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 <rmhar...@sympatico.ca> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > 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. > > > > 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. > > > > 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. > > > > 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. > > > > 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. > > > > Robert Harris > > > _______________________________________________ > foundation-l mailing list > foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l > -- ~notafish NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
