they shrugged their shoulders
> and said: "Eh, you're wrong." That's that then. If there are further
> discussions about what I feel are relevant issues, then I'll join them in a
> manner that AGF, because that is the Wikipedian way. People can be wrong,
> right or somewhere in between but thorough, open and civil discussion
> from both sides is required to help address the situation. (No
> Wikipediocracy, I don't just mean you, people are talking about this
> on-wiki too from multiple sides) Hopefully with a view to looking forward
> and adapting to these situations, whether it's to welcome or deny them.*
> *
> *
> *I don't think this has anything to do with Wikimedia UK whatsoever, and
> I'm sorry you're even having the discussion here. It should've stayed on
> Wikipedia, where it belongs, and where there are appropriate channels for
> people to discuss issues of paid editing, COI, impact on the project etc.
> I'm also sorry to Roger, because differences of opinion regarding on-wiki
> behaviour should not result in such incivility, or knee-jerk reactions. He
> added much to WMUK, gave so much of his time and love to help the chapter
> go forward, and to lose him is a great shame. For my part in that, I can
> only apologise to Roger and the community.*
> *
> *
> *Fiona "*
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-- 

Matthew Roth
Global Communications Manager
Wikimedia Foundation
+1.415.839.6885 ext 6635
www.wikimediafoundation.org
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