[Wikipedia-l] Re: Time to set up Wikimedia ProjectCommittees
Christopher Mahan
chris_mahan at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 27 22:04:54 UTC 2004
--- 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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