Re: [Wikimedia-l] Signing out with my official hat!

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
It was good to work with you. You were part of a wonderful move towards
more Wikimedia projects in India. It was a pleasure to see you in action
and work with you.
Thank you

Gerard

On 10 November 2016 at 22:06, Subhashish Panigrahi  wrote:

> 
>
> Friends,
>
> TL; DR
>
> After almost five years of professional engagement with the South Asian
> language Wikimedia communities, I have decided to step down from my current
> role. And I will remain a Wikipedian friend of yours who you can reach out
> in volunteer capacity on my talk page.
>
> ——
>
> I was about to complete my first wiki-versary when I joined the Wikimedia
> Foundation’s India Program as a Consultant for Community and Program
> Support. The program ran until August of 2012 and then got housed at the
> Centre for Internet Society’s Access to Knowledge program (CIS-A2K) [0].
> Thanks to Sunil, Pranesh, Nirmita, Nishant and many others at the CIS
> family who embraced my team from India Program with great amount of trust.
> CIS became more like a family for me all these years. It will always remain
> my other home and alma mater - calling CIS a former employer will be quite
> an understatement. I feel I grew as a person along with the organization
> that is today a noted name for its research in openness, accessibility,
> privacy, IP reform, access to knowledge, and digital humanity.
>
> Over these years I have had the most memorable time in my personal and
> professional life. I have traveled a lot in the country and across the
> world, met many friends in the Wikimedia and the open knowledge community,
> and had the privilege of working on many important projects both locally
> and globally. The South Asian language Wikimedia communities that I have
> worked with have not just been patient and understanding, but have been my
> mentor in many ways. I thank you all wholeheartedly for being such great
> friends and guides. And I hope that I have added some value to your
> community, project and the larger Wikimedia movement.
>
> This was an incredible journey and I feel really honored to see as many as
> three new Wikimedia projects taking birth where I had a chance to
> contribute. Many of you have shared your stories in an interview series
> WikipediansSpeak [1] that I started during my time at CIS, and I felt so
> touched and connected to many people that spoke languages that I never even
> understood. I want to thank many Wikimedians both from the Indian and the
> global Wikimedia community that participated in @WeAreWikipedia [2], a
> rotation curation project on Twitter that I started as a voluntary project.
> The good news is @WeAreWikipedia has always been and will be a
> volunteer-led project even after I leave my professional role at CIS.
>
> In the last few days of my work at CIS, my biggest worry was if I will be
> able to give much time to wrap up Project Ol Chiki [3], a project to create
> typeface family and input tools for the Ol Chiki script (used to write the
> Santali language) that I was leading. I would like to personally thank to
> colleagues T.Vishnuvardhan (former Programme Director of CIS-A2K) for his
> guidance, Pooja Saxena for designing the typeface and several other
> peripherals, Prof. Damayanti Besra and other friends of the
> Santali-language community who have reviewed the typeface, and Wikimedians
> Jnanaranjan Sahu and Nasim Ali who have created the input tools. A few
> years of my childhood was spent in a place where 30% of people spoke this
> aboriginal language Santali, and I cannot share how nostalgic it felt when
> the opportunity came to lead this project.
>
> Once again, thanks you all the friends in the Wikimedia community, and the
> larger openness movement for your kind support over all these years. In the
> long road, this was a great milestone but there are many more to come. I
> hope to continue working with you in my volunteer capacity, and/or may be
> in my new role.
>
> Where I am heading next?
> Some of you might know this already. I am super excited that the next
> milestone is going to be another open source community as I am joining
> Mozilla’s Participation team as South Asia Community Catalyzer [4]. I am
> super excited for it. And I will keep seeing you all amazing people on the
> Wikimedia projects like before.
>
> Do feel free to get in touch with me in my talk page at User:Psubhashish,
> or over email at psubhashish (at) gmail (dot) com, or at @subhapa on both
> Twitter and Telegram.
>
> 0. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K
> 1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikipediansSpeak
> 2. https://twitter.com/wearewikipedia
> 3. https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project_Ol_chiki
> 4. https://discourse.mozilla-community.org/t/introducing-
> our-new-south-asia-community-catalyzer/11975
>
> Love,
> Subhashish
>
> Subhashish Panigrahi
> Programme Officer, Access To Knowledge
> Centre for Internet and Society
> @subhapa / https://cis-india.org
> 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
Right. I agree. It is vital for us to have a safe space where we have our
conference. When we assess a place we should indeed do a risk assessment.
This risk assessment is for all of us. It means that we have to be safe to
do our thing at the conference, we have to be safe at our digs, we have to
be safe to party when we go (together) out and party and obviously we have
to go travel safely to and from the air port.

Every country knows about conferences and it is reasonable to talk with
them before the conference is held. Countries do want conferences and
typically it is possible to find a framework where everybody attending can
safely do what is part of a conference program.

Greg, LGBT gets a lot of attention and I have no problem with that; it has
been a considerable move forward. As you say, they are not the only group
who are stigmatised. They are not the only group that have to consider
their behaviour when they travel, when they live where they live. USA is in
turmoil. But it is for the USA to allow for it to be what it is. Mr Clinton
was almost impeached because of Mrs Lewinsky.. Mr Trump is far more likely
to get off the rails given his history. The point of the USA is that it has
to be assessed in the same way as all other countries and to be honest,
many people feel extremely anxious going there. That is not a reason not to
go, but it is vital that the USA is treated no different from other
countries. It is vital that everyone understands that when he is a guest in
a country, he has to appreciate where he is. Be advised that according to
Amnesty International no police force in the USA abides by the
international agreed rules the USA signed up for. There are known police
forces that are violently different from those agreements.

The point is, we should not let fear guide us, we should be prudent in all
risk assessments and indeed everyone should be able to attend. In the past
we have been to countries where this has not been the case. So take that as
a precedent. We need to come together but it is not only about LGBT it is
also about LGBT.
Thanks,
  GerardM

On 11 November 2016 at 04:10, Gregory Varnum 
wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I wanted to take off my Wikimedia Foundation hat for a moment and offer
> some thoughts as a fellow volunteer.
>
> Without feeling physically/emotionally/mentally safe and free from
> prosecutorial persecution, it is nearly impossible to actively engage.
> Therefore, no goals can be achieved if creating a safe space is not a
> consideration.
>
> I mention prosecutorial persecution because the discussion thus far seems
> to have focused on citizen based peer violence. The problem is that for
> many communities, in this case the LGBT community, there are many other
> elements involved as well. Holding Wikimania in a country where simply
> being LGBT is a crime presents more than just a physical safety risk, it
> presents the threat of prison or death sentence. There are additional risks
> that LGBT people would take by being in that country even if we were
> absolutely confident the police were going to stay away. For example, if a
> LGBT person travels to a country where it is illegal, against the advice of
> their government, their health insurance may not be willing to help them
> should something happen (even if what happens has nothing to do with the
> laws criminalizing LGBT people). Again, these risks and situations apply to
> other communities as well, I am simply using this as an example.
>
> Also, having engaged in conversations like this professionally for over a
> decade, I want to encourage us to avoid ranking or comparing people's
> experiences. The reality is that when you are the victim of discrimination,
> harassment, or violence, that someone else may have had it worse than you
> is not an especially helpful or even relevant factor. Additionally, it
> cannot really be proven (facts matter), and more importantly here - does
> not encourage productive dialogue.
>
> I believe this is an important discussion to be having, and I am pleased to
> see people engaging in it. However, I think it is important that we
> accurately convey the scope of the topic, and avoid emotional triggers that
> will derail dialogue. Given the emotional level for many, especially in the
> US, following the election - I would also encourage people to consider
> pausing and allowing things to calm down before re-engaging.
>
> -greg (User:Varnent)
>
> On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 6:41 PM Gnangarra  wrote:
>
> > "Foreigners" are at an increased risk regardless of where they travel
> thats
> > the reality of international travel, additionally each persons individual
> > circumstances will affect those risks.  What we shouldnt be doing is
> > engaging in a contest as to whos circumstances gives them the greater
> risk
> > and thus a greater value as a contributor.  Sitting at a keyboard
> improving
> > content we are all equals everyone 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] storing IP addresses and their geolocations?

[Leila Zia]

​Hi James,​

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 9:23 AM, James Salsman  wrote:

>
> I repeat my request that the IP and proxy information be anonymized
> with a secure cryptographic has before being stored to nonvolatile
> media,


When you're ready to suggest a change, can you suggest this on that same
thread (
https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/analytics/2016-November/005508.html
), or on a different thread in analytics-l? ​The Analytics team is
responsible for the infrastructure and storage of the data you're referring
to and these discussions are well suited for that list where you have the
expertise to respond to your questions/comments.

Best,
Leila



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[Wikimedia-l] Fwd: Invitation to WMF November 2016 Metrics & Activities Meeting: Thursday, November 17, 19:00 UTC

[Samantha Lien]

-- Forwarded message --
From: Samantha Lien 
Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 7:32 PM
Subject: Invitation to WMF November 2016 Metrics & Activities Meeting:
Thursday, November 17, 19:00 UTC
To: wikimediaannounc...@lists.wikimedia.org


Hello everyone,

The next Wikimedia Foundation metrics and activities meeting will take
place on Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 7:00 PM UTC (11 AM PST). The IRC
channel is #wikimedia-office on irc.freenode.net, and the meeting will be
broadcast as a live YouTube stream.

Update/change to meeting format: The Wikimedia Foundation is exploring a
revised format for the November meeting. Our intent is to share work from
the Foundation and movement, but also to connect our work more broadly
within the movement’s biggest opportunities and challenges.

To do this, we are piloting the November meeting around a theme that has
been at the forefront of much of our work recently: “Building an inclusive
movement.”

In November, speakers will highlight projects, initiatives, and work that
actively foster inclusivity within our movement -- to create a space for
everyone to contribute and share in knowledge on the Wikimedia sites.

Here is the agenda for the November meeting:

* Welcomes, theme introduction - “Building an inclusive movement”

* Executive Director update

* Community update

* June 2016 Inspire Campaign - Chris Schilling

* Guest speaker - Wikipedia Asian Month - Addis Wang

* Questions and discussion

* Wikilove

As you may have seen, we are inviting a guest speaker to participate at the
November meeting. Addis Wang, an active member of the Wikimedia User Group
China, will be sharing some of his work with Wikipedia Asian Month and his
efforts to create an inclusive space and invite people to participate in
the edit-a-thon.

In future meetings, we would like to have one guest speaker from a
Wikimedia community or someone from outside the movement present on their
work that ties in with that month’s theme. (More information to come on
this process moving forward, and who to reach out to if you would like to
present in future meetings).

If you have any questions about the new format, please feel free to reach
out to me, Sam Lien, at the Communications department sl...@wikimedia.org.

Please review

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_metrics_and_activities_
meetings

for further information about the meeting and how to participate.

We will post the video recording publicly after the meeting.

Thank you,
Sam

-- 
*Samantha Lien*
Communications Manager
Wikimedia Foundation
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105









-- 
*Samantha Lien*
Communications Manager
Wikimedia Foundation
149 New Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gregory Varnum]

Greetings,

I wanted to take off my Wikimedia Foundation hat for a moment and offer
some thoughts as a fellow volunteer.

Without feeling physically/emotionally/mentally safe and free from
prosecutorial persecution, it is nearly impossible to actively engage.
Therefore, no goals can be achieved if creating a safe space is not a
consideration.

I mention prosecutorial persecution because the discussion thus far seems
to have focused on citizen based peer violence. The problem is that for
many communities, in this case the LGBT community, there are many other
elements involved as well. Holding Wikimania in a country where simply
being LGBT is a crime presents more than just a physical safety risk, it
presents the threat of prison or death sentence. There are additional risks
that LGBT people would take by being in that country even if we were
absolutely confident the police were going to stay away. For example, if a
LGBT person travels to a country where it is illegal, against the advice of
their government, their health insurance may not be willing to help them
should something happen (even if what happens has nothing to do with the
laws criminalizing LGBT people). Again, these risks and situations apply to
other communities as well, I am simply using this as an example.

Also, having engaged in conversations like this professionally for over a
decade, I want to encourage us to avoid ranking or comparing people's
experiences. The reality is that when you are the victim of discrimination,
harassment, or violence, that someone else may have had it worse than you
is not an especially helpful or even relevant factor. Additionally, it
cannot really be proven (facts matter), and more importantly here - does
not encourage productive dialogue.

I believe this is an important discussion to be having, and I am pleased to
see people engaging in it. However, I think it is important that we
accurately convey the scope of the topic, and avoid emotional triggers that
will derail dialogue. Given the emotional level for many, especially in the
US, following the election - I would also encourage people to consider
pausing and allowing things to calm down before re-engaging.

-greg (User:Varnent)

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 6:41 PM Gnangarra  wrote:

> "Foreigners" are at an increased risk regardless of where they travel thats
> the reality of international travel, additionally each persons individual
> circumstances will affect those risks.  What we shouldnt be doing is
> engaging in a contest as to whos circumstances gives them the greater risk
> and thus a greater value as a contributor.  Sitting at a keyboard improving
> content we are all equals everyone is important.
>
>
>
> On 10 November 2016 at 23:40, Pax Ahimsa Gethen <
> list-wikime...@funcrunch.org> wrote:
>
> > It is correct I have yet to attend a Wikimania conference, but was
> > planning to after my positive experience presenting at WikiConference
> North
> > America.
> >
> > Please note the "Muslim" and "LGBT" are not mutually exclusive. Same with
> > any other marginalized groups you might name.
> >
> > FYI my preferred pronoun is "they" not "he".
> >
> > To clarify what it is I actually asked, here is a copy of my original
> post:
> >
> > Hello all. I had a positive experience at WikiConference North America
> >> last weekend, where I gave a talk on transgender issues and
> Wikipedia.[1]
> >> I'm posting because there's an active discussion in Wikipedia Weekly on
> >> Facebook about choosing a host country for Wikimania 2018.[2] I am
> >> concerned that some of the suggestions are not taking into account the
> >> safety of LGBT+ people; not just those attending the conference, but
> also
> >> those living in the host country.
> >>
> >> As a queer trans atheist in a same-sex marriage, there are a number of
> >> places where I am considered a criminal for just existing or going
> about my
> >> daily routine. This applies to some parts of the U.S. as well, by the
> way;
> >> I won't be visiting North Carolina as long as it's illegal for me to use
> >> the men's restroom there. Please keep these considerations in mind when
> >> planning meetups and conferences. Thank you.
> >>
> >> - Pax aka Funcrunch
> >>
> >> [1] http://funcrunch.org/blog/2016/10/12/making-connections-at-
> >> wikiconference-north-america/
> >>
> >> [2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/wikipediaweekly/permalink/
> >> 1114259788621851/
> >>
> >
> > - Pax
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/10/16 12:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen wrote:
> >
> >> Hoi,
> >> You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the
> >> word
> >> about what we do and who we are.
> >>
> >> I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
> >> consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe.
> >> It
> >> is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
> >> Wikimania stands for.
> >>
> >> There is no safe place and in my experience you are 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gnangarra]

"Foreigners" are at an increased risk regardless of where they travel thats
the reality of international travel, additionally each persons individual
circumstances will affect those risks.  What we shouldnt be doing is
engaging in a contest as to whos circumstances gives them the greater risk
and thus a greater value as a contributor.  Sitting at a keyboard improving
content we are all equals everyone is important.



On 10 November 2016 at 23:40, Pax Ahimsa Gethen <
list-wikime...@funcrunch.org> wrote:

> It is correct I have yet to attend a Wikimania conference, but was
> planning to after my positive experience presenting at WikiConference North
> America.
>
> Please note the "Muslim" and "LGBT" are not mutually exclusive. Same with
> any other marginalized groups you might name.
>
> FYI my preferred pronoun is "they" not "he".
>
> To clarify what it is I actually asked, here is a copy of my original post:
>
> Hello all. I had a positive experience at WikiConference North America
>> last weekend, where I gave a talk on transgender issues and Wikipedia.[1]
>> I'm posting because there's an active discussion in Wikipedia Weekly on
>> Facebook about choosing a host country for Wikimania 2018.[2] I am
>> concerned that some of the suggestions are not taking into account the
>> safety of LGBT+ people; not just those attending the conference, but also
>> those living in the host country.
>>
>> As a queer trans atheist in a same-sex marriage, there are a number of
>> places where I am considered a criminal for just existing or going about my
>> daily routine. This applies to some parts of the U.S. as well, by the way;
>> I won't be visiting North Carolina as long as it's illegal for me to use
>> the men's restroom there. Please keep these considerations in mind when
>> planning meetups and conferences. Thank you.
>>
>> - Pax aka Funcrunch
>>
>> [1] http://funcrunch.org/blog/2016/10/12/making-connections-at-
>> wikiconference-north-america/
>>
>> [2] https://www.facebook.com/groups/wikipediaweekly/permalink/
>> 1114259788621851/
>>
>
> - Pax
>
>
>
> On 11/10/16 12:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen wrote:
>
>> Hoi,
>> You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the
>> word
>> about what we do and who we are.
>>
>> I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
>> consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe.
>> It
>> is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
>> Wikimania stands for.
>>
>> There is no safe place and in my experience you are offensive by not
>> accepting that this is the point that I make. There is no perfect place
>> for
>> Wikimania. Everywhere and always you have to behave yourself cognisant of
>> where you are. At all times there is one or the other group that will be
>> discriminated against.
>>
>> Fae, muslims are at a greater risk than LGBT people when they come to a
>> conference. Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
>> what they are. It is not a lie that you do not address the point that I
>> make. The question is why do we have a Wikimania and is it an instrument
>> to
>> open up new communities and include them in our movement.
>>
>> This is the dominant question that should be answered. Relative safety is
>> secondary.
>> Thanks,
>> GerardM
>>
>> On 10 November 2016 at 08:46, Fæ  wrote:
>>
>> Gerard,
>>>
>>> Yes you are being offensive. You are deliberately painting a picture
>>> that somehow Pax, myself and others are attempting to make out that
>>> safety of LGBT+ Wikimedians is more important than safety of Women
>>> Wikimedians or the safety of Muslim Wikimedians. The only person doing
>>> that is you.
>>>
>>> You did the same thing on the 18th of October and it was pointed out
>>> to you that this was unacceptable, yet you are continuing to repeat
>>> it. Stop doing it, it is a lie, and the only person spreading it is you.
>>>
>>> Go back and read Pax's original post of 16th October which was positive
>>> about the Wikimania experience.
>>>
>>> Fae
>>>
>>> On 10 November 2016 at 06:57, Gerard Meijssen >> >
>>> wrote:
>>>
 Hoi,
 The notion of offence is one where you take it where there is none
 certainly no offence is intended.

 When you consider Wikimanias past, we have been to places where there is

>>> a
>>>
 "risk". Arguably there has been a risk in going to other countries in
 the
 past. When you consider the events themselves, as a group, we have been
 rather isolated in our conference. Many people were exhausted of the
 proceedings. Others went partying and came to the conference when they

>>> felt
>>>
 up to it.

 This whole notion of security has been high jacked by LGBT concerns. Let

>>> me
>>>
 say that they are real. It would however be a travesty to say that they

>>> are
>>>
 the only ones singled out for problems. Ask 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Signing out with my official hat!

[Anna Stillwell]

Thank you for your service, Subhashish. Nice to hear that you will be
headed off to Mozilla.
Warmly,
/a

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 1:06 PM, Subhashish Panigrahi <
subhash...@cis-india.org> wrote:

> 
>
> Friends,
>
> TL; DR
>
> After almost five years of professional engagement with the South Asian
> language Wikimedia communities, I have decided to step down from my current
> role. And I will remain a Wikipedian friend of yours who you can reach out
> in volunteer capacity on my talk page.
>
> ——
>
> I was about to complete my first wiki-versary when I joined the Wikimedia
> Foundation’s India Program as a Consultant for Community and Program
> Support. The program ran until August of 2012 and then got housed at the
> Centre for Internet Society’s Access to Knowledge program (CIS-A2K) [0].
> Thanks to Sunil, Pranesh, Nirmita, Nishant and many others at the CIS
> family who embraced my team from India Program with great amount of trust.
> CIS became more like a family for me all these years. It will always remain
> my other home and alma mater - calling CIS a former employer will be quite
> an understatement. I feel I grew as a person along with the organization
> that is today a noted name for its research in openness, accessibility,
> privacy, IP reform, access to knowledge, and digital humanity.
>
> Over these years I have had the most memorable time in my personal and
> professional life. I have traveled a lot in the country and across the
> world, met many friends in the Wikimedia and the open knowledge community,
> and had the privilege of working on many important projects both locally
> and globally. The South Asian language Wikimedia communities that I have
> worked with have not just been patient and understanding, but have been my
> mentor in many ways. I thank you all wholeheartedly for being such great
> friends and guides. And I hope that I have added some value to your
> community, project and the larger Wikimedia movement.
>
> This was an incredible journey and I feel really honored to see as many as
> three new Wikimedia projects taking birth where I had a chance to
> contribute. Many of you have shared your stories in an interview series
> WikipediansSpeak [1] that I started during my time at CIS, and I felt so
> touched and connected to many people that spoke languages that I never even
> understood. I want to thank many Wikimedians both from the Indian and the
> global Wikimedia community that participated in @WeAreWikipedia [2], a
> rotation curation project on Twitter that I started as a voluntary project.
> The good news is @WeAreWikipedia has always been and will be a
> volunteer-led project even after I leave my professional role at CIS.
>
> In the last few days of my work at CIS, my biggest worry was if I will be
> able to give much time to wrap up Project Ol Chiki [3], a project to create
> typeface family and input tools for the Ol Chiki script (used to write the
> Santali language) that I was leading. I would like to personally thank to
> colleagues T.Vishnuvardhan (former Programme Director of CIS-A2K) for his
> guidance, Pooja Saxena for designing the typeface and several other
> peripherals, Prof. Damayanti Besra and other friends of the
> Santali-language community who have reviewed the typeface, and Wikimedians
> Jnanaranjan Sahu and Nasim Ali who have created the input tools. A few
> years of my childhood was spent in a place where 30% of people spoke this
> aboriginal language Santali, and I cannot share how nostalgic it felt when
> the opportunity came to lead this project.
>
> Once again, thanks you all the friends in the Wikimedia community, and the
> larger openness movement for your kind support over all these years. In the
> long road, this was a great milestone but there are many more to come. I
> hope to continue working with you in my volunteer capacity, and/or may be
> in my new role.
>
> Where I am heading next?
> Some of you might know this already. I am super excited that the next
> milestone is going to be another open source community as I am joining
> Mozilla’s Participation team as South Asia Community Catalyzer [4]. I am
> super excited for it. And I will keep seeing you all amazing people on the
> Wikimedia projects like before.
>
> Do feel free to get in touch with me in my talk page at User:Psubhashish,
> or over email at psubhashish (at) gmail (dot) com, or at @subhapa on both
> Twitter and Telegram.
>
> 0. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K
> 1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikipediansSpeak
> 2. https://twitter.com/wearewikipedia
> 3. https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project_Ol_chiki
> 4. https://discourse.mozilla-community.org/t/introducing-
> our-new-south-asia-community-catalyzer/11975
>
> Love,
> Subhashish
>
> Subhashish Panigrahi
> Programme Officer, Access To Knowledge
> Centre for Internet and Society
> @subhapa / https://cis-india.org
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> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: 

[Wikimedia-l] Signing out with my official hat!

[Subhashish Panigrahi]

Friends,

TL; DR

After almost five years of professional engagement with the South Asian
language Wikimedia communities, I have decided to step down from my current
role. And I will remain a Wikipedian friend of yours who you can reach out
in volunteer capacity on my talk page.

——

I was about to complete my first wiki-versary when I joined the Wikimedia
Foundation’s India Program as a Consultant for Community and Program
Support. The program ran until August of 2012 and then got housed at the
Centre for Internet Society’s Access to Knowledge program (CIS-A2K) [0].
Thanks to Sunil, Pranesh, Nirmita, Nishant and many others at the CIS
family who embraced my team from India Program with great amount of trust.
CIS became more like a family for me all these years. It will always remain
my other home and alma mater - calling CIS a former employer will be quite
an understatement. I feel I grew as a person along with the organization
that is today a noted name for its research in openness, accessibility,
privacy, IP reform, access to knowledge, and digital humanity.

Over these years I have had the most memorable time in my personal and
professional life. I have traveled a lot in the country and across the
world, met many friends in the Wikimedia and the open knowledge community,
and had the privilege of working on many important projects both locally
and globally. The South Asian language Wikimedia communities that I have
worked with have not just been patient and understanding, but have been my
mentor in many ways. I thank you all wholeheartedly for being such great
friends and guides. And I hope that I have added some value to your
community, project and the larger Wikimedia movement.

This was an incredible journey and I feel really honored to see as many as
three new Wikimedia projects taking birth where I had a chance to
contribute. Many of you have shared your stories in an interview series
WikipediansSpeak [1] that I started during my time at CIS, and I felt so
touched and connected to many people that spoke languages that I never even
understood. I want to thank many Wikimedians both from the Indian and the
global Wikimedia community that participated in @WeAreWikipedia [2], a
rotation curation project on Twitter that I started as a voluntary project.
The good news is @WeAreWikipedia has always been and will be a
volunteer-led project even after I leave my professional role at CIS.

In the last few days of my work at CIS, my biggest worry was if I will be
able to give much time to wrap up Project Ol Chiki [3], a project to create
typeface family and input tools for the Ol Chiki script (used to write the
Santali language) that I was leading. I would like to personally thank to
colleagues T.Vishnuvardhan (former Programme Director of CIS-A2K) for his
guidance, Pooja Saxena for designing the typeface and several other
peripherals, Prof. Damayanti Besra and other friends of the
Santali-language community who have reviewed the typeface, and Wikimedians
Jnanaranjan Sahu and Nasim Ali who have created the input tools. A few
years of my childhood was spent in a place where 30% of people spoke this
aboriginal language Santali, and I cannot share how nostalgic it felt when
the opportunity came to lead this project.

Once again, thanks you all the friends in the Wikimedia community, and the
larger openness movement for your kind support over all these years. In the
long road, this was a great milestone but there are many more to come. I
hope to continue working with you in my volunteer capacity, and/or may be
in my new role.

Where I am heading next?
Some of you might know this already. I am super excited that the next
milestone is going to be another open source community as I am joining
Mozilla’s Participation team as South Asia Community Catalyzer [4]. I am
super excited for it. And I will keep seeing you all amazing people on the
Wikimedia projects like before.

Do feel free to get in touch with me in my talk page at User:Psubhashish,
or over email at psubhashish (at) gmail (dot) com, or at @subhapa on both
Twitter and Telegram.

0. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/CIS-A2K
1. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/WikipediansSpeak
2. https://twitter.com/wearewikipedia
3. https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Project_Ol_chiki
4. https://discourse.mozilla-community.org/t/introducing-
our-new-south-asia-community-catalyzer/11975

Love,
Subhashish

Subhashish Panigrahi
Programme Officer, Access To Knowledge
Centre for Internet and Society
@subhapa / https://cis-india.org
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Invitation to review: Design Statement of Purpose

[Arthur Richards]

Hi Isarra, thanks for the excellent questions. Here's my attempt to answer
them:

The purpose of the statement of purpose is to gain clarity and build trust
within the design group and with their principle stakeholders. With the
statement itself, we seek to gain clarity and shared understanding about
what design at the WMF is here for and trying to achieve (at a big-picture
level). Through the process of defining the statement of purpose, we hope
to build trust amongst the design group and with their principle
stakeholders. So, the primary audience for this document is the design
group itself, with the stakeholders of design being a secondary audience.

Moving forward, that is once the statement of purpose is done, design can
take a close look at where it is now relative to where it wants to be as
defined by the statement of purpose. Design can then use that difference to
help make decisions about how we get from here to there (for instance to
help in making decisions about staffing, structure, involvement in product
teams, how to approach design problems, and so on).

Long story short, the statement of purpose is intended to be an organizing
tool - to create clarity through everyone understanding the purpose, and
trust by going through a collaborative process of definition amongst design
and their stakeholders - so that they can execute better and with decreased
friction.

A little more background and history:
As the Foundation has evolved over the years, there have been many
challenges and pain points around figuring out how design should function
and how it should be integrated into the various facets of the organization
(from product development to communications). Through all of the attempts
to address those challenges and pain points over the years, it's become
clear that the role and purpose of design is not well understood - at least
not in a shared and consistent way, which makes it nearly impossible to
find the right and lasting solutions. A few months ago, the Team Practices
Group was asked to help identify and resolve the major pain points - after
doing research, we agreed in conjunction with the design group that we
should pursue clarifying the purpose of design and validate it with their
stakeholders.

Does this answer your questions?

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 12:24 PM Isarra Yos  wrote:

> I'm going to ask this here since the talkpage on-wiki is a flow board
> and I find those very difficult to use, but I'm a bit unclear what the
> purpose of this is. All the things listed sound good in theory, but the
> language is ambiguous and very high level, to the point where it's hard
> to see how it applies in practice. Essentially, who is this for? What
> are the problems they are trying to address? What are they planning to
> do, and what will this mean in practice moving forward?
>
> Thanks.
>
> -I
>
> On 10/11/16 18:40, Keegan Peterzell wrote:
> > Hello all,
> >
> > Over the past few months the Design team members at the Wikimedia
> > Foundation (user experience [UX] designers, design researchers, user
> > experience engineers, and communications) have been working with Arthur
> > Richards from the Team Practices Group to identify the high-level themes
> > that motivate design at the WMF. These themes have been turned into a
> brief
> > statement of purpose, whose intent is to articulate the vision and
> purpose
> > behind design at the WMF. This statement will influence the future
> > direction of design work.
> >
> > At this point the stakeholders are ready for a review of the draft
> > statement. The purpose of this review is to gather a common understanding
> > of its purpose, and to identify any key themes that may be missing from
> the
> > high-level discussion. On the wiki page for the statement, you'll find
> > these themes and what they encompass in the "Background" section. If you
> > have an observation, comment, or concern about what is listed there,
> please
> > bring it up on the talk page. If it is relevant to the review and
> > understanding of the statement, it will be looked at for future drafts.
> If
> > there are comments about design and the design process in general, we'll
> > hold on to those until a time when they can be addressed for the broader
> > discussion of design in general.
> >
> > All that said, here are the links:
> > * 
> > * 
> >
> > We look forward to seeing you on the wiki.
>
>
>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Invitation to review: Design Statement of Purpose

[Isarra Yos]

I'm going to ask this here since the talkpage on-wiki is a flow board 
and I find those very difficult to use, but I'm a bit unclear what the 
purpose of this is. All the things listed sound good in theory, but the 
language is ambiguous and very high level, to the point where it's hard 
to see how it applies in practice. Essentially, who is this for? What 
are the problems they are trying to address? What are they planning to 
do, and what will this mean in practice moving forward?


Thanks.

-I

On 10/11/16 18:40, Keegan Peterzell wrote:

Hello all,

Over the past few months the Design team members at the Wikimedia
Foundation (user experience [UX] designers, design researchers, user
experience engineers, and communications) have been working with Arthur
Richards from the Team Practices Group to identify the high-level themes
that motivate design at the WMF. These themes have been turned into a brief
statement of purpose, whose intent is to articulate the vision and purpose
behind design at the WMF. This statement will influence the future
direction of design work.

At this point the stakeholders are ready for a review of the draft
statement. The purpose of this review is to gather a common understanding
of its purpose, and to identify any key themes that may be missing from the
high-level discussion. On the wiki page for the statement, you'll find
these themes and what they encompass in the "Background" section. If you
have an observation, comment, or concern about what is listed there, please
bring it up on the talk page. If it is relevant to the review and
understanding of the statement, it will be looked at for future drafts. If
there are comments about design and the design process in general, we'll
hold on to those until a time when they can be addressed for the broader
discussion of design in general.

All that said, here are the links:
* 
* 

We look forward to seeing you on the wiki.




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[Wikimedia-l] Invitation to review: Design Statement of Purpose

[Keegan Peterzell]

Hello all,

Over the past few months the Design team members at the Wikimedia
Foundation (user experience [UX] designers, design researchers, user
experience engineers, and communications) have been working with Arthur
Richards from the Team Practices Group to identify the high-level themes
that motivate design at the WMF. These themes have been turned into a brief
statement of purpose, whose intent is to articulate the vision and purpose
behind design at the WMF. This statement will influence the future
direction of design work.

At this point the stakeholders are ready for a review of the draft
statement. The purpose of this review is to gather a common understanding
of its purpose, and to identify any key themes that may be missing from the
high-level discussion. On the wiki page for the statement, you'll find
these themes and what they encompass in the "Background" section. If you
have an observation, comment, or concern about what is listed there, please
bring it up on the talk page. If it is relevant to the review and
understanding of the statement, it will be looked at for future drafts. If
there are comments about design and the design process in general, we'll
hold on to those until a time when they can be addressed for the broader
discussion of design in general.

All that said, here are the links:
* 
* 

We look forward to seeing you on the wiki.
-- 
Keegan Peterzell
Technical Collaboration Specialist
Wikimedia Foundation
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Pax Ahimsa Gethen]

It is correct I have yet to attend a Wikimania conference, but was 
planning to after my positive experience presenting at WikiConference 
North America.


Please note the "Muslim" and "LGBT" are not mutually exclusive. Same 
with any other marginalized groups you might name.


FYI my preferred pronoun is "they" not "he".

To clarify what it is I actually asked, here is a copy of my original post:

Hello all. I had a positive experience at WikiConference North America 
last weekend, where I gave a talk on transgender issues and 
Wikipedia.[1] I'm posting because there's an active discussion in 
Wikipedia Weekly on Facebook about choosing a host country for 
Wikimania 2018.[2] I am concerned that some of the suggestions are not 
taking into account the safety of LGBT+ people; not just those 
attending the conference, but also those living in the host country.


As a queer trans atheist in a same-sex marriage, there are a number of 
places where I am considered a criminal for just existing or going 
about my daily routine. This applies to some parts of the U.S. as 
well, by the way; I won't be visiting North Carolina as long as it's 
illegal for me to use the men's restroom there. Please keep these 
considerations in mind when planning meetups and conferences. Thank you.


- Pax aka Funcrunch

[1] 
http://funcrunch.org/blog/2016/10/12/making-connections-at-wikiconference-north-america/ 



[2] 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wikipediaweekly/permalink/1114259788621851/


- Pax


On 11/10/16 12:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen wrote:

Hoi,
You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the word
about what we do and who we are.

I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe. It
is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
Wikimania stands for.

There is no safe place and in my experience you are offensive by not
accepting that this is the point that I make. There is no perfect place for
Wikimania. Everywhere and always you have to behave yourself cognisant of
where you are. At all times there is one or the other group that will be
discriminated against.

Fae, muslims are at a greater risk than LGBT people when they come to a
conference. Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
what they are. It is not a lie that you do not address the point that I
make. The question is why do we have a Wikimania and is it an instrument to
open up new communities and include them in our movement.

This is the dominant question that should be answered. Relative safety is
secondary.
Thanks,
GerardM

On 10 November 2016 at 08:46, Fæ  wrote:


Gerard,

Yes you are being offensive. You are deliberately painting a picture
that somehow Pax, myself and others are attempting to make out that
safety of LGBT+ Wikimedians is more important than safety of Women
Wikimedians or the safety of Muslim Wikimedians. The only person doing
that is you.

You did the same thing on the 18th of October and it was pointed out
to you that this was unacceptable, yet you are continuing to repeat
it. Stop doing it, it is a lie, and the only person spreading it is you.

Go back and read Pax's original post of 16th October which was positive
about the Wikimania experience.

Fae

On 10 November 2016 at 06:57, Gerard Meijssen 
wrote:

Hoi,
The notion of offence is one where you take it where there is none
certainly no offence is intended.

When you consider Wikimanias past, we have been to places where there is

a

"risk". Arguably there has been a risk in going to other countries in the
past. When you consider the events themselves, as a group, we have been
rather isolated in our conference. Many people were exhausted of the
proceedings. Others went partying and came to the conference when they

felt

up to it.

This whole notion of security has been high jacked by LGBT concerns. Let

me

say that they are real. It would however be a travesty to say that they

are

the only ones singled out for problems. Ask yourself, how many women
wearing a veil were there at the last Wikimania and at the one before.
Consider the stories about people, third generation Dutch, who are

mistaken

for refugees and not safe in the streets of the place where I live.

Stories

about not standing close to the gap at a railway station because ... They
are as much a reality, they are as real.

So you may find it offensive and it is. People are not safe. But when

that

stops us from talking about it, when it can not be said that security is
only one concern and not the most dominant one then I take offence. It
means that we can no longer exchange opinions. It means that we are only
concerned with our own narrow interest losing the big picture.

So Fae, take it from me. You are wrong to call me out for being
disrespectful. By calling me out in this way you elevate your opinion and
put 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Olatunde Isaac]

Hi there,

Gerrad, you wrote ". Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
what they are." This comment is puzzling! What are they? Could you please 
clarify?

Best,

Isaac

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

-Original Message-
From: Gerard Meijssen 
Sender: "Wikimedia-l" Date: Thu, 10 
Nov 2016 09:00:13 
To: Wikimedia Mailing List
Reply-To: Wikimedia Mailing List 
Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

Hoi,
You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the word
about what we do and who we are.

I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe. It
is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
Wikimania stands for.

There is no safe place and in my experience you are offensive by not
accepting that this is the point that I make. There is no perfect place for
Wikimania. Everywhere and always you have to behave yourself cognisant of
where you are. At all times there is one or the other group that will be
discriminated against.

Fae, muslims are at a greater risk than LGBT people when they come to a
conference. Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
what they are. It is not a lie that you do not address the point that I
make. The question is why do we have a Wikimania and is it an instrument to
open up new communities and include them in our movement.

This is the dominant question that should be answered. Relative safety is
secondary.
Thanks,
   GerardM

On 10 November 2016 at 08:46, Fæ  wrote:

> Gerard,
>
> Yes you are being offensive. You are deliberately painting a picture
> that somehow Pax, myself and others are attempting to make out that
> safety of LGBT+ Wikimedians is more important than safety of Women
> Wikimedians or the safety of Muslim Wikimedians. The only person doing
> that is you.
>
> You did the same thing on the 18th of October and it was pointed out
> to you that this was unacceptable, yet you are continuing to repeat
> it. Stop doing it, it is a lie, and the only person spreading it is you.
>
> Go back and read Pax's original post of 16th October which was positive
> about the Wikimania experience.
>
> Fae
>
> On 10 November 2016 at 06:57, Gerard Meijssen 
> wrote:
> > Hoi,
> > The notion of offence is one where you take it where there is none
> > certainly no offence is intended.
> >
> > When you consider Wikimanias past, we have been to places where there is
> a
> > "risk". Arguably there has been a risk in going to other countries in the
> > past. When you consider the events themselves, as a group, we have been
> > rather isolated in our conference. Many people were exhausted of the
> > proceedings. Others went partying and came to the conference when they
> felt
> > up to it.
> >
> > This whole notion of security has been high jacked by LGBT concerns. Let
> me
> > say that they are real. It would however be a travesty to say that they
> are
> > the only ones singled out for problems. Ask yourself, how many women
> > wearing a veil were there at the last Wikimania and at the one before.
> > Consider the stories about people, third generation Dutch, who are
> mistaken
> > for refugees and not safe in the streets of the place where I live.
> Stories
> > about not standing close to the gap at a railway station because ... They
> > are as much a reality, they are as real.
> >
> > So you may find it offensive and it is. People are not safe. But when
> that
> > stops us from talking about it, when it can not be said that security is
> > only one concern and not the most dominant one then I take offence. It
> > means that we can no longer exchange opinions. It means that we are only
> > concerned with our own narrow interest losing the big picture.
> >
> > So Fae, take it from me. You are wrong to call me out for being
> > disrespectful. By calling me out in this way you elevate your opinion and
> > put me down. Security is a concern but when fear is exchanged for
> prudence,
> > we will remove the one reason why we have Wikimania in the first place
> as a
> > worldwide conference. It is to go out and show the world who we are and
> > what we have to offer.
> >
> > When this is the prevailing opinion of our movement it does hardly matter
> > that we have Wikipedias in over 280 languages because English and its
> > culture is the only Wikipedia that counts. Now that is effectively an
> > existing prejudice that is dominated in much of what I observe we do. It
> is
> > another argument people feel offended. But hey most of you do not see it
> > this way because "things trickle down".. As an economic measure it failed
> > and it is how we ignore the major cultural 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
Exactly. It is the whole community that meets and it is regularly in a
different country because in this way we have been in all continents but
Australia and it has been wonderful to see the different outlook from the
local Wikipedians. When Wikimania is not about outreach we could have it
always in the same location. As it is, we have been in many countries that
each bring a different aspect to the sum of all knowledge.

The point I have been making is that we should be prudent but not afraid.
We should go where we meet important parts of our community, parts where we
aim to grow our base. When I arrived at Taiwan airport, I was welcomed with
big signs in the airport that people who smuggle drugs will be executed. I
do not do drugs so that was no problem. I have been sniffed at at many
border crossings and they are anxious moments. I am prudent so I know that
I am clean. I goto hotel, goto conference goto bed. (I am knackered after a
day at a conference).

It has always been worth it. I found that it is EXACTLY meeting new people
with their ideas that brings us forward. I am anxious when I go abroad but
it will not stop me. I consider what I have to do, how to behave and it
works for me. It can work for all of us. Even the Quran allows for people
to wear inconspicuous cloths in order to be safe. My point is that we all
can be ourselves at the conference itself and when we are at official
events.

We can be afraid but fear should not rule us.

NB when there are no sources, consider that for some things do not need to
be written down to be valid. My expectations of Wikimania and Wikipedia is
often contrary to common held opinions. They come from the fact that
Wikipedia and English is not my priority. Sharing the sum of all knowledge
is.
Thanks,
  GerardM

On 10 November 2016 at 15:45, James Heilman  wrote:

> I see the primary point of Wikimania as an opportunity for the community to
> meet in person once a year. Many important initiatives for our movement
> have grown out of Wikimania including but not limited to: Wikivoyage, the
> copyright detection bot, our collaboration with the World Health
> Organization, our collaboration with Cochrane, our collaboration with the
> NIH, efforts at offline distribution, etc. That the events garner attention
> from local press is definitely a plus though :-)
>
> James
>
> On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 7:15 AM, Gerard Meijssen <
> gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Hoi,
> > In that case what is the point of Wikimania.
> > Thanks,
> >  GerardM
> >
> > On 10 November 2016 at 14:25, Andrew Lih  wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen <
> > > gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hoi,
> > > > You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading
> the
> > > word
> > > > about what we do and who we are.
> > > >
> > >
> > > {{citationneeded}}
> > >
> > > The reality is Wikimania is largely a community event first, with the
> > > public outreach element an enhancement or afterthought.
> > >
> > > The Wikimania meta page doesn’t include the words “spread”, “outreach”,
> > > “public”, or “educate” at all.
> > >
> > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania
> > >
> > > -Andrew
> > > ___
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> > > 
> > >
> > ___
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> > 
> >
>
>
>
> --
> James Heilman
> MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
>
> The Wikipedia Open Textbook of Medicine
> www.opentextbookofmedicine.com
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[James Heilman]

I see the primary point of Wikimania as an opportunity for the community to
meet in person once a year. Many important initiatives for our movement
have grown out of Wikimania including but not limited to: Wikivoyage, the
copyright detection bot, our collaboration with the World Health
Organization, our collaboration with Cochrane, our collaboration with the
NIH, efforts at offline distribution, etc. That the events garner attention
from local press is definitely a plus though :-)

James

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 7:15 AM, Gerard Meijssen 
wrote:

> Hoi,
> In that case what is the point of Wikimania.
> Thanks,
>  GerardM
>
> On 10 November 2016 at 14:25, Andrew Lih  wrote:
>
> > On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen <
> > gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hoi,
> > > You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the
> > word
> > > about what we do and who we are.
> > >
> >
> > {{citationneeded}}
> >
> > The reality is Wikimania is largely a community event first, with the
> > public outreach element an enhancement or afterthought.
> >
> > The Wikimania meta page doesn’t include the words “spread”, “outreach”,
> > “public”, or “educate” at all.
> >
> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania
> >
> > -Andrew
> > ___
> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/
> > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > 
> >
> ___
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> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
>



-- 
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian

The Wikipedia Open Textbook of Medicine
www.opentextbookofmedicine.com
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
In that case what is the point of Wikimania.
Thanks,
 GerardM

On 10 November 2016 at 14:25, Andrew Lih  wrote:

> On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen <
> gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Hoi,
> > You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the
> word
> > about what we do and who we are.
> >
>
> {{citationneeded}}
>
> The reality is Wikimania is largely a community event first, with the
> public outreach element an enhancement or afterthought.
>
> The Wikimania meta page doesn’t include the words “spread”, “outreach”,
> “public”, or “educate” at all.
>
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania
>
> -Andrew
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/
> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Andrew Lih]

On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:00 AM, Gerard Meijssen 
wrote:

> Hoi,
> You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the word
> about what we do and who we are.
>

{{citationneeded}}

The reality is Wikimania is largely a community event first, with the
public outreach element an enhancement or afterthought.

The Wikimania meta page doesn’t include the words “spread”, “outreach”,
“public”, or “educate” at all.

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania

-Andrew
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Introducing Victoria Coleman, WMF Chief Technology Officer

[Kalliope Tsouroupidou]

Καλώς ήρθες Βικτώρια! Σιδηροκέφαλη 

Κ.

On Tuesday, 8 November 2016, Nikola Kalchev 
wrote:

> I am very impressed. A great career until now, good universities, published
> books. Victoria, I wish you plenty of success! Welcome!
> Nikola / User:Лорд Бъмбъри
> Wikimedians of Bulgaria
>
> On Tue, Nov 8, 2016 at 5:07 AM, Nurunnaby Hasive  >
> wrote:
>
> > Welcome Victoria.
> >
> > -Hasive
> > WMBD
> > @nhasive
> >
> > On Tue, Nov 8, 2016 at 2:36 AM, Bobby Shabangu  >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Impressive resume,
> > >
> > > Welcome Victoria.
> > >
> > > On 03 Nov 2016 11:44 AM, >
> wrote:
> > >
> > > ‎Wow!!!
> > >
> > > This is a great news. Welcome Victoria on board.
> > >
> > > Best Regards
> > > Olushola
> > >
> > > Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.
> > >   Original Message
> > > From: Tim Moritz Hector
> > > Sent: Thursday, 3 November 2016 08:25
> > > To: Wikimedia Mailing List
> > > Reply To: Wikimedia Mailing List
> > > Cc: Victoria Coleman
> > > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] Introducing Victoria Coleman, WMF Chief
> > > Technology Officer
> > >
> > > A warm welcome to Wikimedia also from Germany, Victoria! I'm happy to
> see
> > > you joining the movement and wish you a good start at the Wikimedia
> > > Foundation.
> > >
> > > Best regards
> > > Tim Moritz Hector
> > >
> > > Chair of the Board
> > > Wikimedia Deutschland
> > >
> > > Wikimedia Deutschland e. V. | Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | D-10963 Berlin
> > > http://www.wikimedia.de
> > >
> > > 2016-11-02 22:50 GMT+01:00 Damon Sicore  >:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Victoria,
> > > >
> > > > This is great news! I believe your talent, knowledge, and insight
> will
> > > > boost and elevate the WMF community, and I know your positive
> > personality
> > > > will be warmly welcomed.
> > > >
> > > > Yours faithfully,
> > > > Damon Sicore
> > > > https://damon.sicore.com 
> > > > 6E98 FBFB D192 D325 B85D D4FF FD2A 20ED DC1D 3975
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > On Nov 2, 2016, at 11:22 AM, Katherine Maher  >
> > > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi everyone,
> > > > >
> > > > > I’m excited today to introduce the Wikimedia Foundation's new Chief
> > > > > Technology Officer, Victoria Coleman. Victoria’s first day is
> > November
> > > 7,
> > > > > and she will be based in the Foundation's office in San Francisco.
> > > > >
> > > > > Victoria comes to us with more than 20 years of experience in
> > consumer
> > > > and
> > > > > enterprise technology. And as you’ll learn quickly when you start
> > > getting
> > > > > to know her, she is deeply passionate about the importance of
> > > education,
> > > > > and how the Wikimedia mission advances education and equity around
> > the
> > > > > world.
> > > > >
> > > > > When we started looking for a CTO for the Foundation, projects, and
> > > > > communities, we knew we were looking for a unique person - someone
> > with
> > > > the
> > > > > experience to lead confidently, and the confidence to embrace open
> > > > > collaboration in leadership. We were looking for someone with a
> track
> > > > > record of success leading strategy and execution for technology
> > > platforms
> > > > > at scale, someone will be an effective mentor and leader for our
> > > > Technology
> > > > > department, and a strong partner to Product teams. We needed
> someone
> > > who
> > > > > would thrive in our culture and be an inclusive collaborator with
> > staff
> > > > and
> > > > > community. We agreed that Victoria met these requirements and then
> > > some.
> > > > >
> > > > > Victoria has deep experience across consumer and enterprise
> > technology
> > > > > fields and is a longtime advocate for innovation in education and
> the
> > > > > public sector. She has seen and done many things in her career,
> from
> > > > > mobility platforms to connected devices to cyber security to web
> > > services
> > > > > at scale. She brings operational excellence in strategic long-term
> > > > > planning, execution, delivery, and running large distributed teams.
> > > > >
> > > > > Most recently, Victoria served as Senior Vice President and Chief
> > > > > Technology Officer for the Connected Home Division of Technicolor,
> > > where
> > > > > she was responsible for innovation strategy, product management,
> > > > technology
> > > > > roadmaps, and technical due diligence for acquisitions and
> > > partnerships.
> > > > > Previously, as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at
> > > > Harman,
> > > > > she led the core technology platforms of the Infotainment Division
> > > > > including systems and software, media, tuner, navigation,
> > connectivity,
> > > > and
> > > > > advanced driver assist systems. Before this, she served as Vice
> > > > President,
> > > > > Emerging Technologies 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Michel Vuijlsteke]

+1

On 10 November 2016 at 09:00, Gerard Meijssen 
wrote:

> Hoi,
> You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the word
> about what we do and who we are.
>
> I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
> consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe. It
> is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
> Wikimania stands for.
>
> There is no safe place and in my experience you are offensive by not
> accepting that this is the point that I make. There is no perfect place for
> Wikimania. Everywhere and always you have to behave yourself cognisant of
> where you are. At all times there is one or the other group that will be
> discriminated against.
>
> Fae, muslims are at a greater risk than LGBT people when they come to a
> conference. Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
> what they are. It is not a lie that you do not address the point that I
> make. The question is why do we have a Wikimania and is it an instrument to
> open up new communities and include them in our movement.
>
> This is the dominant question that should be answered. Relative safety is
> secondary.
> Thanks,
>GerardM
>
> On 10 November 2016 at 08:46, Fæ  wrote:
>
> > Gerard,
> >
> > Yes you are being offensive. You are deliberately painting a picture
> > that somehow Pax, myself and others are attempting to make out that
> > safety of LGBT+ Wikimedians is more important than safety of Women
> > Wikimedians or the safety of Muslim Wikimedians. The only person doing
> > that is you.
> >
> > You did the same thing on the 18th of October and it was pointed out
> > to you that this was unacceptable, yet you are continuing to repeat
> > it. Stop doing it, it is a lie, and the only person spreading it is you.
> >
> > Go back and read Pax's original post of 16th October which was positive
> > about the Wikimania experience.
> >
> > Fae
> >
> > On 10 November 2016 at 06:57, Gerard Meijssen  >
> > wrote:
> > > Hoi,
> > > The notion of offence is one where you take it where there is none
> > > certainly no offence is intended.
> > >
> > > When you consider Wikimanias past, we have been to places where there
> is
> > a
> > > "risk". Arguably there has been a risk in going to other countries in
> the
> > > past. When you consider the events themselves, as a group, we have been
> > > rather isolated in our conference. Many people were exhausted of the
> > > proceedings. Others went partying and came to the conference when they
> > felt
> > > up to it.
> > >
> > > This whole notion of security has been high jacked by LGBT concerns.
> Let
> > me
> > > say that they are real. It would however be a travesty to say that they
> > are
> > > the only ones singled out for problems. Ask yourself, how many women
> > > wearing a veil were there at the last Wikimania and at the one before.
> > > Consider the stories about people, third generation Dutch, who are
> > mistaken
> > > for refugees and not safe in the streets of the place where I live.
> > Stories
> > > about not standing close to the gap at a railway station because ...
> They
> > > are as much a reality, they are as real.
> > >
> > > So you may find it offensive and it is. People are not safe. But when
> > that
> > > stops us from talking about it, when it can not be said that security
> is
> > > only one concern and not the most dominant one then I take offence. It
> > > means that we can no longer exchange opinions. It means that we are
> only
> > > concerned with our own narrow interest losing the big picture.
> > >
> > > So Fae, take it from me. You are wrong to call me out for being
> > > disrespectful. By calling me out in this way you elevate your opinion
> and
> > > put me down. Security is a concern but when fear is exchanged for
> > prudence,
> > > we will remove the one reason why we have Wikimania in the first place
> > as a
> > > worldwide conference. It is to go out and show the world who we are and
> > > what we have to offer.
> > >
> > > When this is the prevailing opinion of our movement it does hardly
> matter
> > > that we have Wikipedias in over 280 languages because English and its
> > > culture is the only Wikipedia that counts. Now that is effectively an
> > > existing prejudice that is dominated in much of what I observe we do.
> It
> > is
> > > another argument people feel offended. But hey most of you do not see
> it
> > > this way because "things trickle down".. As an economic measure it
> failed
> > > and it is how we ignore the major cultural differences that exist.
> > >
> > > Wikimania is not relevant when we do not go out and mingle world wide.
> > When
> > > we do not accept the differences that exist and make it our strength.
> > > Thanks,
> > >   GerardM
> > >
> > >
> > > On 9 November 2016 at 18:28, Fæ  wrote:
> > >
> > >> Gerard,
> > >>
> > 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] LGBT+ safety considerations for conference venues

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
You do not get it. Wikimania is first and foremost about spreading the word
about what we do and who we are.

I have read Pax's original post. He did not go to Wikimania. He asks for
consideration that any Wikimania will be in a place where he feels safe. It
is OK for him to ask this but it is not OK for us to give away what
Wikimania stands for.

There is no safe place and in my experience you are offensive by not
accepting that this is the point that I make. There is no perfect place for
Wikimania. Everywhere and always you have to behave yourself cognisant of
where you are. At all times there is one or the other group that will be
discriminated against.

Fae, muslims are at a greater risk than LGBT people when they come to a
conference. Particularly women who wear a hijab will always be seen for
what they are. It is not a lie that you do not address the point that I
make. The question is why do we have a Wikimania and is it an instrument to
open up new communities and include them in our movement.

This is the dominant question that should be answered. Relative safety is
secondary.
Thanks,
   GerardM

On 10 November 2016 at 08:46, Fæ  wrote:

> Gerard,
>
> Yes you are being offensive. You are deliberately painting a picture
> that somehow Pax, myself and others are attempting to make out that
> safety of LGBT+ Wikimedians is more important than safety of Women
> Wikimedians or the safety of Muslim Wikimedians. The only person doing
> that is you.
>
> You did the same thing on the 18th of October and it was pointed out
> to you that this was unacceptable, yet you are continuing to repeat
> it. Stop doing it, it is a lie, and the only person spreading it is you.
>
> Go back and read Pax's original post of 16th October which was positive
> about the Wikimania experience.
>
> Fae
>
> On 10 November 2016 at 06:57, Gerard Meijssen 
> wrote:
> > Hoi,
> > The notion of offence is one where you take it where there is none
> > certainly no offence is intended.
> >
> > When you consider Wikimanias past, we have been to places where there is
> a
> > "risk". Arguably there has been a risk in going to other countries in the
> > past. When you consider the events themselves, as a group, we have been
> > rather isolated in our conference. Many people were exhausted of the
> > proceedings. Others went partying and came to the conference when they
> felt
> > up to it.
> >
> > This whole notion of security has been high jacked by LGBT concerns. Let
> me
> > say that they are real. It would however be a travesty to say that they
> are
> > the only ones singled out for problems. Ask yourself, how many women
> > wearing a veil were there at the last Wikimania and at the one before.
> > Consider the stories about people, third generation Dutch, who are
> mistaken
> > for refugees and not safe in the streets of the place where I live.
> Stories
> > about not standing close to the gap at a railway station because ... They
> > are as much a reality, they are as real.
> >
> > So you may find it offensive and it is. People are not safe. But when
> that
> > stops us from talking about it, when it can not be said that security is
> > only one concern and not the most dominant one then I take offence. It
> > means that we can no longer exchange opinions. It means that we are only
> > concerned with our own narrow interest losing the big picture.
> >
> > So Fae, take it from me. You are wrong to call me out for being
> > disrespectful. By calling me out in this way you elevate your opinion and
> > put me down. Security is a concern but when fear is exchanged for
> prudence,
> > we will remove the one reason why we have Wikimania in the first place
> as a
> > worldwide conference. It is to go out and show the world who we are and
> > what we have to offer.
> >
> > When this is the prevailing opinion of our movement it does hardly matter
> > that we have Wikipedias in over 280 languages because English and its
> > culture is the only Wikipedia that counts. Now that is effectively an
> > existing prejudice that is dominated in much of what I observe we do. It
> is
> > another argument people feel offended. But hey most of you do not see it
> > this way because "things trickle down".. As an economic measure it failed
> > and it is how we ignore the major cultural differences that exist.
> >
> > Wikimania is not relevant when we do not go out and mingle world wide.
> When
> > we do not accept the differences that exist and make it our strength.
> > Thanks,
> >   GerardM
> >
> >
> > On 9 November 2016 at 18:28, Fæ  wrote:
> >
> >> Gerard,
> >>
> >> You have posted several emails on the subject which read as
> >> disrespectful, can cause offence and discourage LGBT+ contributors to
> >> this list who may have otherwise openly expressed views. The line of
> >> argument that LGBT+ Wikimedians must expect to be at personal risk
> >> just to attend a Wikimania is