User:ASedrati (WMF)/Reports/Morocco UG Strategy Conversation 2020
Date and location
editParticipant List
edit- Reda benkhadra
- Anass Sedrati
- Omar2040
- Rachidourkia
- Farajiibrahim
- Tifratin
- Soukaina Abelhad
- Rachida Rocky
- Hamza El Moubarik
What happened
edit
The Strategy Salon 2020 organized in Rabat was a unique occasion to gather members of Wikimedia MA User Group, as it covered travel and accommodation costs for active Wikimedians coming from different regions of the Kingdom. Given this context, the Session started by a strategic discussion and ended by an internal User Group meeting. 9 people came to discuss the 13 recommendations that are open for community conversation so that they could give their input about them. All recommendations were discussed one by one, and below is the summary of the discussions.
Summary of the discussion points
editGeneral Comments on the process
edit“As affiliate members and online contributors, we feel that the process is not transparent and many decisions are taken behind closed doors. Many of us are outside the loop and are solicited only for feedback by liaisons who go then and come back only to ask for new feedback. The Board of trustees is not transparent either and we do not know how their vote and choice will happen, based on which criteria, because they do not share this with us, the Wikimedia Affiliates.”
Suggestions for Improvement
- There should be a clear mention that editing will never be paid. However, we must have someone hired for daily administrative work such as organization of events.
For
- Most participants endorse hiring local employees by WMF.
Against
- One participant has strong opinions against hiring local staff, as it encourages bureaucracy and careerism and will prevent true wikimedians from doing their volunteer work, as they will fight on getting the paid jobs.
Suggestions for Improvement
- Code of Conduct – Each editing community should have their own codes and rules.
- Each community has their own codes as they have their own tradition and culture.
- What is the new culture? Will the new culture be fair and independent? What is common between us?
For
- Widely supported end endorsed by the community
Suggestions for Improvement
- WMF should have legal representation in every country of the world.
For
- Mostly supported by the participants, except the VPN point as it can be used for vandalism.
Against
- One user was against the recommendation as “Each user shall be responsible for their own safety as a citizen, and to respect their own local laws even if they live in dictatorships. We are not responsible for democratizing the world.”
For
- Participants strongly endorse the recommendation, and think that the global governance body is a very good idea.
Against
- One member was against the recommendation, because “Each Wikipedia and each community have what it deserves.”
For
- Supported by the participants without further comments.
For
- Widely endorsed and supported.
For
- Supported by all participants, stressing that “In many projects work is duplicated, we need to have more details and information from earlier projects”
Not commented by the members
Against
- Mostly disagreed by the members. Wikipedians should be free and should be allocated the resources no matter what they decide to write about. Who will decide the priorities and what is their legitimacy?
For
- Mostly supported by the participants, especially Oral knowledge matters.
Against
- One member mentions that it is fair that the western culture has created and shaped an encyclopedia, and that we have to abide by that.”If a culture is to be extinct, it is part of the course of nature, we cannot prevent that”.
For
- Supported by the participants without further comments.
Suggestions for Improvement
- Provide more technical tools ready for incubator and new languages for example template for templates.
For
- Supported by the participants without further comments.