I am pleased to announce the launch of the third Inspire Campaign for
IdeaLab, focused on addressing harassment of Wikimedia project contributors:
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire>
Harassment diminishes the experience of contributing and participation for
a substantial number of individuals, even those who simply witness it.
Current methods of dealing with harassment are considered unacceptable as
they often do not lead to productive outcomes.[1]
During the month-long campaign, you are invited to submit & review ideas on
how to better address harassment. Consider joining a team to help make an
idea happen. Ideas can be submitted in any language, and focus on
research, building tools or software, outreach efforts, or something
completely new. Grants are available from the Wikimedia Foundation to fund
projects that are eligible for financial support.[2] Ideas focused on
changes to community policies and guidelines are also welcome. Google
Hangout sessions are also scheduled in June if you’d like to discuss your
idea or have questions about WMF grants.[3]
Questions about the campaign can be directed at the Inspire talk page.[4]
An FAQ page about the campaign is also available.[5]
If you want to help make your projects safer for everyone to participate
in, I encourage you to participate in this Inspire Campaign. I believe we
can work together to address this difficult and important issue.
With thanks,
Chris "Jethro" Schilling
I JethroBT (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:I_JethroBT_(WMF)>
Community Organizer, Wikimedia Foundation
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home>
[1] <
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harassment_Survey_2015_-_Results_Re…
>
[2] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Start>
[3] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Events>
[4] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:IdeaLab/Inspire>
[5] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire/FAQ>
Hi everyone,
We’ve had two Inspire Campaigns so far -- on the gender gap and on content
curation & review -- to encourage ideas and grant proposals on challenging
issues affecting the Wikimedia projects you work on. The third Inspire
Campaign, starting on May 31st, will run for one month and focus on
addressing harassment that occurs on Wikimedia projects:
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire>
The 2015 Harassment Survey[1] has shown evidence that harassment is
pervasive; 38% of participants reported experiencing it, and 51% reported
witnessing harassment. These include behaviors such as name calling,
threats of violence, discrimination, stalking, and impersonation, among
others. Furthermore, available methods and systems to deal with harassment
are considered to be ineffective. These behaviors are clearly harmful, and
in addition, many individuals who experience or witness harassment
participate less in Wikimedia projects or stop contributing entirely.
Starting May 31st, everyone is invited to submit and work together in
developing ideas to prevent and handle cases of harassment. Ideas can
include research, software, events, training programs, outreach efforts,
etc. If you need funding, ideas can easily be submitted as a proposal for
a WMF grant. Ideas can also encourage discussions to consider changes in
policies, guidelines, or best practices on your local Wikimedia project(s).
An FAQ page about this campaign and Inspire Campaigns generally is
available.[2] An announcement e-mail will be sent out on the 31st. For
folks who are interested in helping translate so we can reach a wide
audience, I welcome your help on the FAQ page[2] and main landing page.[3]
If you have an idea or want to help develop ideas to address harassment, I
encourage you to join me so that we can work together in addressing this
important and difficult issue.
With thanks,
Chris "Jethro" Schilling
I JethroBT (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:I_JethroBT_(WMF)>
Community Organizer, Wikimedia Foundation
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home>
--
[1] <
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harassment_Survey_2015_-_Results_Re…
>
[2] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire/FAQ>
[3] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire>
Haven't had time to listen to the whole thing yet, but this panel looks
promising. Sampling a few sound bites, the speaker at 19:00 is Dr. Michelle
Ferrier: "The terrorism that these groups inflict on you is very deep and
very powerful and very real, and so literally after three years
I...changing my roles, not working nights, trying to find ways to solve
this, and the problem was I came to almost every single professional
organization and asked, "where are your conference sessions talking about
this, where are your programs to be able to protect and support
journalists? You're talking about diversity in the media? You're bringing
us in, and we're going out the back door just as quickly as we're coming in
the front, because we're scared to death, and you have done nothing to
protect us."
http://ona15.journalists.org/sessions/antiharassmentkeynote/#.Vz8-874kRCa
We shouldn't conflate "creepy" and "harassment" at all, to be honest. Sure,
plenty of things that are creepy are also harassment, but plenty of things
that are considered creepy are just poor social skills (laughing
inappropriately) and may even be due to health conditions (greasy skin).
Harassment is a very serious allegation implying plenty of abuse, and using
the term in conjunction with "creepy" degrades it to a level not befitting
of what it truly is.
Also, saying "defining harassment" and then implying that the definition of
it is the "nature of creepiness" feels pretty discriminatory to those who
are less privileged in the area of social skills. Sometimes I don't know
when I'm talking about a subject for too long, and labelling that "creepy"
and implying it might be harassment seems to be crossing the line for me.
On May 10, 2016 12:01 PM, "Neotarf" <neotarf(a)gmail.com> wrote:
A study published in the journal New Ideas in Psychology, unfortunately
behind a paywall, reviewed by Dr. NerdLove. [1]
Some highlights:
*"*So we’re not allowed to give women compliments? – *No, telling a woman
how sexy she is isn’t a compliment, especially when you don’t have that
level of intimacy with her."
*"One of the keys to what made someone creepy was the potential for
ambiguity. The study’s authors suggest that because one’s creep-radar is
keyed towards finding potential threats, the ambiguousness of somebody’s
behavior could make people uncomfortable. After all, if you’re continually
wondering if this person actually poses a threat to you, you’re left in a
state of anxious paralysis; you’re continually on edge trying to determine
just what the appropriate reaction to the situation is. Guessing wrong can
have consequences, after all; misjudge a potential threat and now you’ve
made yourself vulnerable to someone who means you harm."
*"One of the most common ways guys are creepy is by ignoring issues of
boundaries and demonstrating that they have more information about somebody
than they should." Example from Instagram: He: "So I take it you're staying
at the Excalibur?" She: "Excuse me, do you not seriously realize how
f*cking creepy it is for a stranger to message a woman out of the blue
insinuating he knows where she is?"
*From the comments: "Someone who comes close to that line and manages not
to cross it obviously knows where it is."
[1] http://www.doctornerdlove.com/2016/05/the-science-of-being-creepy/
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Sharing the announcement about the new WMF Rapid Grants Program. Go forth
and use it to decrease the gender gap!
Sydney Poore
User:FloNight
Wiki Project Med Foundation
WikiWomen's User Group
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sydney.e.poore
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Alex Wang <awang(a)wikimedia.org>
Date: Tue, May 17, 2016 at 11:11 PM
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] Announcing Rapid Grants
To: Wikimedia Mailing List <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Hello Wikimedians,
We are excited to announce the launch of a new Wikimedia Foundation grants
program, Rapid Grants!
Rapid grants fund Wikimedia community members -- individuals, groups, or
organizations contributing to Wikimedia projects -- to organize projects
throughout the year for up to USD 2,000. Projects can include experiments
or standard needs that don't need broad review to get started. Applications
are reviewed weekly by WMF staff.
Read more about the new program and apply here:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Project/Rapid
Questions? Email rapidgrants(a)wikimedia.org
For more information about next steps and important dates for the grants
program redesign, please visit:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Reimagining_WMF_grants/Imple…
Cheers,
Alex
--
Alexandra Wang
Program Officer
Community Resources
Wikimedia Foundation <http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home>
+1 415-839-6885
Skype: alexvwang
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A study published in the journal New Ideas in Psychology, unfortunately
behind a paywall, reviewed by Dr. NerdLove. [1]
Some highlights:
*"*So we’re not allowed to give women compliments? – *No, telling a woman
how sexy she is isn’t a compliment, especially when you don’t have that
level of intimacy with her."
*"One of the keys to what made someone creepy was the potential for
ambiguity. The study’s authors suggest that because one’s creep-radar is
keyed towards finding potential threats, the ambiguousness of somebody’s
behavior could make people uncomfortable. After all, if you’re continually
wondering if this person actually poses a threat to you, you’re left in a
state of anxious paralysis; you’re continually on edge trying to determine
just what the appropriate reaction to the situation is. Guessing wrong can
have consequences, after all; misjudge a potential threat and now you’ve
made yourself vulnerable to someone who means you harm."
*"One of the most common ways guys are creepy is by ignoring issues of
boundaries and demonstrating that they have more information about somebody
than they should." Example from Instagram: He: "So I take it you're staying
at the Excalibur?" She: "Excuse me, do you not seriously realize how
f*cking creepy it is for a stranger to message a woman out of the blue
insinuating he knows where she is?"
*From the comments: "Someone who comes close to that line and manages not
to cross it obviously knows where it is."
[1] http://www.doctornerdlove.com/2016/05/the-science-of-being-creepy/
In the wake of the latest Jian Ghomesh trial, the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation says it has implemented "a revised HR process for recording
complaints of bullying and sexual harassment, the establishment of an
harassment helpline and new training for its managers and staff." [1]
The CBC came in for some heavy criticism of their internal investigation
processes: "[CBC] retained a lawyer, with whom it had had a previous
relationship, to conduct its 'investigation.' And who ran that
investigation? The CBC's own legal and human resource departments -- the
very ones who should have been the subject of the investigation." The
staff was warned that any statements they made during the investigation
could be used against them and the employees' union advised the staff not
to participate. [2]
For those who like the TL;DR version, the CBC description of its
investigation, with links to the text of the full report: [3]
FWIW, although the recent WMF harassment survey was an in-house project
(and no one questions its integrity), [4] the WMF apparently does hire an
outside firm to develop trust with its staff. [5]
[1]
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/cbc-protected-jian-ghomeshi-say-tw…
[2] http://linkis.com/financialpost.com/VZEQp
[3]
http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-inquiry-concludes-management-mishandled-jian-gho…
[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Harassment_consultation_2015
[5]
https://web.archive.org/web/20160512142838/http://www.alliedtalent.com/what…
Forwarding two opportunities to ask the interim ED questions about
harrassment, diversity, and anything else. (:
Please note the time correction from Risker: "Just noting that 1700-1800
PDT on Wednesday May 11 is 0000-0100 UTC on
Thursday May 12. Based on the link given, this seems to be when the meeting
will be held."
Pine
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Katherine Maher" <kmaher(a)wikimedia.org>
Date: May 4, 2016 17:47
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] Invitation to upcoming office hours with interim ED
To: <wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <wmfall(a)lists.wikimedia.org>, <
wikimediaannounce-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org>
Cc:
Hi everyone,
**Summary: I am delighted to invite you to join me for two upcoming office
hours, where I’ll answer community questions and share updates on the
Foundation’s work.**
It’s been a busy few weeks around the Wikimedia Foundation offices. We
shared our 2016-2017 annual plan, finished our quarterly reviews, and
attended Wikimedia Conference 2016 in Berlin with the Wikimedia affiliates.
[1]
In Berlin, I had the chance to do one of my favorite things: sit with
Wikimedians, listen, debate, and plan for the future. Of course, Berlin is
just one gathering, and there are thousands of other perspectives out
there. I want to hear more of these perspectives, and so I’m looking
forward to hosting two office hours over the coming weeks.
We plan to hold a traditional office hours on IRC, and will also experiment
with a video Q&A. We hope these different formats will make it easier for
more people to participate using their preferred communications channels.
We’ve chosen two different time zones, with the goal of reaching as many
people as possible. They are as follows:
*Video session*
*This session will be recorded, and the video will be posted on
Commons/Meta. Due to video conferencing limitations, we encourage advance
questions.*
Wednesday, 11 May 2016
00:00-1:00 UTC | 17:00-18:00 PDT [2]
*IRC session*
*This session follows the May monthly metrics meeting.[4] Like other office
hours, it will be held in #Wikimedia-office on Freenode.*
Thursday, 26 May 2016
19:00-20:00 UTC | 12:00-13:00 PDT [3]
We’re also collecting questions in advance for those who can’t make either
of those sessions. We’ve created a page on Meta where you can leave
questions or comments, check the details on the location of each session:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director/May…
Please share this invitation with others you think may be interested!
I look forward to speaking soon,
Katherine
Translation notice - This message is available for translation on
Meta-Wiki:
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Executive_Director/May…
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2016
[2] Time converter link:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=0&min=00&sec=0&da…
[3] Time converter link:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?hour=19&min=00&sec=0&d…
[4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/WMF_Metrics_and_activities_meetings
--
Katherine Maher
Wikimedia Foundation
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
+1 (415) 839-6885 ext. 6635
+1 (415) 712 4873
kmaher(a)wikimedia.org
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Hi all!
I'm not sure if you know the CEE Spring 2016 project. It is an article
writing contest held on 29 language versions of Wikipedia aiming to gather
knowledge about the countries of Central and Eastern Europe[1]. The
participants write about different topics related to the region. But the
topic that is supported the most are women biographies. We feel that this
is important to inspire users to discover and share stories about the
notable women from the region. You can read more about how we do it at the
CEE Spring blog[2][3].
Our ideas seem to be working - in some language versions more than 60% of
biographies created during the contest are about women!
The contest is still on (it will last till May 31) so it is still time to
join us and write about Central European women. Especially that this week
we are holding a special international challenge related to women in
science and education[3].
Natalia [[user:Magalia]]
[1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_CEE_Spring_2016
[2]
http://ceespring.eu/blog/2016/04/21/cee-spring-participants-fighting-the-ge…
[3]
http://ceespring.eu/blog/2016/04/30/week-of-women-in-science-and-education/