[Foundation-l] [Wikinews-l] Proposal for the creation of aWikinews foundation

Tue Sep 4 16:28:18 UTC 2007

On 9/3/07, Daniel Mayer <maveric149 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Which kinda answer the issue of legal risk. Would there be a legal risk
> > if WMF was handling accredition ? Yup.
> >
> > The three main solutions left are consequently
> > 1) full spin off
> > 2) a separate organization, part of a more global network. And with
> > shared values with WMF
> > 3) working with chapters
> >
> > I am not sure chapters are to be considered good solutions really due to
> > all the comments previously made (partial coverage in particular),
> > though I believe they are part of the story.
>
> The big issue with using chapters is, as you say, partial coverage. But the solution to that is to
> create more chapters. :) Once several chapters start to accredit people, then the processes
> developed can be copied much more easily (esp to and from nations with similar legal frameworks in
> this area).

Rahhhhhhhhh.

No, no, no and no again, I have said this about a million times
already. The big issue with using chapters is exactly the same as the
big issue with the Foundation. It's dangerous for exactly the same
reasons.

If chapters start to provide *official accreditation* [1] not only do
they, in a number of countries, violate the law concerning
journalistic accreditation, but they also endanger the safety of
Wikimedia Projects in regard to their local laws altogether (same
stuff, liability etc.).

So, can we please forget about this?

Delphine
[1] and for those who might want to object, no, what Wikimedia France
does is *not exactly* provide *official accreditation* but rather use
its influence to allow individuals to get into the press room. Not to
say that this practice might one day lead to a problem with
journalists anyway.

-- 
~notafish

La critique, art aisé, se doit d'être constructive. -- Boris Vian in
*Chroniques du menteur*

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