[Foundation-l] wikipedia.de shut down

Thu Nov 20 00:46:58 UTC 2008

Marco Chiesa wrote:
> On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 8:03 PM, Ting Chen <wing.philopp at gmx.de> wrote:
>   
>> Heilmann complained through his lawyer at first by WikiMedia
>> Deutschland. The chapter answered him that it is not responsible for the
>> content on Wikipedia and they would do nothing. I agree with the first
>> part of the answer, but I disagree with the second part. I think someone
>> should have taken a glance at the complain. If that was done at that
>> time, the whole thing would not have happend. And I disagree with people
>> who are now happen about the surge in fundraising. This is not our way.
>> The case was not so black and white and on the long term it can backfire
>> on us.
>>     
> The point is that the chapter is NOT responsible for the content of
> Wikipedia. If as a chapter we receive a suggestion/complain about something
> in Wikipedia, we forward the email to OTRS, because that's the address
> that's dedicated to these things. If there is a lawsuit, as a chapter the
> best response is: "We have nothing to do with the contents of Wikipedia",
> which means, it's up to you to find out who you should sue (the individual
> author or the WMF). But I don't think we should facilitate their task.
>
>   
That sounds like stonewalling, and that is counterproductive because it 
gives the impression that you are trying to avoid accountability.  It 
makes the innocent look guilty. The firewall is legitimate but to the 
person who feels offended it doesn't look that way when he has just been 
told to go to hell.

There is a need to distinguish between legal responsibility which does 
not apply, and moral responsibility which does.  One fulfills moral 
responsibility best by explaining the situation to the complainant, and 
voluntarily helping him to the best of your abilities.  This may involve 
amending the article in the easy cases, or in making sure that he knows 
whom to contact in others.

Ec