[WikiEN-l] Application for sysop status & the assocation of Wikipedians

Thu May 15 11:40:51 UTC 2003

I know that LittleDan has nominated me as a sysop. After reviewing what I could find on WIkipedia about the benefits and responsibilities of being a sysop and agreeing with LittleDan's understanding of what being a sysop is I am accepting his nomination (I am not sure it needs to be seconded as in some associations it is not necessary to second nominations for any elected office, so maybe the nomination has already been made, otherwise I hope someone will either second it or object to my comment about the rules; it does seem to be the practice here that sysop applications are seconded).

In applying I would like to say that my interest in becoming a sysop is to help continue to make Wikipedia a valuable educational project that can benefit everyone. As a jurist I remember hearing that adage, 'Freedom of the Press belongs to he who owns the Press!'. These days it is more important than ever to stand up for the principle that we do not have to be controlled by the corporate forces of media that often dictate what we are supposed to know and what governments would (in certain countries) try to prevent us from knowing - by all rights everyone should have access to knowlege and the disputes regarding the neutrality of that knowledge. 

While some of the recent postings about the illegality of the use of Wikipedia in other countries may be an important issue in those countries, it is true that the protections afforded under the First Amendment of the US Constitution are the broadest in the free world. So at least Wikipedia can post that information and hopefully those who live in countries where censorship is common (such as in Iran, North Korea, China and Belarus) can find a way to access the knowledge we are offering freely to anyone with an internet connection and a web browser. I am impressed of the sophistication of the discourse found here regarding such issues as censorship, pornography and the self policing of copyright issues found on Wikipedia, it is a testimony to the quality of volunteers found here.

I'd also like to point you to a page that I've  created on Meta-Wikipedia. Even if my sysop application is rejected I am proposing that we go forward as a voluntary association and become a little more organized:
http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Wikipedians
I would be happy to help any similar undertaking with donation of any necessary pro bono commitment of my time.
Thank you,
Alex T Roshuk
Attorney at law
Brooklyn NY
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