[Chapter-delegates] English Wikipedia going dark tomorrow!

[Narelle Clark]

"Dr. Alejandro Pisanty Baruch" <apisan at unam.mx> said:
> I don't see any clear guidance emerging directly from there that we in
> chapters outside the US can use for deciding whether we join the proposed
> blackout in a few hours.

Again from an AU Chapter perspective, we will decide which protests we
join and which ones we don't.

At this stage I am consulting with the Australian membership as to whether
we should join.

Were we to decide to join it we would do so regardless of any instruction,
or lack of instruction, from our parent organisation.

We also wouldn't be speaking on behalf of all of ISOC, either. Except
where we actually quoted statements such as the ones Joly pointed out.

> To begin with: should we AT ALL intervene in a discussion of a law in a
> country that is not ours? Why, how, in what terms? If we do so in a way
> not coordinated with ISOC HQ are we helping or damaging the ISOC HQ in the
> US and their ability to weigh in on the process in a timely way? Are those
> who decide to participate out-of-control rogues or brave pioneers?

The point made further down on the Wikimedia article is that they consider
that any US legislation is part of a broader problem that we are all
opposed to:

"The reality is that we don’t think SOPA is going away, and PIPA is still
quite active. Moreover, SOPA and PIPA are just indicators of a much
broader problem. All around the world, we’re seeing the development of
legislation seeking to regulate the Internet in other ways while hurting
our online freedoms. Our concern extends beyond SOPA and PIPA: they are
just part of the problem. We want the Internet to remain free and open,
everywhere, for everyone."

from:
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout


that's quite a compelling argument.

I await my membership's thoughts...


Narelle


-- 



Narelle Clark
President
Internet Society of Australia
ph: 0412 297 043
int ph: +61 412 297 043
president at isoc-au.org.au
www.isoc-au.org.au