Glad that's over with. FMF
On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 7:01 PM, Jay Walsh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > We're quite pleased to share this information with you. This press > release was distributed a few hours ago - we now have the news posted > on the WMF wiki and we've updated the blog. > > Thanks are owed to many volunteers who spoke to the media and spread > the word about this situation, as well as those who have been working > on these and similar issues for quite some time. Thank you for > helping to make this possible! > > Best, > > -- > Jay Walsh > Head of Communications > WikimediaFoundation.org > +1 (415) 839 6885 x 609 > > > > > > 'Wikimedia Foundation applauds IWF decision to reverse Wikipedia > > censorship in the United Kingdom' > > Removal from Internet blacklist will also allow UK Wikipedians to > > resume editing > > > > San Francisco CA, December 9 - Earlier today the Internet Watch > > Foundation (IWF), a non-profit agency tasked with preventing access > > to potentially illegal internet content, reversed its ruling earlier > > this week that prevented over 95% of UK internet users from > > accessing an article about an album by a German rock band, The > > Scorpions. As a result, UK Wikipedia users were unable to access all > > of the editing functions on Wikipedia. With this decision, the IWF > > has removed Wikipedia from its internet 'blacklist.' > > > > "We are grateful to the IWF for making this swift decision, and to > > thousands of internet users from around the world for their > > outpouring of support," said Sue Gardner, Executive Director of the > > Wikimedia Foundation. "Millions of Britons now have access to all of > > Wikipedia, and volunteers can resume their important editing work. > > The Wikimedia Foundation greatly admires the work of our volunteers > > - they care deeply about Wikipedia and are the first responders in > > dealing with potentially illegal content on Wikipedia." Gardner > > added that both the Foundation and its community of users "work hard > > to be responsive and responsible when it comes to legitimate legal > > concerns." > > > > Mike Godwin, General Counsel for the Wikimedia Foundation stated: > > "We recognize the good intentions of Internet watch groups, > > including their focus on blocking and discouraging illegal content. > > Nevertheless, this incident underscores the need for transparency > > and accountability in the processes of the Internet Watch Foundation > > and similar bodies around the world." > > > > Added Godwin, "In the long run, monitoring groups need to develop a > > public set of 'best practices.' These best practices should, at a > > minimum, decrease the impact on content found to be lawful, > > acknowledge the context in which the content at issue occurs, and be > > maximally transparent both to service providers and to individual > > users. There should be no false or misleading error messages when > > online censorship does occur." > > > > The Wikimedia Foundation had criticized the the lack of transparency > > in the IWF's decision making and appeal process, as well as the > > suspension of editing functions that resulted following the > > censorship. UK Wikipedia editors account for over 25% of all editing > > activity on the English Wikipedia. > > > > The Wikimedia Foundation is open to dialog on these issues with the > > IWF and other Internet watch groups. > > > > Wikipedia, the fourth most-visited website in the world, is funded > > in large part by donations from its users. The Wikimedia Foundation > > is in the midst of its fifth global giving campaign. For more > > information, visit http://donate.wikimedia.org > > > > > > 'About the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikipedia' > > wikimediafoundation.org > > wikipedia.org > > > > The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization which > > operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore, > > Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia > > Foundation receive more than 270 million unique visitors per month, > > making them the 4th most popular web property world-wide. Available > > in more than 265 languages, Wikipedia provides more than 11 million > > articles contributed by a global volunteer community of more than > > 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia > > Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily > > through donations and grants. > > > > --- > > > > For more information, contact: > > > > Jay Walsh > > Head of Communications > > Wikimedia Foundation > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > +1 415-839-6885, ext 609 > > http://blog.wikimedia.org/ > > > > (To be unsubscribed from this distribution list, please reply with > > the subject: Unsubscribe) > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > foundation-l mailing list > [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l > _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
