Wikipedia:Community response to the Wikimedia Foundation's ban of Fram/Summary#Resignations
Various summaries of the main events since the Fram affair, and locations and references of items relating to these events.
{{nutshell|On June 10, 2019, longtime editor and administrator Fram was de-adminned and banned by an office action. Fram was banned as the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) perceived that he was harassing users; the full details of this have not been released. Unlike previous bans issued by the WMF, this ban was temporary (for 1 year), and limited to the English Wikipedia.
Many users were surprised at the ban, as most disruptive behavior is handled by local community institutions (like the Arbitration Committee), rather than the WMF office. The WMF generally does not intervene unless conduct is severe enough to require a lifetime block from all WMF sites, and the information was too sensitive to share with ArbCom. Early responses by the WMF contained little information about the reason for the block, and some administrators attempted to unblock Fram.
As more information came to light, from both Fram and the WMF, some users became upset at the WMF's slow communication, lack of due process, and circumvention of community institutions. Others thought the WMF had a right/responsibility to take action against user reports of harassment.
After a few weeks of continued frustration in the English Wikipedia community, including resignations of some users and administrators, on July 2, the WMF agreed to send the matter to ArbCom for a final decision. The case closed on 21 September; ArbCom vacated Fram's ban, and took over his desysopping. Fram initiated a request for adminship on 26 September, and withdrew after a day (when it was at under 50% support after over 200 !votes had been cast).}}
{{shortcut|WP:FRAMSUM|WP:FRAM/S}}
List of main events
- Contributors: User:andrybak, User:Aquillion, User:Mr Ernie, User:Promethean, User:Ad Orientem, User:Zzyzx11
- Major contributor up to 28 June 2019, only two [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram/Summary&diff=904108329&oldid=904104657] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram/Summary&diff=904335722&oldid=904331857] additions since then, and stepping away from this. Did not, and will not edit any event pertaining to myself. I am also personally restricted from adding any more off-wiki events, restriction does not apply to other people. Really happy that others are contributing. Thank you everyone! starship.paint (talk)
= What has WMF effectively told us? =
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- Fram was {{tq|banned by the Wikimedia Foundation from editing the English Wikipedia for a period of 1 year, consistent with the Terms of Use}}
- The ban {{tq|does not offer an opportunity to appeal.}}
- WMF {{tq|acted on complaints from the community}} to ban Fram.
- WMF said regarding Fram, {{tq|the issues reported to us fell under section 4 of the terms of use, as noted above, specifically under the first provision entitled "harassing and abusing others."}} ([https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use/en#4._Refraining_from_Certain_Activities That provision] lists the following harmful activities: Engaging in harassment, threats, stalking, spamming, or vandalism; and Transmitting chain mail, junk mail, or spam to other users.)
- WMF {{tq|did send more than one of those warnings/reminders before the most recent step}} of banning Fram
- Regarding the length of the ban, {{tq|a one-year local ban was placed}} because {{tq|there was reason to think time might change behavior, or where disruption is limited to a single project}}
- WMF felt {{tq|it would have been improper to ask the Arbcom to adjudicate a case in which it was one primary target of the person in question}}, Fram.
- WMF feels criticism of ArbCom {{tq|should also remain strictly respectful in tone towards others.}}
- WMF will not release details about Trust & Safety investigations due to privacy concerns. They will not name or disclose the identities of the individuals involved in reporting incidents related to this Office Action, and cannot tell you what specific behaviors by Fram brought about this action, cannot publicly disclose details of this or any particular case
- {{tq|the community does not and cannot have all the facts of this case}}
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=What has Fram told us?{{Clarify|reason=This section is headed "what has Fram told us?" however the content in the section, under three numbered headings, is in fact messages *to* Fram and zero replies/communication *from* Fram. I know nothing of this episode and ended up here trying to find out. But it seems like this is the last place I should be looking for answers.|date=July 2024}}=
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(1) In April 2018, WMF emailed him a "conduct warning".
{{tq2|I have taken a look at several conflicts you’ve had over the years with other community members as well as Foundation staff, and I have noticed increasing levels of hostility, aggressive expression—some of which, to the point of incivility—and counterproductive escalations [...] Indeed, I have not seen you literally threatening other contributors. But, I have observed the sum of your activity in certain areas of interest (like copyvios, for example, or automated editing) having a similar effect to that of a threat: causing contributors to be scared to continue to contribute in fear of being constantly monitored and later attacked through community process, and eventually driving them away. From what I've seen, you are very good at spotting problematic edits and editing patterns; the issue is with the way and the perseverance with which you appear to approach the editors responsible for them. In many cases, even if your concerns have been valid, their raising has been done with a degree of abruptness, repetition, scrutiny and persistence that feels like hounding to the person on the receiving end, and causes them to abandon the project or limit their contributions. Now, I don't think this is your intention, but this does seem to be the result in several cases, hence the warning. So, I'm not saying you should stop trying to improve En.WP., only that in doing so you also consider how your activity and approach impacts the users you address and other readers of your comments, and how it contributes to an unfriendly volunteering environment that discourages them from returning to it.}}
(2) In March 2019, WMF emailed him a "reminder" based on two October 2018 edits [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deaf_football_in_Spain&type=revision&diff=864769216&oldid=864759017] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blind_football_in_Australia&type=revision&diff=864288026&oldid=864286096]
{{tq2|We remain convinced that the activity on Laura’s articles listed above was not intended to intimidate or make her feel uncomfortable [...] However, in the hopes of avoiding any future issues and in the spirit of Laura’s own request on her talk page, we would like to ask that you refrain from making changes to content that she produces, in any way (directly or indirectly), from this point on. This includes but is not limited to direct editing of it, tagging, nominating for deletion, etc. If you happen to find issues with Laura’s content, we suggest that you instead leave it for others to review and handle as they see fit. This approach will allow you to continue to do good work while reducing the potential for conflict between you and Laura. We hope for your cooperation with the above request, so as to avoid any sanctions from our end in the future. To be clear, we are not placing an interaction ban between you and Laura at this time. We ask that her request to stay away from her and the content she creates be respected, so that there is no need for any form of intervention or punitive actions from our end."}}
{{tq2|This decision has come following extensive review of your conduct on that project and is an escalation to the Foundation’s past efforts to encourage course correction, including a conduct warning issued to you on April 2018 and a conduct warning reminder issued to you on March 2019. With those actions in mind, this ban has been triggered following your recent abusive communications on the project, as seen here [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=895438118&diffmode=source]. This action is effective immediately and it is non-appealable.}}
(3) In June 2019, WMF banned Fram, citing this May 2019 edit [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=895438118&diffmode=source].
{{tq2|This decision has come following extensive review of your conduct on that project and is an escalation to the Foundation’s past efforts to encourage course correction, including a conduct warning issued to you on April 2018 and a conduct warning reminder issued to you on March 2019. With those actions in mind, this ban has been triggered following your recent abusive communications on the project, as seen here. This action is effective immediately and it is non-appealable.}}
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= What has ArbCom told us? =
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Arb Com member Joe Roe: WMF told ArbCom {{tq|there is additional, private and}} also {{tq|information that is not currently publicly available on Wikipedia}} which is {{tq|relevant to the ban}} of Fram, {{tq|ArbCom doesn't have all of it}}, and WMF {{TQ|do not consider the ban, as an office action, to be overturnable by ArbCom}}.
ArbCom member Premeditated Chaos: {{tq|I want to clearly state that the Arbitration Committee has no more information about the details behind Fram's ban than anyone else.}}
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= List of significant events =
- ACTION (10 June) [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log/block&page=Fram] Fram {{tq|banned by the Wikimedia Foundation from editing the English Wikipedia for a period of 1 year, consistent with the Terms of Use}}
- STATEMENT (10 June) WMF 1st statement - notes that Fram was temporarily de-sysoped along with the ban. The ban arose from {{tq|complaints from the community}}. No disclosure of who made the complaints, or what the complaints are. The ban {{tq|does not offer an opportunity to appeal.}}
- STATEMENT (11 June) Fram responds on Commons - claims ban was due to one diff [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=895438118&diffmode=source], that diff being {{tq|an escalation to the Foundation’s past efforts to encourage course correction, including a conduct warning issued to you on April 2018 and a conduct warning reminder issued to you on March 2019.}} Fram further says that the March 2019 warning was based on these two October 2018 diffs: [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deaf_football_in_Spain&type=revision&diff=864769216&oldid=864759017] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blind_football_in_Australia&type=revision&diff=864288026&oldid=864286096]
- STATEMENT (11 June) ArbCom member Opabinia regalis [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=901346940 says] that during a conference call with WMF where OR was the only available ArbCom representative, WMF informed OR that {{tq|an action to do with Fram was under consideration ... That information was not final and did not get into the specifics of their investigation ... The rest of the arbs did have the minutes from the meeting available shortly after.}} (OR's words)
- ACTION (11 June) WMF Board member Doc James requests a briefing from the WMF; while WMF Chair Emeritus Jimbo Wales is also on the case.
- STATEMENT (11 June) WMF 2nd statement - {{tq|it would have been improper to ask the Arbcom to adjudicate a case in which it was one primary target of the person in question}} ... {{tq|we do not release details about Trust & Safety investigations due to privacy concerns}} ... {{tq|What we can say in this case is that the issues reported to us fell under section 4 of the terms of use, as noted above, specifically under the first provision entitled “harassing and abusing others.”}} [https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Terms_of_Use/en#4._Refraining_from_Certain_Activities That provision] lists the following {{red|harmful}} activities: {{red|Engaging in harassment, threats, stalking, spamming, or vandalism; and Transmitting chain mail, junk mail, or spam to other users.}} WMF wrote that {{tq|why a one-year local ban was placed ... there was reason to think time might change behavior, or where disruption is limited to a single project}}.
- DISCUSSIONS (11 June and 14 June) - editors from German Wikipedia one, and Chinese Wikipedia two and three discuss bans by WMF on our sister sites.
- ACTION (11 June) Floquenbeam unblocks Fram [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=901425982 citing] community consensus. There was a prior discussion here.
- ACTION + STATEMENT (12 June) WMF 3rd statement, reblocks Fram and desysops Floquenbeam for a month.
- STATEMENT (12 June) WMF 4th statement is a further clarification of 2nd statement. One of the quotes: {{tq|Neither the Foundation nor community institutions, like ArbCom, are above criticism. Such criticism naturally can be direct and hard on the facts, but in a community it should also remain strictly respectful in tone towards others.}}
- ACTION (12 June) Bishonen unblocks Fram, citing WP:WHEEL.
- STATEMENT (12 June) WMF Chair of the Board, Raystorm makes a {{red|personal}} statement ({{red|not on behalf of the WMF Board}}) that they were uninvolved.
- STATEMENT (12 June) Fram 2nd statement.
- STATEMENT (12 June) Fram's [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=901573162 3rd statement] begins with a response to another editor, and ends with a request that {{tq|the WMF to provide their evidence to a number of trusted enwiki people}} to {{tq|judge the evidence in private}}.
- ACTION (12 June to 14 June) Floquenbeam requests resysop. In the same thread, bureaucrat WJBscribe grants it, then WJBscribe requests ArbCom review their actions. BU Rob13 later adds Floquenbeam and Bishonen as parties to the ArbCom case request by WJBscribe. Jan Eissfeldt, lead manager of WMF T&S, adds a statement (his 2nd overall).
- STATEMENT (12 June) ArbCom member GorillaWarfare [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=901526683 says] ArbCom's {{tq|meeting notes from last week's meeting mentioned that the Trust & Safety team had made the recommendation in favor of the one-year ban}} of Fram.
- STATEMENT (13 June) Jan Eissfeldt, lead manager of WMF T&S, gives a 1st statement, saying that the new sanctions {{tq|are not an expansion of the team’s scope}}, and that they {{tq|will not name or disclose the identities of the individuals involved in reporting incidents related to this Office Action.}} T&S will not sanction Floquenbeam, Bishonen, WJBscribe. If Fram edits en.wiki, Fram will be banned globally.
- OFF-WIKI STATEMENTS (13 June to 15 June) @WikiWomenInRed, the Twitter account operated by WP:WPWIR, posts several criticisms of Fram [https://web.archive.org/web/20190615025758/https:/twitter.com/WikiWomenInRed/status/1139067099652022272] [https://web.archive.org/web/20190615031331/https:/twitter.com/WikiWomenInRed/status/1139141434907516928][https://web.archive.org/web/20190615025711/https:/twitter.com/WikiWomenInRed/status/1138938268089749504][https://web.archive.org/web/20190615030811/https:/twitter.com/WikiWomenInRed/status/1138939200701698048], including a {{red|since-deleted}} tweet [https://web.archive.org/web/20190614230522/https:/twitter.com/WikiWomenInRed/status/1139441443477577728] that there were {{tq|real crimes}}. The deletion was done by Rosiestep, who [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=901888874] apologized on-wiki on behalf of WP:WPWIR for that tweet as the {{tq|wording lacked precision}}.
- STATEMENT (14 June) WMF's Jan offers further comments in his 3rd statement.
- DISCUSSION + STATEMENT (15 June to 18 June) - it is noted that a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fozrFVnecyI] released around the time WP:FRAM started saw a WMF member declare: {{tq|"Two of the big initiatives that are going to be happening this next year - one of them is writing a universal code of conduct, and the second one is us making a new reporting system."}} Wikimedia is conducting a consultation [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Community_health_initiative/User_reporting_system_consultation_2019] on a new reporting system for harassment. Sydney Poore of WMF responds.
- STATEMENTS (17 June) WMF's Jan offers an update in his 4th statement, that {{tq|we cannot tell you what specific behaviors by Fram brought about this action}}, {{tq|cannot publicly disclose details of this or any particular case}} and states that in Fram's case, WMF {{tq|did send more than one of those}} conduct warnings to Fram prior to the one-year ban. Fram responds asking Jan to confirm if the alleged misconduct was only on-wiki.
- STATEMENT (17 June) Fram publishes part of the email for his first conduct warning in April 2018, stating that it is from Kalliope of WMF. It is reposted here. {{tq| I have not seen you literally threatening other contributors. But ... the sum of your activity ... having a similar effect to that of a threat ... From what I've seen, you are very good at spotting problematic edits and editing patterns; the issue is with the way and the perseverance with which you appear to approach the editors responsible for them. In many cases, even if your concerns have been valid, their raising has been done with a degree of abruptness, repetition, scrutiny and persistence that feels like hounding to the person on the receiving end, and causes them to abandon the project or limit their contributions. }}
- STATEMENT (17 June to 19 June) - Fram responds to a suggested resolution by Newyorkbrad, which having over 100 votes so far, is the most voted proposal on WP:FRAM thus far. The ratio for support versus oppose was around 3:1 considering the first 100 such votes.
- DISCUSSION (19 June) Carcharoth and Someguy1221 highlight concerns with how the WMF handled an incident [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2019-June/092826.html] [https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2019-June/092836.html] with Wikimedia Belgium. Geertivp, chair of Wikimedia Belgium, gives a statement [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=902738297] requesting that this specific conflict not be discussed because {{tq|lot of important details are missing, are single-sided interpretations, or even completely wrong.}}
- UPDATE (20 June) WMF Board member Doc James [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Doc_James&diff=prev&oldid=902689453 says] that {{tq|the board is still working on this. No, there is no timeline for the statement}} by the Board on this matter.
- STATEMENT (21 June) WMF's Jan offers an update: {{tq|the community does not and cannot have all the facts of this case}}.
- UPDATE (22 June) ArbCom member Opabinia says [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=903007928] some ArbCom members did have a {{tq|dialogue}} with T&S, and that ArbCom is {{tq|still digesting and considering followup.}}
- STATISTIC - as of 03:47, 23 June 2019 (UTC), over 400 editors have posted at WP:FRAM, which has racked up over 110,000 views (for current statistics, click [https://xtools.wmflabs.org/articleinfo/en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram here]. Over 100 editors have made a statement on the request for arbitration on the reversal of office actions and related matters.
- STATEMENTS (24 June and 25 June) ArbCom member Joe Roe says [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case&diff=903244610&oldid=903238869] [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Fram&oldid=19169995#ArbCom] WMF told ArbCom {{tq|there is additional, private and off-wiki information}} which is {{tq|relevant to the ban}} of Fram, {{tq|ArbCom doesn't have all of it}}, and WMF {{TQ|do not consider the ban, as an office action, to be overturnable by ArbCom}}. ArbCom member Premeditated Chaos says [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=903483048]: {{tq|I want to clearly state that the Arbitration Committee has no more information about the details behind Fram's ban than anyone else.}}
- ACTION (24 June) Bureaucrat Xeno changes Wikipedia:Office actions from a community policy page to an information page, citing that the changes of February 2019 are not {{tq|community-endorsed in its entirety}}. Then, an RfC was started on this decision.
- ACTIONS (25 June to 26 June) Bureaucrat WJBscribe restores Fram's adminship, but does not oppose a reversal as wheel warring. Bureaucrat Primefac closes the discussion, declaring that the action should be reversed. Bureaucrat Maxim endorses Primefac's close and removes Fram's adminship. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:UserRights/Fram] Moe Epsilon requests the recall of WJBScribe for his recent action. [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=903490386] With the overturning of their actions, WJBScribe resigns.
- ACTIONS (27 June) Admin Jehochman lodges a case request with ArbCom against Fram, after announcing on 25 June that evidence of Fram having committed harassment was found. Jehochman provided public evidence on 27 June. ArbCom declined to take up the case, with 7 Arbs opposing.
- MEDIA COVERAGE (27 June) The first known media article on this issue is published by Joseph Bernstein in Buzzfeed News under [https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/wikipedia-ban-editor-culture-war The Culture War Has Finally Come For Wikipedia]. Within that article, Bernstein quotes that WMF made a statement to him in which it said Fram's ban was meant {{tq|to maintain "respect and civility" on the platform. "Uncivil behavior, including harassment, threats, stalking, spamming, or vandalism, is against our Terms of Use, which are applicable to anyone who edits on our projects,"}} On his Twitter account, Bernstein hypes his article on Wikipedia once, then posts links to the published article three times [http://archive.is/6JdXW]. (according to WP:RSP, there {{red|is consensus that BuzzFeed News is generally reliable}} as a source on en.WP)
- OFF-WIKI STATEMENTS (27 June) Katherine Maher, WMF CEO and executive director, tweets [http://archive.is/IXMUU]: {{tq|When you have to retweet your shitty pseudo-thinkpiece three times because no one cares.}} Some Twitter accounts who like the post are: (1) Joe Sutherland @jrbsu {{tq|Trust & Safety @Wikimedia/@Wikipedia.}}, (2) jdforrester @jdforrester {{tq|Coder @Wikimedia}} and (3) Gregory Varnum @GregVarnum {{tq|Advocate / policy wonk / tech geek / @Wikimedia Foundation employee}}.
Meanwhile, a fourth liker (4) Joseph Seddon @JosephSeddon is a {{tq|Free Knowledge advocate}}Seddon has since reversed the like with [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=903821366&oldid=903821339 this] comment. - OFF-WIKI STATEMENTS (27 June to 28 June) Katherine Maher tweets responses: (1) {{tq|This wasn’t even meant to be something that rose to the level of Wikidrama}} [https://twitter.com/krmaher/status/1144475969337454601] (2) {{tq|This tweet was not a comment on the gravity of concerns of English Wikipedians.}} [https://twitter.com/krmaher/status/1144487938341736448] (3) {{tq|it wasn’t about a specific author or article.}} [https://twitter.com/krmaher/status/1144499320697151489] (4) {{tq|This was not a directed comment. The world is full of bad takes, and bad take pushers. It is a good thing when people start tuning them out in favor of critical information, challenging opinions, and informed debate.}} [https://twitter.com/krmaher/status/1144507921344032768][http://archive.is/eYcKs].
- ACTIONS (28 June) starship.paint is indef-blocked by TonyBallioni for "{{tq|Cross-wiki harassment of WMF staffers after being warned on the inappropriateness of similar actions}}", [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AStarship.paint&type=revision&diff=903876846&oldid=903872117 here]. (The referenced activity was directly related to Fram's ban.) Later that day, they are unblocked by User:Geni, [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Starship.paint&diff=903921566&oldid=903919407 here]. Ongoing discussion here. TonyBallioni requests Geni's resignation [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Geni#Please_resign here]. Govindaharihari iniatiates [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests#User:TonyBallioni's_block_of_User:Starship.paint_and_User:Geni's_unblock an arbitration request] over the confusion created by the apparent {{tq|admin warring}}. {{noping|Starship.paint}} decides to step away from the project.
- STATEMENTS (28 June): User:Doc_James, one of the Community Selected Members on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, posted an [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=903911397&oldid=903911307 update] stating that {{tq|The board is working on a statement.}} and {{tq|With respect to a timeline we should have a statement within a week.}}
- MEDIA COVERAGE (28 June) Another piece about the affair is published by Breitbart News, by an anonymous former banned Wikipedian writing as T.D. Adler. The piece covers material already reported on earlier by Buzzfeed News.
- STATEMENTS (28 June): User:Katherine (WMF) posts a response on-wiki for the first time, on her talk page. The {{tq|tweet wasn't really meant to be about the BuzzFeed article}}. The article {{tq|accurately covers the situation in the community and the anger or frustration}} but {{tq|the way it handled reporting on the alleged targets of harassment was objectionable}}. {{tq|The Foundation communications team has been in touch with the Buzzfeed editors ...}}. Maher has {{tq|been closely monitoring what’s been going on here on en-wiki}}. Her goal {{tq| is to find a path to de-escalate the current situation and build better, lasting solutions to the issues of harassment}} which {{tq|means consulting with the enWP community to address your articulated concerns about our respective roles and community processes, identifying some clear next steps to resolve some of the current concerns, and consulting on how we can work together to strengthen community self-governance while also cultivating a respectful editing environment that safeguards everyone in the community}}. Maher made many responses to follow up comments by editors on her talk page, and in one response she noted that {{tq| there is likely a role for ArbCom in the immediate case}} but refrained from making any promises as she can't speak for other parties involved (it was Friday night).
- ACTION (28 June): The mainspace-article Fram controversy is created, later merged to List of Wikipedia controversies.
- ACTION and STATEMENT (30 June): The Arbitration Committee sends an open letter to the WMF BoT. The letter is currently located [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram/Official_statements#ArbCom's_open_letter_to_the_BoT here] and the ArbCom invited discussion on it, currently located [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard/Archive_42#Open_letter_to_the_WMF_Board here]. The ArbCom finds that it {{tq|must conclude that T&S’ action is an attempt to extend the use of office actions into enforcing behavioural norms in local communities, an area conventionally left to community self-governance}}. It asks that {{tq|the WMF commits to leaving behavioural complaints pertaining solely to the English Wikipedia to established local processes.}} It also cautions -- {{tq|If we are unable to find a satisfactory resolution, at least four members of the committee have expressed the intention to resign.}} Jan Eissfeldt acknowledges receipt of the letter [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&diff=904225677&oldid=904224935]. Doc James acknowledges that all board members have received the letter [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk%3AWikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees&type=revision&diff=19179422&oldid=19179085].
- THE SIGNPOST (30 June): A special report by the The Signpost, titled Did Fram harass other editors?, says at least nine editors claim to have experienced/witnessed harrassment by Fram. Five of them complained to T&S or to ArbCom. The report also covered two past declined arbitration requests regarding Fram's behaviour in [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case&oldid=824688727#Fram February 2018], and in [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case&oldid=746359373#Fram October 2016]. Fram responds to the article [https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Fram#The_next_Signpost here]. User {{noping|Haukur}} creates a new post at ANI over the use of anonymous sources in the report, and then launches a full arbitration request following the discussion there. Jehochman speedily deletes the page and urges colleagues not to restore it before the ArbCom issues a ruling. [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case&diff=prev&oldid=904330552&diffmode=source Statement].
- STATEMENT (1 July): {{noping|Jimbo Wales}} says on his talkpage that the board met the previous day and will release a statement after achieving unanimity, adding-- {{tq|...overall I think people are going to be happy with the statement and with the things we are asking the WMF staff to do going forward.}} [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&curid=9870625&diff=904321621&oldid=904320063&diffmode=source#Upcoming Full Statement.]
- ACTIONS (1 July) Fram requests on Meta [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Fram&diff=19179846&oldid=19179281] that he be blocked on en.wiki so that he does not accidentally edit or post on en.wiki. Administrator Future Perfect at Sunrise [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Log&page=User%3AFram&type=block blocks] Fram until 10 June 2020.
- MEDIA COVERAGE (2 July): Slate publishes an article titled "[https://slate.com/technology/2019/07/wikipedia-fram-banning-editor-controversy.html Wikipedia’s 'Constitutional Crisis' Pits Community Against Foundation]"
- STATEMENT (2 July): Speaking on behalf of the board, User:Schiste and User:Doc James posted [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=904552644&oldid=904551569 a statement] stating that {{tq|...a safe and respectful environment is not only one of our five pillars, it will also allow for more diverse voices to join our communities, bringing new knowledge with them}} but {{tq|While we remain fully committed to this position, we also recognize the critical importance of allowing communities to be self-governing and for the movement, as a whole, to make high-level decisions}}, and calling for further discussion and collaboration between the community and the WMF before moving forwards, particularly {{tq|to improve our enforcement processes to deal with so-called "unblockables".}} Regarding the precipitating ban itself: {{tq|We support ArbCom reviewing this ban. We have asked T&S to work with the English Wikipedia ArbCom to review this case. We encourage Arbcom to assess the length and scope of Fram’s ban, based on the case materials that can be released to the committee. While the review is ongoing, Fram’s ban will remain in effect, although Arbcom and T&S may need ways to allow Fram to participate in the proceedings.}} It is also noted that none of the resignations from positions of power, such as adminship, are considered to be under a cloud, meaning that all resigned powers in relation to actions and sanctions involving the Fram incident (unless otherwise stated via community consensus) can be regained simply by a Bureaucrats' Noticeboard query rather than the full RFA procedure.
- STATEMENT (3 July): Jimbo Wales iterates and reiterates multiple times in no uncertain words on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram#Discussion_(board_statement) this section] of WP:FRAM that ArbCom have the authority to challenge and override T&S actions on Fram following their own processes. He gives his personal guarantee that T&S will not act against the board, ArbCom and the community decision on the matter. He stands by the community and fully backs ArbCom whatever they may decide. {{tq| ArbCom could overturn the ban. I will personally back ArbCom in whatever they decide. Any further action of this type from T&S will not happen without agreement from the community. There should be no fear here that T&S would defy the board, me, ArbCom, and the gathered best users in the community.}}
- STATEMENT (3 July): Katherine Maher releases a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Katherine_(WMF)#Response_on_behalf_of_the_Foundation statement on behalf of the Foundation] on her talk page. She regrets a lot of things. She apologises and acknowledges {{tq|that there are things that the Foundation could have handled better}}. {{tq|... the first application of a temporary ban on a contributor might have come as a shock, but it should never have been a surprise.}} ... {{tq| I am responsible for approving the ban. ... I should have been better prepared to step forward and be accountable. ... certainly, I would sit on my hands and not tweet. ... the Foundation has completed its preparation of the case materials it can release to the committee. ... Foundation staff have begun preparing for a dedicated community consultation on:}} {{red|four bullet points follow on things WMF are going to work together with community on.}}
- STATEMENT (5 July): In an Update from the Arbitration Committee, ArbCom confirm they now have the information from T&S, and that it is {{tq|sufficiently detailed and minimally redacted such that we can open a case on Fram}}. ArbCom seek input from the community on the balance of privacy vs. transparency, and that they will accept any additional evidence about Fram from the community.
- ACTION (5 July): WJBscribe's arbitration request is accepted under the title Reversion of office actions and resolved by motion. ArbCom advises the community that in recognition of the WMF's decision to not implement further sanctions against the admins involved, {{tq|and of the exceptional nature of the circumstances, the committee notes without comment this series of events ... Lack of sanctions under these exceptional circumstances should not set expectations around similar future actions.}}
- ACTION (5 July): The Arbitration Committee declines the User:TonyBallioni's block of User:Starship.paint and User:Geni's unblock arbitration request, with 5 Arbs opposing and 2 recusing.
- ACTION (6 July): {{noping|Gadfium}} becomes the first editor to request a resysop on 6 July and is granted the request on 7 July after the standard 24-hour hold for commentary. {{tq|With the statement from the board of trustees, Katherine talking to the community, and Arbcom confirming that they have sufficient information from T&S to open a case, I believe the situation has significantly changed. }}
- ACTION (6 July): The Arbitration Committee declines a second Fram arbitration request, with 6 Arbs opposing, saying that it is still premature.
- STATEMENT (8 July): Jimbo Wales says he's reasonably sure there are no legal issues involved in the Fram case. {{tq|... I don't necessarily hear about every little thing that happens, but to the best of my knowledge, this isn't a thing.}} [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&type=revision&diff=905306035&oldid=905297892&diffmode=source diff]
- ACTION (13 July): The Arbitration Committee declines the Disputed Signpost article arbitration request, with 4 Arbs opposing and 2 recusing.
- STATEMENT (15 July): User:Kbrown (WMF) posts an announcement of the forthcoming partial ban tool consultation at the village pump. WMF will release a draft before Wikimania and gather feedback both online and at Wikimania, which they will incorporate into the draft, then, launch the actual consultation on 1 September. {[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Village_pump_(policy)#Announcement_of_forthcoming_temporary_and_partial_ban_tool_consultation Read full announcement and participate in the discussion]}
- ACTION (22 July): User:Floquenbeam launches a Request for Adminship (RFA) via a self-nom. About WMF statement, {{tq| while I'm not thrilled with how far it went, I'm grudgingly accepting about how far it went.}} Continues, {{tq| I resigned until Fram could appeal their ban to ArbCom...}} and {{tq| I firmly believe I was one part of a chain of events that improved the WMF's response.}} Adds{{tq| I didn’t take reverting an office action lightly...}} On the contrary, {{tq|This was a well-considered action...}} -- Wikipedia:Requests for adminship/Floquenbeam 2. Ends on 29 July with 325 supports, 116 opposes, and 15 neutrals (74% support), and is sysoped on 2 August after a Bureaucrat chat.
- ACTION (24 July): The ArbCom opens the anticipated case on Fram. {{tq|The 70-page document is partially redacted, so the committee is not able to see the names of the complainants, nor their correspondence with T&S. The committee accepts that it should open a full case to investigate the interactions of Fram with other editors over this time period. The case will be held in camera, with a public decision posted at the end.}} The case proceedings is at Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Fram.
- STATEMENT (9 August) Arbitrator {{u|Worm That Turned}} answers a longstanding question about this case: “{{tq|The T&S document does include off-wiki information, but I have not seen any allegations of off-wiki abuse.}}” [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk%3AArbitration%2FRequests%2FCase%2FFram&type=revision&diff=910044528&oldid=910002484 diff]
- ACTION and STATEMENT (19 August): Fram posts the public summary of evidence passed to him by ArbCom and his replies to it, on his user talkpage at meta.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AFram&type=revision&diff=19310009&oldid=19302398 diff] ArbCom member Worm That Turned informs the community that he is about to do the same.[https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk%3AFram&type=revision&diff=19310009&oldid=19302398 diff]
- ACTION (5-18 September): The ArbCom began voting on the proposed final decision on the case, on 5 September. The following principles/facts/decisions of interest had been endorsed as of 18 September; however the committee was still debating on Fram's adminship status.
- :PP: Proposed principle; FOF: Proposed Finding of Fact; PR: Proposed remedies (last updated per [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Fram/Proposed_decision&oldid=916393945 this version])
- ;General
- :#The ArbCom rejects, on principle, the WMFOffice's attempt/right to take {{tq|broader supervisory role regarding on-wiki day-to-day user or administrator conduct.}} (PP2) The fact that an editor has "attacked" ArbCom or its members, isn't enough reason for WMFOffice to step in.(FOF13)
- :#{{tq|The views and feelings of editors who believe in good faith that they are being or have been harassed are to be respected and fully considered, whether or not it is ultimately concluded that harassment actually occurred. Because the word "harassment" spans a wide variety of types of behavior, and because this word as used off-wiki can carry serious legal and human-resources overtones, at times it may be better to describe allegedly problematic on-wiki behavior such as "wikihounding" with more specific terminology.}} (PP4)
- :#{{tq|If an administrator finds themself in repeated disagreement with another good-faith but allegedly problematic editor, or if other editors disagree with the administrator's actions regarding that editor, it may be better practice for the administrator to request input or review from others, such as by posting on the appropriate noticeboard, rather than continue to address the issue unilaterally.}} (PP6)
- :#{{tq|[A] lengthy site-ban will usually not be the appropriate sanction for on-wiki conduct by an experienced, good-faith contributor who has never previously been blocked at all.}} (PP7)
- :#An RfC will be initiated within the Arbitration space to discuss ways to improve the handling of on-wiki-harassment-related issues. (PR6)
- ;Specific
- :#{{tq|The Committee was not authorized to post, and therefore did not post to Fram or the community at large, the case materials provided by the Office or a summary of that evidence.}} (FOF7)
- :#The evidence provided by the community isn't enough to warrant siteban, nor does it amount to a misuse of administrative tools. (FOF8)
- :#The evidence (unredacted materials) provided by T&S shows {{tq|a pattern of borderline harassment against multiple individuals, through hounding the individuals and excessively highlighting their failures.}} (FOF10) The voter comments show a general consensus that the behaviour was uncivil, describable as wikihounding, but not {{tq|cut-and-dried "harrassment"}}, rather lying in the grey area that the community has historically found difficult to handle appropriately and effectively.
- :#There is no evidence of off-wiki misconduct in the evidence provided by T&S, the fact that surprised at least some in the committee. (FOF12)
- :#Fram's ban has been vacated. (PR1a:Unanimous) (Rationale: Ban wouldn't have been the result if the case had been brought to ArbCom in the first place.)
- :#Fram can go through an RfA upon their return, if they so choose. (PR2d:6-3-0 as of 18 Sept.) {{tq| [T]he committee takes over the decision to remove Fram's administrator tools. They may regain the administrative tools at any time via a successful request for adminship.}}
- ACTION (18 September): Fram is unblocked by the ArbCom member Worm That Turned "(Per [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Fram/Proposed_decision&curid=61351129&oldid=916370061 temporary injunction])" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Log?type=block&user=Worm+That+Turned&page=User%3AFram log]
- ACTION (21 September):The ArbCom case is closed without a noteworthy change from the summary listed above. [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Arbitration_Committee/Noticeboard&type=revision&diff=916994388&oldid=916484520&diffmode=source Clerk notice with a summary of enacted remedies]
- ACTION (26 September): Fram initiates an RFA, co-nominated by Iridescent, Xeno, Chowbok, Lourdes, and Fastily.
- ACTION (27 September): Fram [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=918197276&diffmode=source withdraws] after a little over a day, and the RFA is closed as unsuccessful (final count:108/122/14). Bureaucrat Xeno, the co-nominator and closer of the RFA resigns their adminship ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Xeno&type=revision&diff=918206009&oldid=918204851&diffmode=source subsequent conversation at their talk page]), is later resysoped on 26 December by self-request at BN following their election to ArbCom.
- ACTION and STATEMENT (21 November): The temporary and partial ban tool community consultation, launched as Office actions/Community consultation on partial and temporary office actions/09 2019 is [https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk%3AOffice_actions%2FCommunity_consultation_on_partial_and_temporary_office_actions%2F09_2019&type=revision&diff=19576066&oldid=19565520 closed]. According to the closing notice:
- :# WMFOffice will no longer use the partial or temporary office action bans.
- :# The staff will later work on making more transparent how well each project's self-governance is working with regard to upholding the ToU. The Office will retain a role in addressing individual problem users or specific content.
- :# The Foundation office action permanent and global bans will remain unappealable, as they are enacted after review from multiple people from T&S and legal, for reasons so serious that appeal wouldn't change the outcome nor would the issues resulting in such a ban resolve themselves with the passage of time.
- :# Details about reasons for individual office actions will never be disclosed. However, steps will be taken to make more transparent, office action policies, and behavioural standards against which such cases are evaluated.
- :# The office reserves complete power to deny the accused, the right to confront the accuser or see the evidence of wrongdoing that they are being charged with.
- :# The office will work on a framework to make it possible to work with the community self-governance bodies on reports that the office feels the local projects could handle themselves, provided there are no other constraints (such as legal) against doing so.
= Resignations =
- Total number of active admins: 521 Wikipedia:List of administrators/stat table
- Total number of admins with over 20 edits per month: 237 User:Sphilbrick/Admin stats one year limited
- {{noping|BU Rob13}} (90K edits, was semi-retired before WP:FRAM, then resigned adminship and retired: {{tq|I do not feel safe here}} (diff) due to actions by the community)
- :User has requested courtesy vanishing and is no longer active.
- {{noping|Ansh666}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|the whole WMF ban mess was the straw that broke the camel's back}})
- :Account no longer in use, now using {{noping|ansh.666}}
- {{noping|Nick}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|I'll re-collect it when the Wikimedia Foundation comes to its senses}}) Requested resysop, granted on 16 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=906578983&oldid=906546613#Requesting_Re-sysop_(Nick)]
- {{noping|TheDJ}} (resigned adminship and Interface Adminship: {{tq|I cannot support a community that undermines T&S.}}) (protest against community undermining T&S)
- {{noping|Jc86035}} (resigned template editorship: {{tq|in protest of the Wikimedia Foundation's inconsistent, opaque, oblivious and inadequate handling of user conduct issues}}) Requested restoration, granted on 27 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=908081205#User:Jc86035]
- {{noping|Gadfium}} (resigned adminship, {{tq|dispirited by the recent action of T&S, and even more so by their refusal to explain their action in any meaningful way, to provide any mechanism for an appeal, or to negotiate on a compromise}}) Requested resysop, granted on 7 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=905145733&oldid=905129615#Resysop_request_-_Gadfium]
- {{noping|Boing! said Zebedee}} (resigned adminship and global renamer: {{tq| I am not willing to serve Jan and the T&S team … under undisclosed new rules and under threat of unappealable sanctions should I (or those I interact with) violate those undisclosed rules, rather than serving the Wikipedia Community under its imperfect but transparent and accountable rules.}}) Requested resysop on a temporary basis, granted on 24 March 2020.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=next&oldid=947037958#Volunteering_to_help]
- {{noping|Kusma}} (resigned adminship, citing Gadfium and Boing) Requested resysop and granted on 8 September.
- {{noping|Dennis Brown}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|We are not subjects of the WMF ... you have to give us the same respect you demand for yourselves.}}) Subsequently retired from Wikipedia; {{tq|I'm done...}} [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Dennis_Brown&diff=904334800&oldid=904163456] Returned in December 2019.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?target=Dennis+Brown&namespace=all&tagfilter=&start=2019-07-01&end=2019-12-31&limit=500&title=Special%3AContributions] Requested resysop, granted on 27 January 2020.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=937760520#Resysop_request_(Dennis_Brown)]
- {{noping|Lectonar}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|Yeah....I handed in my bit too; somehow I can feel a change in the wind....community seems to matter less and less.}}) Requested resysop, granted on 30 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=908574249#Resysop_request_-_Lectonar]
- {{noping|GB fan}} (resigned adminship: no reason stated, but said {{tq|it is related}} to the events) Resysoped on 18 October 2019.
- {{noping|WJBscribe}} (resigned adminship and bureaucrat: {{tq|I note that my action has been overturned by other bureaucrats. In light of that action in the context of recent WMF actions (and failure to engage regarding them), and irrespective of the "recall" discussion started above, I neither wish to continue as an administrator or bureaucrat of this project, nor is it tenable for me to do so.}})
- {{noping|28bytes}} (resigned as bureaucrat, adminship, and global renamer: {{tq|There's not much to say that hasn't already been said better by others, so I'll spare everyone my own manifesto except to say there are a lot of good people who edit here, and I will miss working with you all very much}})
- {{noping|MSGJ}} (resigned adminship and interface adminship: {{tq|I have thought long and hard about this, but do not feel able to continue to contribute in the current environment. I had hoped it would be resolved satisfactorily by now, but this is looking increasingly unlikely. Please accept my resignation and remove the admin tools. Thank you and best wishes}}) Requested resysop, granted on 1 October.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=919199696#Request]
- {{noping|Floquenbeam}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|I am resigning my adminship to protest the contempt the WMF organization and CEO have for WP's volunteers}}) Requested resysop through an RFA self-nomination on 22 July stating {{tq|it's important to me (and, I think, to the community) that this be via RFA instead of just asking at WP:BN.}} RFA successful on 2 August following a bureaucrat chat.
- {{noping|Ad Orientem}} (resigned adminship: {{tq| The bottom line is that I have lost confidence in the WMF and the manner in which it interacts with the community here}}) Requested resysop, granted on 16 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=906546613&oldid=906543920#Requesting_Re-sysop_(Ad_Orientem)]
- {{noping|MikeLynch}} (resigned Sanskrit Wikipedia adminship and bureaucrat - now Sanskrit Wikipedia has no bureaucrats) {{tq|I would like to express my disappointment at the way the WMF has handled this matter so far}}
- {{noping|Beeblebrox}} (resigned adminship, checkuser, oversight: {{tq|I'm out unless and until the foundation repairs it's relationship with this community.}}) Requested resysop, granted on 28 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=908242579&oldid=908045422#Resysop_request:_Beeblebrox]
- {{noping|Jonathunder}} (resigned adminship: {{tq|Please remove my admin bit. I've said why on my user page. I think it's best I just go away for a while lest I say or do something rash.}}) Requested resysop, granted on 9 July.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=905427394&oldid=905426055#Resysop_request_-_Jonathunder]
- {{noping|DoRD}} (resigned adminship, checkuser, oversight:{{tq| ...the enwiki community is like the world's largest dysfunctional family, and I no longer wish to hold a position of responsibility here}}). Before that, (requests removal of oversight and check user rights.)
- {{noping|Deor}} (resigned adminship: Citing [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Boing!_said_Zebedee&diff=902975625&oldid=902972994&diffmode=source Boing! said Zebedee's resignation statement]) Resysoped on 10 December 2019 by self-request at BN.
- {{noping|Spartaz}} (resigned adminship:{{tq|... it's no big deal to give it up at a time when the WMF are sticking two fingers up To the community here. I simply don't want to use my free time helping to run a website so they can gather more donations for "stuff". }}) Resysoped on 21 December by self-request at BN.
- :;After Statement by the Board on July 2
- {{noping|Beetstra}} (resigned adminship): [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard#Desysop_request_-_Dirk_Beetstra Full statement] {{tq|...an utterly empty shell statement. ... When (if?) this resolves I will consider to ask it back, but currently it is of no use for me. WMF can do it by themselves in the meantime.}} Requested resysop and granted on 8 September.
- ::Previously, {{noping|Beetstra}} (13+ years, 162K+ edits, edit filter manager, administrator) and their anti-spam bot {{u|XLinkBot}} (as noted [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:XLinkBot/Settings&diff=903348472&oldid=889735748 here]) were on strike {{tq|Until the WMF has rescinded all their actions towards Fram and have handed over the material to be handled locally, I will not perform any volunteer actions in order to protect the content on en.wikipedia (if anythong needs to be done --> ask T&S by email)}})
- {{noping|Voice of Clam}} (resigned adminship and 3 month selfblock): [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Voice_of_Clam&diff=904611138&oldid=903745389 full statement] {{tq|1=I found the [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=904552644 Board's response] to the Fram affair disappointing to put it mildly...}} Requested resysop and granted on 25 October.
- {{noping|Xeno}}, bureaucrat, resigned adminship (after Fram's RFA was closed as unsuccessful).[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=918429528#Desysop_request_(Xeno)] Requested resysop, granted on 26 December.[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Bureaucrats%27_noticeboard&diff=prev&oldid=932465825#Resysop_request_(Xeno)].
=Retirements=
- {{noping|Bradv}} (25K edits, ArbCom clerk) (retired: {{tq|enough. Email me when the WMF takes steps to actually fix this place instead of destroy it.}}) (returned to active editing July 3, 2019)
- {{noping|The Rambling Man}} (200K edits, retired: {{tq|retiring until WMF provide suitable explanation for their behaviour}}) (Appears to have returned to active editing as of July 16, 2019.)
- {{noping|David J Wilson}} (8K edits, retired {{tq|One of the great things about volunteering is that when an organisation supposedly devoted to supporting you shows itself incapable of providing a level of support that you consider adequate, there are no adverse consequence from simply withdrawing your labour, which is what I am now doing.}} diff)
- {{noping|Yintan}} (68K edits, retired: {{tq|Wikipedia is now run by a Foundation that needs three weeks to come up with a kind of apology for their mistakes and a CEO who attacks impartial journalists on Twitter}} diff)
= Editors on strike =
- {{userlinks|EllenCT}} (6+ years, 8.7K+ edits) {{tq|I've decided to stop editing until this is resolved in a way that shows the Foundation is more interested in addressing the obvious out-in-the-open abuse instead of vindictive retribution towards your critics. [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=prev&oldid=903983685 diff]}}) (Stopped editing 29 June, resumed editing 4 July[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Katherine_(WMF)&diff=prev&oldid=904743014])
- {{userlinks|Davey2010}} (~9 years, 112.4K+ edits) {{tq|Until the WMF fix the mess they've created and seriously change their approach to things I shan't be editing any article.}} diff) (Stopped editing articles 29 June, resumed editing articles 5 July[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Boots_UK&diff=prev&oldid=904927932])
- {{userlinks|Reyk}} (~14 years, 26.5K+ edits) {{tq|I'm not doing any more mainspace work until we get a satisfying and credible answer to the question, "what the hell are the WMF up to?". diff}} (stopped editing mainspace 25 June, resumed editing mainspace 26 June,[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:List_of_long_marriages&diff=prev&oldid=903577186] resumed editing articles 4 July[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christel_Frese&diff=prev&oldid=904749132])
- {{userlinks|Pythoncoder}} (3+ years, 10.5K+ edits) {{tq|Effective immediately, I am ceasing all edits unrelated to the horrendous actions the WMF has taken against Fram and Floquenbeam. This applies until the crisis has been satisfactorily resolved. diff}} (stopped editing non WMF/Fram pages 12 June, ended strike 3 July[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Pythoncoder&diff=prev&oldid=904693422] and resumed editing shortly thereafter)
- {{userlinks|Sitush}} (12 years, 236.6K+ edits) {{tq|My only activity here will be in relation to Wikipedia:Community response to Wikimedia Foundation's ban of Fram until such time as the matter is resolved by either (a) clear and reasonable justification from the WMF for their actions relating to it, or (b) a reversal of those actions. I'm effectively withdrawing my efforts to build and improve this thing until then. I hope that others will, too. diff}} (stopped editing non WMF/Fram pages 11 June, resumed editing articles 27 June[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tomara_dynasty&diff=prev&oldid=903678519])
- {{userlinks|Winged Blades of Godric}} (~6 years, 34K+ edits) (Reported by The Signpost with this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Winged_Blades_of_Godric&diff=prev&oldid=901346541&diffmode=source diff]) {editing mainspace since 13 June, userpage reverted on 20.}
- {{userlinks|Wiae}} (12+ years, 78.6K+ edits) (Reported by The Signpost with this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Wiae&oldid=903030231 edit version])
- {{userlinks|Praxidicae}} (3+ years, 81.7K+ edits) (Reported by The Signpost with this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Praxidicae&diff=prev&oldid=903930334&diffmode=source diff]) {{tq|... no interest in helping a project that willfully allows and condones harassment, intimidation and stalking.}} (ended by 10 July)
- {{userlinks|Enigmaman}} (12+ years, 42.7K+ edits)(Reported by The Signpost with this [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Enigmaman&diff=901694183&oldid=895803938&diffmode=source diff])
- {{userlinks|Nishidani}} (12+ years,74k edits) {{tq|I have decided to not edit in content for a period commensurate with Fram's ban, . .not out of solidarity with F. Out of outrage for the WMF's kangaroo court encroachment.}} ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard/Incidents&diff=prev&oldid=904070373 diff]) {active in article talk pages}
- {{userlinks|Smeat75}} (7+ years, 12.8k edits) {{tq| I have not edited in article space since the day WMF blocked Fram and I don't plan to until the fiasco is satisfactorily resolved}} ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Jimbo_Wales&diff=prev&oldid=904343103 diff]) (Returned to editing by 4 July)
- {{u|Javert2113}} (2+ years, 6.9k edits) {{tq|Ending all article-space activity until this mess about Fram gets resolved correctly.}}([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User_talk:Javert2113&diff=next&oldid=904392442 diff]) (Ended following the closure of the case on 21 September.)
Subsequent to the WMF Board of Trustees statement:
- {{userlinks|Tazerdadog}} (7+ years, 9.8k edits) {{tq|I have no confidence in the WMF as a whole. I will not be contributing further outside of this dispute until this issue is satisfactorily resolved}} ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=prev&oldid=904557141 diff])
- {{userlinks|Carrite}} (~11 years, 78.1K+ edits) {{tq|I am 100% OUT on doing another site maintenance task of any type until this is resolved properly. This includes for me particularly New Page Patrolling, Articles for Deletion, RFA commentary, vandal revision (of which I do very, very little anyway), and notice board participation. I am not your unpaid intern, WMF.}} ([https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia:Community_response_to_the_Wikimedia_Foundation%27s_ban_of_Fram&diff=904595962&oldid=904595914 diff])
- {{userlinks|Chowbok}} (15+ years, 47K+ edits) {{tq|I learned about this late, but I don't work for bullies. I'll not be editing mainspace until this is satisfactorily resolved.}}
Table of relevant locations
{{User:Sphilbrick/Fram}}
{{reflist}}
Timeline transcluded from [[User:Seraphimblade/Draft petition to WMF]]
{{collapse top|another timeline of events}}
{{#section-h:User:Seraphimblade/Draft petition to WMF|Timeline of events}}
{{reflist-talk}}
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Swarm's summary
{{collapse top|no longer being updated}}
- WMF bans and desysops Fram, a WP:MOSTACTIVE user and admin who retains the enwiki community mandate, without warning or explanation.
- Community begs for an explantion, WMF refuses to provide one.
- The community gets pissed, starts speculating about corruption being behind it.
- WMF responds from a faceless role account with meaningless legalese that doesn't say anything.
- Fram reveals that it's a civility block following intervention on behalf of User:LauraHale, a user with ties to the WMF Chair.
- Community is so united in its rebuke of the WMF that an admin unblocks Fram in recognition of the community consensus.
- WMF reblocks Fram and desysops Floquenbeam (the unblocking admin), still without any good explanation.
- A second admin unblocks Fram. Consequences to be seen, but apparently will be fairly obvious.
- We start speculating about just how corrupt the WMF is, what behind the scenes biases and conflicts of interests led to this, and what little we can do against it. ~Swarm~ {sting} 09:22, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
- The WMF Chair, accused of a direct conflict of interest against Fram, responds, declaring {{tq|"... this is not my community ..."}}, and blaming the entire incident on sexism, referencing Gamergate. A user speculates that her sensationalist narrative will be run by the media above the community's concerns of corruption. ~Swarm~ {sting} 10:40, 12 June 2019 (UTC)
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