I appreciate Andreas keeping this list updated, and it is not tangential but central to this thread's topic. It is very pertinent that the self-appointed "spokesperson of this community" (who has styled himself in this NSA suit as a worrier for freedom) was snuggling up to a truly despotic regime, helping to polish that turd in the international media and endorsing it's capture of one of the Wikipedias. (What's been done about that, by the way? Anything?) And it is pertinent that our self-appointed spokesperson has finally climbed down from that position ... to a slight degree ... at least when he's backed into a corner and forced to confront his embarrassing misstep. Kazakhstan is not the USA, but the US government is not the only one abusing the privacy of Wikipedia editors and readers.
The question in parenthesis above is a serious one. What actual steps has the foundation taken to address the capture of Kazakh Wikipedia by the Kazakh government? Anthony Cole <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Anthonyhcole> On Fri, Apr 3, 2015 at 7:58 PM, Austin Hair <adh...@gmail.com> wrote: > Okay, but seriously, please stop resurrecting this thread. If you > think it's important that something be done, start a new one, and > *actually suggest something* rather than just copying articles from > somewhere else. > > Austin > > On Fri, Apr 3, 2015 at 1:58 AM, Andreas Kolbe <jayen...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Article in Eurasianet today: "Wikipedia Founder Distances Himself from > > Kazakhstan PR Machine" > > > > http://www.eurasianet.org/node/72831 > > > > ---o0o--- > > > > [...] > > > > On March 20, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales hosted an Ask Me Anything > > < > http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2zpkxx/we_are_jameel_jaffer_of_the_aclu_wikipedia/cpl4maq > > > > conversation > > (AMA) on Reddit, a social-networking platform. Before long the audience > was > > questioning Wales’s and Wikipedia’s roles in helping to improve > > Kazakhstan’s image. Back in 2011, Wales awarded > > <http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66343> a once-and-future Kazakh > government > > employee, Rauan Kenzhekhanuly, the inaugural “Wikipedian of the Year” for > > his work with WikiBilim, a Kazakh-language platform criticized both for > > receiving state funds and for publishing multiple articles toeing the > > authoritarian government’s line. At the time, Wales told EurasiaNet.org, > > “As far as I know, the WikiBilim organization is not politicized.” > > > > But during the AMA, Wales backpedaled on his decision to name > Kenzhekhanuly > > the first Wikipedian of the Year. > > > > Wales was on the receiving end of a fresh round of criticism last year > when > > Kenzhekhanuly was named deputy governor of Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda > > region. During the AMA, a commenter asked Wales if he would have bestowed > > the award had he known Kenzhekhanuly would go on to serve as deputy > > governor. “If I had known in 2011 that someone would get a job that I > > disapprove of in 2014, would I refuse to give them an award in 2011?” > Wales > > responded. “Yes, I would have refused to give that award.” > > > > Wales also clarified that Kenzhekhanuly “was not a government official” > at > > the time of the award – which is, technically, true. However, according > to > > Kenzhekhanuly’s LinkedIn profile > > <https://www.linkedin.com/pub/rauan-kenzhekhanuly/24/8b7/b16>, before > > receiving the award he had served both as a policy adviser to the > governor > > in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, as well as first secretary at > > Kazakhstan’s embassy in Moscow. After the AMA, Wales said by email that > he > > was “not aware” Kenzhekhanuly had held those positions. > > > > [...] > > > > ---o0o--- > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
