No fair and public hearings on Wikimedia

Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. [...]

Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations [...]

Meta administrators

A Meta administrator, having felt embarrassed by a quote of some material from Meta itself[1], and unable to control his anger, went on a rampage of outlandish behavior (Block) in a futile attempt to assert his power and authority, and save face, with the complacency and complicity of like minded sycophants.

After the discussion and all the provocations on that topic, a request to unblock was duly posted.[2] It turned out to be a futile exercise. It was let to linger there for more than two months, leading to the only plausible explanation that the objective was to block the user at all costs, no matter what the reason or its merits. For motives, you'll have to ask those involved. There are people specially trained that could help sort those kind of things. This user does not have the required qualifications.[3]

It is risible that after having failed to handle a request to unblock in a reasonable and timely fashion, so much zeal was taken in declining the unblock request[4] "that already expired."[5] Someone must be delusioning himself and deceiving others, thinking that closing the request when it was no longer relevant will instantly turn all wrongs into rights, just like magic.

Vapmachado 2011, Jan. 16, 00:29

Wikipedia

The sinking of the MS Explorer

• case in point "article probation.", Decora, 16:13, 12 March 2011 (UTC)
  • "I have never heard of this until today. "Article Probation"
    "The community has placed this article on article probation as specified at Talk:Barack Obama/Article probation. Any addition of content that is not properly sourced, does not conform to Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy, or is defamatory will be promptly removed. In addition, you may be blocked from editing Wikipedia without any further warning."
    Imagine how a n00b feels reading that? Dont screw up or we will ban you. Not very inviting. we wont just remove your edit, we will banish you. no discussion, no appeal, no explanation.
    I have already suggested several times that the Edit Notice (the thing you see right above 'save my edit' button) should include a link to the EFF 'blogger legal guide',and advise people not to post defamatory or libelous material. my suggestion has been routinely ignored"
  • "what is 'you may be blocked without further warning'? the idea that violators of rules get to know what they did wrong is a principle as old as the Magna Carta. a good organization does not banish someone without giving a reason.
    This is a 'redundant regulation'. It is alreayd the policy, under Biography of Living Person, that any material not properly sourced is immediately removed. What is the extra step of banishing the editor? There are already procedures to ban people who have broken the rules repeatedly. You can also simply lock articles for a while. Why the redundancy?
    The upshot is that, if you want to know what drives people away, its that sort of thing. IMHO. Not a lack of a visual editor or whatever. It's the attitude of 'guilty of bad faith until proven innocent'."

WikiPT

• No evidence. No notification
• Indefinite block, sometime between 28 Aug. and 12 Oct., by lijealso, waldir, or nuno.tavares

Wikimedia Portugal

• Suppressed Evidence
• Blocked: Yes (on 22:03, 15 May 2010 till infinity by Waldir; Reason: )

Wikimedia Brasil

• Suppressed Evidence
• Blocked: Yes (on 16:55, 01 May 2010 till infinity by 555; Reason: Suas primeiras edições neste wiki repetem seu comportamento danoso já efetuado em outras partes da Wikimedia.)

Sue Gardner

Sue Gardner, Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation, by Oscar

Date: Tue, 5 Jan 2010 16:36
Subject: Appeal concerning the arbitration committee of the Portuguese Wikipedia
From: "Virgilio A. P. Machado" <vam@fct.unl.pt>
To: sgardner@wikimedia.org

Sue,

I sent a couple of messages that have remained unanswered to this date. They are transcribed below. If you find in them anything that might concern you and the Wikimedia Foundation of which you are the Executive Director, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
--
Prof. Virgilio A. P. Machado
Engenharia Industrial
DEMI/FCT/UNL
Universidade de Portugal
2829-516 Caparica
PORTUGAL

vam@fct.unl.pt
http://web.archive.org/web/20070824105539/www.ipei.pt/GDEI/
Fax: 351-21-294-8546 or 21-294-8531
or 351-21-295-4461
Tel.: 351-21-294-8542 or 21-294-8567
or 351-21-294-8300 or 21 294-8500
Ext.112-32

[96-577-3726]
Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia/UNL (FCT/UNL)

(Dr. Machado is Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the
School of Sciences and Engineering/UNL of the University of Portugal)

Kat Walsh

Kat Walsh, then Executive Secretary of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees.

• Please se also: Kat Walsh

Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:11
Subject: Appeal
From: "Virgilio A. P. Machado" <vam@fct.unl.pt>
To: kat@wikimedia.org

Kat,

I regret to have to bring this matter to your attention. Based on the information available on this page "Princípios fundadores" (I believe a localization of this "Founding principles") I wrote the message below to Jimmy Wales. Until now I have not learned of any feedback to that message. The deadline to file an appeal is long past (Dec. 12, at 19:35 UTC) and all my requests to do so (described in the message to Jimmy) have been ignored.

As Executive Secretary of the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees I believe that not only you should be directly informed of this situation but are also best qualified to advise on this matter.

I'm currently State side, and can be reached by e-mail (through Wikipedia or directly to the above e-mail address), by phone (254-289-5524), or by IM & video (vam@fct.unl.pt or vapmachado).

Looking forward to hearing from you, I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Virgilio A. P. Machado

Jimmy Wales

Jimmy Wales, Founder of the Wikipedia project.

Date: Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:44
To: jwales@wikia.com
From: "Virgilio A. P. Machado" <vam@fct.unl.pt>
Subject: Appeal concerning the arbitration committee of the Portuguese Wikipedia

User: Vapmachado
Case: 2009-09-01 Virgílio A. P. Machado

Jimmy,

I'm at this very awkward position of having to appeal to you in a matter concerning a decision by the arbitration committee (AC) of the Portuguese Wikipedia (one of the eight that has reached more than a half million articles).

Besides the filing party, I am the only one involved in a controversial arbitration case that dragged on for more than three months. During that time I posted 53 irregularities in the discussion page of the case. The case was closed this past Dec. 9, at 19:13 UTC. According to the AC By-Laws, I have three days, after the case closing, to file an appeal to the Portuguese Wikipedia community. That same evening I considered and drafted an appeal, but could not post it, because the AC final decision blocks me from doing it.

I have been asking to be unblocked in order to file my appeal, since later, that same evening, Dec. 10, at 00:49 UTC, when I posted a request on my own talk page. Without an answer, unable to post on any other user's talk page, or file my appeal, I e-mailed, through Wikipedia, [10] administrators(1-10), that appeared on-line, and the AC mail list (11), between 21:01, Dec. 10, and 03:03, Dec. 11. Members of the AC have been on-line, including the arbitrator that presented, signed, and notified me of the final decision(3).

With barely more than 24 hours before the deadline to file my appeal, I see no other alternative but write to you, taking your valuable time, and beg as a special favor something that should be handled through the appropriate channels in the Portuguese Wikipedia.

1) Please ask the AC to unblock me so that I may file my appeal.

2) Please ask the AC to stop the clock and extend the deadline to file my appeal, until I (or you, preferably) have the opportunity to inform the community of these developments, and post my appeal.

3) Once my appeal is posted, the clock will be set in motion again, for 24 hours of discussion in which I will be allowed to participate, and five days of voting. Although my appeal is based on this blatant breach of policy by the AC final decision, preventing me from posting it, according to the AC By-Laws, my appeal needs to obtain at least 20 favorable votes and a 2/3 majority.

If both of these requirements sound to you as easy to obtain in an environment of encyclopedians, think again. I know very little about the Wikipedias in other languages, but besides abysmal problems in its By-Laws, as the present situation illustrates, there is very little coincidence between what is written and what is done in the Portuguese Wikipedia. Don't let the language barrier fool you. There are plenty of people and users that speak both languages. It is your choice to pursue a hands off approach or to foster an environment where the principles in which you believe and should bind how the Portuguese Wikipedia is run, can thrive and be a source of inspiration for many of younger generations. If I can ever be of service to those principles, please let me know.

Please let me know if you need any other further information.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Prof. Virgilio A. P. Machado	vam@fct.unl.pt
Engenharia Industrial	http://web.archive.org/web/20070824105539/www.ipei.pt/GDEI/
DEMI/FCT/UNL	Fax: 351-21-294-8546 or 21-294-8531
Universidade de Portugal	or 351-21-295-4461
2829-516 Caparica	Tel.: 351-21-294-8542 or 21-294-8567
PORTUGAL	or 351-21-294-8300 or 21 294-8500
	Ext.112-32
[96-577-3726]
Faculdade de Ciencias e Tecnologia/UNL	(FCT/UNL)

(Dr. Machado is Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering at the
School of Sciences and Engineering/UNL of the University of Portugal)

(1) ChristianH Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:01:45
(2) Dédi's Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:07:17
(3) Pugliesi Ruy Pugliesi Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:08:48
(4) Lorib Jo Lorib Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:22:49
(5) FSogumo Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:43:24
(6) Davemustaine Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:44:47
(7) Carvalho João Carvalho Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:56:25
(8) Mschlindwein Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:20:01
(9) Bisbis Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:45
(10) Teles Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:03:34
(11) To: ca-ptwikipedia@lists.wikimedia.org Thu, 10 Dec 2009 21:55:43

Human rights

On December 10, 1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [...]. Following this historic act the Assembly called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."[6]

Preamble

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

[...] the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,

Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,

[...]

Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

[...]

Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance [...]

Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7. All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. [...]

Article 10. Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations [...]

Article 28. Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.

Article 29. (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society. (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Article 30. Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any [...] group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

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