[Wikipedia-l] Re: Time to set up Wikimedia ProjectCommittees

[Christopher Mahan]

--- Anthere <anthere8 at yahoo.com> wrote: 
> 1. Wikipedia's success to date is 100% a function of our open
> community. 
> This community will continue to live and breathe and grow only so
> long 
> as those of us who participate in it continue to Do The Right
> Thing. 
> Doing The Right Thing takes many forms, but perhaps most central is
> the 
> preservation of our shared vision for the NPOV and for a culture of
> thoughtful diplomatic honesty.

Yea

> 
> 2. Newcomers are always to be welcomed. There must be no cabal,
> there 
> must be no elites, there must be no hierarchy or structure which
> gets in 
> the way of this openness to newcomers. Any security measures to be 
> implemented to protect the community against real vandals (and
> there are 
> real vandals, who are already starting to affect us), should be 
> implemented on the model of "strict scrutiny".
> 
> "Strict scrutiny" means that any measures instituted for security
> must 
> address a compelling community interest, and must be narrowly
> tailored 
> to achieve that objective and no other.

Yea

 
> 3. "You can edit this page right now" is a core guiding check on 
> everything that we do. We must respect this principle as sacred.

Sacred, no. But a guiding principle.

 
> 4. Any changes to the software must be gradual and reversible. We
> need 
> to make sure that any changes contribute positively to the
> community, as 
> ultimately determined by me, in full consultation with the
> community 
> consensus.

Software gets developed poorly by commitees. I'd be careful on that
one.


> 5. The GNU FDL license, the openness and _viral_ nature of it, are 
> fundamental to the longterm success of the site. Anyone who wants
> to use 
> our content in a closed proprietary manner must be challenged. We
> must 
> adhere very strictly to both the letter and spirit of the license.

Yea

> 6. The mailing list will remain open, well-advertised, and will be 
> regarded as the place for meta-discussions about the nature of 
> Wikipedia. Very limited meta-discussion of the nature of the
> Wikipedia 
> should be placed on the site itself. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia.

Yea

> The 
> topic of Wikipedia articles should always look outward not inward
> at the 
> Wikipedia itself.

Huh?

> 7. Anyone with a beef should be treated with the utmost respect and
> 
> dignity. They should be encouraged constantly to present their
> problems 
> in a constructive way in the open forum of the mailing list. Anyone
> who 
> just bitches without foundation, refusing to join the discussion, I
> am 
> afraid I must simply reject and ignore. Consensus is a partnership 
> between interested parties working positively for a common goal. I
> must 
> not let the "squeaky wheel" be greased just for being a jerk.

In Principle, Yea. In reality: live and let live. 


> 8. Diplomacy consists of combining honesty and politeness. Both are
> 
> objectively valuable moral principles. Be honest with me, but don't
> be 
> mean to me. Don't misrepresent my views for your own political
> ends. And 
> I'll treat you the same way.

Yea


=====
Christopher Mahan
chris_mahan at yahoo.com
818.943.1850 cell
http://www.christophermahan.com/

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