Hello Nataliia,
Thank you for this initiative, synchronizing the Pillar policies is
important for our community. However, I would like to understand if this
effort will generate a set of recommendation/best practices or if the
Foundation is considering enforcing this upon the communities. If the
latter, how would this be implemented exactly, especially wrt translations
("traduttore traditore"): would the final result be translated to all 300+
languages we support?
Best,
Strainu
În joi, 27 mar. 2025 la 17:26, Nataliia Tymkiv <[email protected]> a
scris:
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> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Global_trends_and_strengthening_Wikipedia%E2%80%99s_neutral_point_of_view>
>
> Dear all,
>
> Maryana and I wanted to draw your attention to this Diff post from the
> Wikimedia Foundation [1]. It reflects work that has been done – beginning
> in 2022 – to identify the global trends that the Foundation and our
> movement as a whole need to address in asking what the world most needs
> from us now.
>
> To support the Wikimedia communities and reaffirm our commitment to
> neutrality, the Wikimedia Foundation will convene a working group of active
> editors, Trustees, researchers, and advisors to explore recommendations for
> common standards for policies on neutral point of view (NPOV) [2] for the
> Wikimedia projects that can protect Wikipedia, increase the integrity of
> all projects, and equip the volunteers trusted to administer these policies
> with more support.
>
> There is more information below and ways for how to contribute. You can
> also find this information on Meta [3].
>
> == Global trends==
>
> This year, one of the global trends that has generated significant
> conversation within and beyond the Wikimedia movement relates to
> neutrality: how trust in information online is declining and a
> fragmentation of consensus about what information is true. Some believe
> that the world has become more complex, and people are more divided than
> ever. As threats to neutrality appear to be on the rise globally, NPOV [2]
> policy is needed now more than ever. This core principle has served
> Wikipedia extremely well, and has become even stronger over nearly a
> quarter century of volunteer contributions.
>
> How this principle of neutrality translates into NPOV policy varies across
> the Wikimedia projects, highlighting an opportunity for communities to
> learn from each other; and to explore whether common global standards for
> neutrality can better protect the projects (and volunteers) in an
> environment of expanded threats and growing regulation.
>
> Like all policies, NPOV has been refined over 24 years with thousands of
> inputs across hundreds of languages. Throughout this evolutionary process
> of community discussion, the neutral point of view principle and its
> application remains fundamental to our model.
>
> == NPOV policies ==
>
> A cursory review of NPOV policies across different language editions of
> Wikipedia at a recent community workshop [4] revealed variations,
> inconsistencies, and many opportunities for the different Wikimedia
> projects to learn from each other. Users with extended rights, those
> trusted by their communities with administering NPOV policies, described
> the challenges they face when these policies are unclear or underdeveloped
> in some languages or projects.
>
> As public trust in news sources declines [5], editors face evolving
> challenges in representing views from reliable sources fairly,
> proportionately, and without editorial bias. As you know well, Wikipedia’s
> integrity – especially on evolving and contentious topics – is safeguarded
> by robust community governance processes, for example, a policy on dispute
> resolution on English Wikipedia [6] (e.g., discussion protocols, oversight
> mechanisms, dispute resolution channels) that prioritise a fair and
> balanced approach. These well-documented standards are specifically
> designed to prevent undue influence and preserve an independent, nonprofit
> model that exists nowhere else at this scale. We have seen time and time
> again that volunteers have a strong track record of successfully managing
> neutrality on contentious subjects.
>
> Stronger community-led content moderation policies that are enforced
> primarily by local communities protect Wikimedia projects and Wikimedians
> alike.
>
> == Working group on global common standards ==
>
> To support these essential self-governance mechanisms, this working group
> [3] will ask how more common standards for NPOV policies between Wikimedia
> projects can protect and improve the projects and support volunteers,
> building on the careful consideration that developed NPOV policies over the
> past two decades. The intent of the working group will be to facilitate
> knowledge sharing about community-led policies that have made Wikipedia a
> highly trusted resource around the world. This will incorporate feedback
> from work already underway to establish policies [7] and that reflects
> values shared by the global Wikimedia community.
>
> An initial set of recommendations, focused first on Wikipedia language
> editions, will be presented to the Wikimedia Foundation’s Board of Trustees
> at the upcoming June 2025 meeting, alongside approval of the Foundation’s
> plan and budget.
>
> == This needs all of us together ==
>
> The world’s reliance on Wikipedia (and Wikimedia as a whole) continues to
> grow – from AI chatbots to search engines to voice assistants to content
> reusers across the internet. At a time when we are used (and needed!) more
> than ever, we must reinforce our core principles and sustain our shared
> values. Strengthening Wikipedia’s neutrality will make it even more trusted
> to deliver the content that billions of people rely on around the world.
>
> Contributions are welcomed by all who care about these topics within and
> beyond the Wikimedia movement, on this dedicated Meta page [3] or as part
> of the Foundation’s annual planning conversations [8].
>
> Thank you all,
>
> Nat Tymkiv, Board Chair
> Maryana Iskander, CEO
>
> [1]
> https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/03/27/strengthening-wikipedias-neutral-point-of-view/
>
> [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Neutral_point_of_view
> [3]
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2025-2026/Global_Trends/Common_global_standards_for_NPOV_policies
> [4] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Annual_Planning_Community_Workshop_(March)
>
> [5]
> https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/people-are-turning-away-news-heres-why-it-may-be-happening
> [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Dispute_resolution
> [7]
> https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/01/24/help-us-collect-examples-of-community-discussions-to-run-banners-or-make-temporary-logo-changes/
>
> [8]
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2025-2026/Collaboration
>
> Best regards,
> antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
> Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> *NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal working
> hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during weekend. You
> should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. Thank you in
> advance!*
>
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