Thanks Christophe and Patrick - it's good to know both that the WMF views this as a serious issue, and to hear what is actually happening to tackle it!
Chris On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 8:30 PM, Patrick Earley <[email protected]> wrote: > I want to thank the Board for this letter, and for their focus on this > problem. > > What specific work should we be doing to make progress around this issue? > Harassment is a complex problem, and there are no easy solutions. Nor is > there likely to be a single solution; improvement will have to be made > through a number of initiatives and coordinated approaches. > > Wikimedia volunteers have offered many different approaches to the problem, > through consultations, workshops, the Inspire campaign, conference > sessions, and discussion. The Support and Safety team has been collating > these ideas, exploring the issue in the broader context of online > communities, and delving into academic research on the topic. > > From these conversations and research, we have identified some > categories/areas for improvement: > > - Better blocking tools and detection - the Wikimedia community works > hard on the front lines keeping our users safe from harassment, through > monitoring noticeboards and recent changes for problems, investigating > “sock” accounts used to abuse contributors, and placing blocks on > problematic users. Improvements to blocking tools, and the ability to > detect harassing comments sooner can empower contributors to be more > effective at these tasks. > > > - Reporting and evaluation tools - The current systems for reporting > harassment are overburdened and can be unclear to users, and there are > limited tools that admins and stewards can use to evaluate the cases and > make good decisions. New tools, developed in collaboration with > functionaries and communities, can improve the experience of reporting, > investigating and managing harassment cases. > > > - Training for better handling of both in-person and online harassment - > Better training can give contributors the tools and skills to handle > harassment situations quickly and empathetically, document cases, and > provide good advice to targets of harassment. > > > - Policy and enforcement - Wikimedia communities have developed a > variety of processes, policies, and approaches to dealing with > behavioural > problems. As a movement, we need to identify which are working well, > and > share those successes. We also need to identify where our approaches are > not working well, identify the problems, and try new solutions based on > research and data. > > > - Coordination with other platforms on harassment approaches and tools, > and keeping up with current academic research - Our communities are not > the > only ones struggling with the problem of online harassment. We need to > work more closely with other platforms, researchers, online communities, > and experts to make sure we are aware of successful techniques, new > research, and useful tools. > > The above areas are not the only areas where improvement can be made - > right now, contributors are brainstorming other approaches through the > Community Wishlist process.[1] We also encourage contributors to reach out > to the Support and Safety team at [email protected] with ideas, or contact > me privately at [email protected]. > > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/2016_Community_Wishlist_Survey > > > > On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 12:26 PM, Sydney Poore <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Thank you Christophe and the rest of the Wikimedia Foundation trustees > > for dedicating time and thought to this important topic. > > > > I'm optimistic that if we collaborate together as a community we can > > make a difference in the level of harassment on Wikimedia projects and > > maybe even other parts of the internet. > > > > Sydney > > Sydney Poore > > User:FloNight > > > > > > > > > > > > On Thu, Dec 8, 2016 at 3:18 PM, Christophe Henner <[email protected] > > > > wrote: > > > Hello everyone, > > > > > > As many of you know, over the past couple of years the Wikimedia > > Foundation > > > has taken a focused look at community health—particularly in regards to > > > harassment. The Foundation's Board has been monitoring and discussing > > this > > > issue over the past year with great interest. We have prepared a > > statement > > > offering our thoughts on this topic, and providing a clear mandate for > > the > > > Foundation’s leadership to fully engage on this issue. > > > > > > Our statement is below and has been posted on Meta-Wiki, where it is > set > > up > > > for translation: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_ > > Board_noticeboard/November_2016_-_Statement_on_Healthy_ > Community_Culture,_ > > Inclusivity,_and_Safe_Spaces > > > > > > Since the Foundation was established, we have been invested in > building a > > > positive community culture. As part of these efforts, we have monitored > > the > > > projects for instances of harassment, escalating our capacity to > respond > > in > > > recent years. Thanks to the work of the Foundation's Support and Safety > > > Team, we now have data in the form of the 2015 Harassment Survey[1] > about > > > the nature of the issue. This has enabled us to identify key areas of > > > concern, and step up our response appropriately. This research shows > that > > > harassment has a negative impact on participation in our projects. This > > has > > > implications for our ability to collect, share, and disseminate free > > > knowledge in support of the Wikimedia vision. Our statement speaks to > the > > > Board's duty to help the Foundation fulfill its mission. > > > > > > The Board is committed to making our communities safer and will not > > accept > > > harassment and toxic behavior on Wikimedia projects. We believe this > > matter > > > deserves the Foundation's attention and resources, and have confirmed > > this > > > responsibility at our latest Board meeting on November 13th. The > > questions > > > that lay before us all now are how to best address this threat, rather > > than > > > if we should attempt to do so. > > > > > > The Board especially appreciates and applauds the work being done to > > > address this important issue by many community leaders across the > > movement > > > and teams within the Foundation. We look forward to seeing this > > cooperative > > > work not only continue, but expand. Finally, we encourage everyone who > is > > > interested in helping the Foundation address this threat to our vision > > and > > > mission to engage in the upcoming discussions around this issue. > > > > > > On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, > > > > > > Christophe Henner, Board Chair > > > > > > María Sefidari, Board Vice Chair > > > > > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:Harassment_survey_2015 > > > > > > > > > Statement by the Wikimedia Board on Healthy Community Culture, > > Inclusivity, > > > and Safe Spaces > > > > > > > > > At our Board meeting on November 13, and in Board meetings in September > > and > > > June, we spent considerable time discussing the issues of harassment > and > > > hostility on the internet generally, and more specifically on the > > Wikimedia > > > projects. > > > > > > This is an important issue. Approximately 40% of internet users, and > 70% > > of > > > women internet users, have personally experienced harassment.[1] Of > > people > > > who have reported experiencing harassment on Wikimedia projects, more > > than > > > 50% reported decreasing their participation in our community.[2] Based > on > > > this and other research, we conclude that harassment and toxic behavior > > on > > > the Wikimedia projects negatively impacts the ability of the Wikimedia > > > projects to collect, share, and disseminate free knowledge. This > behavior > > > is contrary to our vision and mission. > > > > > > Our communities deserve safe spaces in which they can contribute > > > productively and debate constructively. It is our belief that the > > Wikimedia > > > Foundation should be proactively engaged in eliminating harassment, > > > promoting inclusivity, ensuring a healthier culture of discourse, and > > > improving the safety of Wikimedia spaces. We request management to > > dedicate > > > appropriate resources to this end. > > > > > > We urge every member of the Wikimedia communities to collaborate in a > way > > > that models the Wikimedia values of openness and diversity, step > forward > > to > > > do their part to stop hostile and toxic behavior, support people who > have > > > been targeted by such behavior, and help set clear expectations for all > > > contributors. > > > > > > [1] 2014 Pew Research Center Study, found at: > > > http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/10/22/online-harassment/ > > > > > > [2] 2015 WMF Harassment Survey, found at: > > > https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/ > > Harassment_Survey_2015_-_Results_Report.pdf > > > > > > > > > > > > Christophe HENNER > > > Chair of the board of trustees > > > [email protected] > > > +33650664739 > > > > > > twitter *@schiste* skype *christophe_henner* > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > New messages to: [email protected] > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: [email protected] > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > -- > Patrick Earley > Senior Community Advocate > Wikimedia Foundation > [email protected] > (1) 415 975 1874 > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ > wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
