🚨Wikipedia Editors Threaten Strike Over WMF Layoffs
Volunteers may walk out over layoffs and union concerns
TL;DR
Over 700 prolific Wikipedia editors are threatening to go on strike after the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) dissolved a team of engineers. The Community Tech team, which developed tools for contributors, was disbanded, leading to anger among volunteers who suspect ulterior motives behind the move.
Hundreds of prolific Wikipedia editors are threatening to go on strike over the Wikimedia Foundation's decision to dissolve its Community Tech team, affecting five engineers and one manager. This development is significant because it could disrupt the volunteer community that maintains and updates Wikipedia daily, potentially leading to vandalism going unchecked and breaking news articles not being created during a strike. The WMF claims this restructuring aims to ensure volunteer requests are fulfilled by multiple teams with expertise in different areas but acknowledges frequent bottlenecks and delays under the centralized team model.
Key Points
Over 700 prolific Wikipedia editors have signed a petition in solidarity with the union, willing to engage in collective action if necessary.
The Wikimedia Foundation disbanded its Community Tech team of five engineers and one manager, affecting tools like plagiarism detectors and dark mode.
Jimmy Wales argued with contributors on discussion pages but did not ease concerns about volunteer needs being met by centralized teams.
Some volunteers suspect an ulterior motive behind the layoffs, citing recent unionization efforts as a possible factor.
The restructuring aims to distribute Community Tech work among multiple teams, though no other roles are found for the team members, they will be laid off next month.
Why It Matters
If you're a Wikipedia editor or rely on its content daily, this is a major concern. The dissolution of the Community Tech team could lead to delays in fulfilling volunteer requests and may disrupt daily operations if editors follow through with their threats to strike. Pages might go blank or become outdated quickly without regular updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this matter?
If you're a Wikipedia editor or rely on its content daily, this is a major concern. The dissolution of the Community Tech team could lead to delays in fulfilling volunteer requests and may disrupt daily operations if editors follow through with their threats to strike. Pages might go blank or become outdated quickly without regular updates.
What happened?
Over 700 prolific Wikipedia editors are threatening to go on strike after the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) dissolved a team of engineers. The Community Tech team, which developed tools for contributors, was disbanded, leading to anger among volunteers who suspect ulterior motives behind the move.
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