273:: Like most countries across the world at the moment, Ireland has seen demonstrations, protests and a lot of public debate (and backlash) in response to the killing of George Floyd. As is normal, I started seeing a lot of social media posts and articles listing Irish organisations, authors, artists, musicians and activists that were being highlighted as voices and groups to support in an Irish context. I was very surprised to find many, if not all, of the people and groups being talked about had little or no Knowledge (XXG) presence. I quickly decided to devote my Wiki editing for the foreseeable future to working on these topics and biographies and adding them to WikiProject BLM. Due to the pandemic restrictions in Ireland, unfortunately I have not been involved in the BLM protests in Dublin.
407:: Wikimedia and Knowledge (XXG) are different. Knowledge (XXG) is a global encyclopedia project; Wikimedia is a technology non-profit that runs one of the most-accessed websites in the world. To that end, I do think the Wikimedia Foundation has a responsibility in its role as a technology company, employer, leading non-profit and advocate for free culture to take a stand advocating for justice and equality. For Knowledge (XXG), while I wish we used the immense power of our platform more often to advocate for these values, I do understand the argument that the encyclopedia doesn't take a stand (while also recognizing that the entire concept of free knowledge for everyone in their own language is not a historically neutral one).
480:: One thing that we rarely talk about on Knowledge (XXG) is that our editor base is not particularly diverse. We've spent many years talking about the lack of women editors, but our lack of editors who identify as people of color is also a huge gap in our editor base, and is something that I would like to see both research into and a concerted effort to correct. That includes both focusing on topics of relevance and interest to folks, but also doing specific concerted outreach to specific communities, as AfroCROWD and Black Lunch Table have been doing for several years. We need to talk about the whiteness of Knowledge (XXG) and how this may be
430:: As an editor on the protest articles, one thing I'm struggling with is that media coverage - and hence, the reliable sources that we need to use - is not focused on the protests after the initial sensationalist coverage of looting. In many US cities, we are seeing the 12th straight day of protests now, but that is not as intensively covered. I heard from a friend in Florida that she was at a major protest there with no media coverage at all. This is a real issue for Knowledge (XXG)'s reporting, given our reliance on media reports.
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337:: I plan on writing about as many BIPOC from or in Ireland, and if I can't write full biographies, I plan on diversifying as many relevant articles relating to Ireland and their experiences. This will probably focus on the experiences of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland (as the BLM protests have) as well other forms of discrimination and racism in Ireland towards groups such as the Travelling community.
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474:: It may feel US-centric to many international Wikipedians, but I have no doubt that most of us will find important conversations about racism and discrimination will be taking place in our own communities and those should be reflected in the content on Knowledge (XXG). We owe it to our countries, localities, and communities to draw out those narratives and represent them to the rest of the world.
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443:: Maybe, but what's wrong with a WikiProject coming to end? Even if the WikiProject has a short lifespan, this space is serving a specific purpose at this time, and that's good enough for me. I would not be offended if the project were folded into another, or archived altogether. But, I'll be optimistic and hope the project sticks around for a long time.
267:, etc.) but I saw no harm in having a focused project tackle topics like police brutality, racial justice, and social justice reform. I think the current political climate and recent news coverage has forced people to confront these issues, and we have a responsibility to make Knowledge (XXG) helpful for those who are seeking answers to questions.
424:: Unfortunately most editors are not in a position to guide the narrative of the press or media outlets! All we can do is our own due diligence, looking for reliable sources outside of the most prominent voices to find that nuance and less sensational coverage that will ultimately generate better Knowledge (XXG) articles on content.
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385:: The protests that we are seeing right now around the death of George Floyd are historic -- one of the biggest protest movements to ever happen in the US and globally -- and the Black Lives Matter movement before and since is also crucial to our modern history. On Knowledge (XXG), we document what happens in the world: period.
455:: I hope so. The topics, particularly as I mentioned the underlying "root cause" topics, will certainly not cease to be relevant after this news cycle ends. I can see this project being folded into a larger project (like the African Diaspora WikiProject) at some point, but the need to cover these topics well will not end.
449:: Like all things driven by a community, there are ebbs and flows. Sometimes a group will work together for a finite period to work towards a common goal, but it may be that the WikiProject will go through peaks and troughs of engagement. In my experience most WikiProjects go through these kinds of cycles.
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As of press time, the project has 44 listed participants, 58 threads on its talk page with 55 participants, and 411 articles tagged for improvement in the project's scope. Discussions have addressed
Knowledge (XXG)'s burgeoning coverage of recent events, as well as articles on broader topics like
379:: All of the work that I (and editors I collaborate with) is to improve Knowledge (XXG) while working within its guidelines and guiding principles. Knowledge (XXG) is a mirror on the world, and should reflect the full diversity of the world and the experiences of Knowledge (XXG) readers in 2020.
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This is the largest civil rights protest around the globe, so I was extremely heartened to see that
Knowledge (XXG) covered the global and local dimensions when most media are focused on local or US context only. Having edited numerous law enforcement pages, it’s clear many of them suffer from
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to do, we can't keep up with the news (and as with so many breaking news topics, Knowledge (XXG) is one of the few compendia of information right now). I'd like to spend some time working on core articles and getting them towards GA/FA. I also helped out with this very successful
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our coverage and content, while we also work to improve articles related to the civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter, and BIPOC individuals as much as we can. And - if you want to get involved, everyone is welcome to join the project and work on these
247:: I created the WikiProject because I wanted to create a space where editors could work together to improve Knowledge (XXG)'s coverage of the Black Lives Matter movement and related topics. There are existing projects focused on black culture and history (
468:: Black Lives Matter. Also, thanks to WikiProject members and other editors who are working to improve coverage of this movement and related topics. The subject matter may be difficult at times, but I have no doubt about the importance of this work.
302:: I see decent coverage of people and major events, tragedies and protests that have hit the news, but there is a lot of work to do both on lesser-known events and people, and on articles about underlying and systemic topics (like
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in support of Black Lives Matter was closed with clear consensus against, in part because of concerns that it could threaten
Knowledge (XXG)'s reputation for neutrality. But we also had Wikimedia CEO Katherine Maher
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296:: From an Irish perspective, there is a huge amount of work to be done on both historic and contemporary topics. I would say that depending on the context you come from, BLM content may well be non-existent.
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while he was in police custody on May 25 has prompted many
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The media has struggled to balance coverage of the more peaceful aspects of the protest with the more sensational rioting that has in some cases come along with it. Is "
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I was heartened how quickly it became an internationally relevant page, even if my inspiration was admittedly to document US police unions. ~
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306:) and related laws -- these are difficult editing tasks, but important. And, there is a lot to do in non-English Wikipedias and Wikidata too.
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Do you think this project will last after protesting dies down and less attention is focused on this matter, if it does?
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and helping to fork out content appropriately. I write about public art often, so I'd like to expand the articles about
373:: We're seeking to improve Knowledge (XXG) in compliance with the site's goals and guidelines. What's wrong with this?
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endorsing the movement. To what extent is it the role of
Knowledge (XXG) or Wikimedia to take a stance on this issue?
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interviewed three participants who responded to an open invitation on the project's talk page;
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How would you respond to editors who might argue that the existence of this project violates
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This tension was on display this past month as the community firmly rejected proposals to
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You are organizing an editathon for June. What major tasks are you planning on taking on?
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The global reckoning over racial justice arising from the
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650:If your comment has not appeared here, you can try
205:create a Black Lives Matter-focused Main Page
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235:. Here are our questions and their answers.
742:Knowledge (XXG) Signpost archives 2020-06
321:George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon
329:recently removed monuments and memorials
18:Knowledge (XXG):Knowledge (XXG) Signpost
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460:Anything else you'd like to add?
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646:add the page to your watchlist
325:lists of George Floyd protests
209:WikiProject Black Lives Matter
182:Racial bias on Knowledge (XXG)
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188:policy if not kept in check.
261:WikiProject African diaspora
319:: As the primary author of
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199:in 2012 in opposition to
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679:22:35, 2 July 2020 (UTC)
178:homicide of George Floyd
257:Black WikiHistory Month
643:. To follow comments,
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482:systematically biasing
414:if it bleeds, it leads
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665:tone. When I created
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186:neutral point of view
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630:Discuss this story
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570:Arbitration report
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527:28 June 2020
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