Request for comment/Legal Fees Assistance Program/Option2

Option 2

• Option 2: The Wikimedia Foundation should not implement the Legal Fees Assistance Program

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1. I don't think users in "support roles" should be offered greater support than contributors in general. Whilst I would encourage greater clarity as to when support might be given for Defense of Contributors in general, I don't think we should be giving special status to administrators, bureaucrats etc. I think this risks looking like we undervalue the editorial contributions of volunteers, which (if made in good faith, sensibly etc) should receive the same support as actions taken by administrators. I worry that this proposal could be divisive and would prefer to see a stronger statement regarding how all contributors might be supported in future (regardless of the manner in which they contribute and whether they have any quasi-official status). WJBscribe (talk) 12:09, 1 September 2012 (UTC)
2. Sorry, but not this way. Every contributer can be threat with legal actions and get legal troubel. Every contributer should get in this case support by th foundation. It is not to understand why this should be limited to "support roles", especially since the main part of the project is still the writing of an encyclopedia. So the main focus should be on writers and photographers and yes, the "suppoert roles" also should get the legal support. --Julius1990 (talk) 11:13, 2 September 2012 (UTC)
3. As WJBscribe says. While I can understand the intent behind it, it's far more likely that a non-admin would be making such edits - after all, they not only have far less to lose politically, but they also have the advantage of time and numbers. Either make it apply to all editors in good standing or don't bother with it. Jéské Couriano ^{(v^_^v)} 04:20, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

   Just to be sure we're clear, this protection plan is not limited to admins; for instance, members of the OTRS team (whether administrators or not) are explicitly covered. The limitation is to the nature of the work being done. Those who are in support roles would not be protected by this program for ordinary editorial behavior, either; it is only for work "within...capacity and parameters as a user in [a] support role". A "check-user" might (for instance) be protected if accused of improper check-user behavior (when that behavior is consistent with policies), but would not be protected for adding content to a biography. --Maggie Dennis (WMF) (talk) 12:15, 4 September 2012 (UTC)

4. Concur with WJBscribe. ~~EBE123~~ ^talk_Contribs 11:11, 4 September 2012 (UTC)
5. I concur with WJBscribe as well. Any legal protection should cover all contributors, not just ones who hold advanced permissions. LegoK^ontribsT^alkM 17:46, 4 September 2012 (UTC)
6. Per WJBscribe. There was a time when being an administrator was seen as "no big deal". Making it something that entitles you to legal protection you wouldn't otherwise have is hardly no big deal. --GRuban (talk) 19:00, 4 September 2012 (UTC)
7.  Oppose, with regret, per WJBscribe, mostly. I do like the idea in concept, and thank the WMF legal team for bringing this forward, but I can't support anything that treats some volunteers as more worthy than others. Craig Franklin (talk) 12:42, 5 September 2012 (UTC).
8.  Oppose, per WJBscribe and Craig just above me. I am sorry to see that while I haven't been looking, something very serious happened to the adminship is no big deal policy. odder (talk) 14:34, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
9. I agree with WJBscribe and Craig. Editing on hot topics will expose users to threats, even legal ones. It happened, it happens, it will happen. Then why shoud we protect only flagged users? Why should we pay this assistance for selected users with money donated in order to keep wikipedia running and not to pay lawyers? An user from it.wiki. AndreaFox (talk) 14:55, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
10.  Oppose I'm also in full agreement with WJBscribe if any legal coverage is to be provided it should be granted to any non-anonymous contributor. Panic (talk) 18:12, 5 September 2012 (UTC)
11.  Oppose Volunteers on up to non-WMF employee contributors are protected at least in the USA by the good samaritan principle. Contributors that violate USA law, as contributions are stored at WMF in San Francisco, are subject to prosecution and Public Defenders are available for criminal charges. Civil law suits are another matter entirely. Contributors can be economically, seriously harmed by civil suits. The current law and precedents are such that WMF can be excluded from a civil suit, especially where the defendant may have violated US law or policy in line with that law. Legal help may be needed when a non-WMF employee contributor is sued for statements contributed that are not deleted by conscientious administrators, perhaps because the statements are true but politically unpopular. Edit wars that may result in lawsuits are not a WMF problem (the lawsuits aspect) and WMF funds should not be politically funneled to support one side or the other in such matters. Current WMF legal people probably know when WMF had better help volunteer contributors or not, and the few of them are already being paid. There are special circumstance outside this that may require WMF financial support, but setting aside contingency funds may not be the best answer. Marshallsumter (talk) 18:34, 5 September 2012 (UTC)