[Foundation-l] Controversial Content Study Update

Tue Aug 24 12:13:59 UTC 2010

Robert,

For what it's worth and for the record, I want to thank you for
sharing your thoughts and findings about this process on this list,
it's a fantastic positive and constructive example of "transparency"
as I understand and value it.

Bon courage,

Cheers,

Delphine

On Mon, Aug 23, 2010 at 4:05 PM, R M Harris <rmharris at sympatico.ca> wrote:
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> Robert Harris here again, the consultant looking at the
> issues surrounding controversial content on Wikimedia projects. I wanted first
> of all to thank all of you who have taken the trouble to once again weigh in on
> a subject I know has been debated many times within the Wikimedia community. It
> has been very valuable for me, a newcomer to these questions, to witness the
> debate first-hand for several reasons. The first is to remind me of the
> thinking behind various positions, rather than simply to be presented with the
> results of those positions. And the second is as a reminder to myself to
> remember my self-imposed rule of "do no harm” and to reflect on how easy
> it is to break that rule, even if unintentionally.
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> So far, the immediate result for me of the dialogue has been to recognize that
> the question of whether there is any problem to solve at all is a real question
> that will need a detailed and serious response, as well as a recognition that
> the possibility of unintended consequence in these matters is high, so caution
> and modesty is a virtue.
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> Having said that, I will note that I'm convinced that if there are problems to
> be solved around questions of controversial content, the solutions can probably
> best be found at the level of practical application. (and I’ll note that
> several of you have expressed qualified confidence that a solution on that
> level may be findable). That's not to say that the intellectual and
> philosophical debate around these issues is not valuable -- it is essential, in
> my opinion. It's just to note that not only is the "devil" in the
> details as a few of you have noted, but that the "angel" may
> be in the details as well -- that is -- perhaps -- questions insoluble on
> the theoretical level may find more areas of agreement on a practical level.
> I'm not sure of that, but I'm presenting it as a working hypothesis at this
> point.
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> My intended course of action over the next month or so is the following. I'm
> planning to actually write the study on a wiki, where my thinking as it
> develops, plus comments, suggestions, and re-workings will be available
> for all to see. I was planning to begin that perhaps early in September. (A
> presentation to the Foundation Board is tentatively scheduled for early
> October). Between now and then, I would like to continue the kind of feedback
> I've been getting, all of it so valuable for me. I have posted another set of
> questions about controversy in text articles on the Meta page devoted to the
> study, (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:2010_Wikimedia_Study_of_Controversial_Content)  because my ambit does not just
> include images, and text and image, in my opinion, are quite different forms of
> content. As well, I will start to post research I've been collecting for
> information and comment.  I have some interesting notes about the
> experience of public libraries in these matters (who have been struggling with
> many of these same questions since the time television, not the Internet, was
> the world’s new communications medium), as well as information on the policies
> of other big-tent sites (Google Images, Flickr, YouTube, eBay,etc.) on these
> same issues. I haven't finished collecting all the info I need on the latter,
> but will say that the policies on these sites are extremely complex (although
> not always presented as such) and subject within their communities to many of
> the same controversies that have arisen in ours.  We are not them, by any
> means, but it is interesting to observe how they have struggled with many of
> the same issues with which we are struggling.
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> The time is soon coming when I will lose the luxury of mere
> observation and research, and will have to face the moment where I will enter
> the arena myself as a participant in these questions. I’m looking forward to
> that moment, with the understanding that you will be watching what I do with
> care, concern, and attention.
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> Robert Harris
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-- 
~notafish

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