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Policies/en/Use-of-the-Platform-for-Advocacy

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This is a draft version. Source: adapted notably from the Wikimedia Foundation Governance Wiki, https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Use_of_Wikimedia_sites_for_advocacy_purposes (CC BY-SA 4.0), with changes. Status: proposal, to be adopted. See the detailed disclaimer.

In simple words: sometimes a community wants to use the platform itself (a banner at the top of pages, a changed logo, or even a temporary blackout) to defend a cause or alert the public about something happening outside the platform. This page proposes the rules: community approval first, time limits, no support for candidates or political parties, and advance notice to the hosting foundation.

Use of the Platform for advocacy purposes

Purpose

The communities of the WikiDeal Markets and Portals (collectively, "the Platform") and the Ynternet.org Foundation may sometimes wish to use the Platform to call attention to an issue or take a position in a way that is visible to all visitors (including readers who are not logged into an account). These actions usually take the form of a banner, a blackout, or a temporary change to a logo. This policy describes the procedures that would be necessary to approve such actions, and the rules the actions would have to follow.

Scope

This policy applies to the use of Platform website assets for the purpose of advocacy about external topics.

Platform website assets are all the parts of the Platform pages that are not directly related to content, such as the header and footer, sidebar, and logo. These are the primary ways that website assets could be used for advocacy:

  • Banners: temporary notices displayed at the top of pages. Banners can be used for many purposes, including promoting events, promoting contribution campaigns, and fundraising.
  • Logo changes: temporary alteration of the logo displayed at the top of pages. Logo changes are most commonly used to commemorate milestones (anniversaries, number of contracts or templates) or to commemorate holidays.
  • Blackouts: replacing or obscuring content with an important notice. These usually relate to significant legislative or political developments, and usually prompt readers to take action.

Content itself (contract templates, documentation, governance pages) is not within scope of this policy. Editorial decisions about what is appropriate to include on content pages would be governed by the policies of each Market or Portal.

Advocacy is the attempt to influence public policy or public opinion on a topic. Raising awareness about an issue, soliciting support for an aid organization, and supporting or opposing legislation are all types of advocacy.

An external topic is one that is not confined to the Platform and its spaces. Some examples:

Internal External
Asking for input on a proposed change to a Platform licensing policy Asking readers to contact their government representatives about a proposed change to contract or copyright law
Soliciting donations to the hosting foundation for the Platform Soliciting donations to an unrelated charity
Commemorating a Platform anniversary or content milestone Commemorating a national holiday
Asking users to vote in a Platform governance election Asking readers to vote in their local election
Promoting a WikiDeal community event or working session Promoting an unrelated local cultural event

Requirements, restrictions, and guidelines

General

  1. Communities would use their standard processes for obtaining consensus approval in order to use Platform website assets for the purpose of advocacy about external topics.
  2. Supporting or opposing a candidate for public office, or a political party, is not permitted.

Banners

  1. All banners containing advocacy about external topics would use the central banner system of the Platform and comply with its usage guidelines.
  2. Advocacy banners may initially run for at most 31 days. This duration may be extended by additional periods of up to 31 days, but only if it receives renewed community consensus approval.
  3. Please notify the Ynternet.org Foundation by emailing info@wikideal.net at least 21 days in advance of running an advocacy banner.

Logo changes

  1. Logos may only be changed temporarily to commemorate internal milestones or to commemorate holidays.
  2. Communities should avoid using logo changes to commemorate holidays that are primarily religious or political (such as national days).
  3. Logo designs should avoid deliberately referencing national flags or other symbols that represent a political organization (such as a government or political party).
  4. Logo changes may last for at most 31 days.
  5. Any changes to logos would have to comply with the trademark policy (under construction).

Blackouts

  1. Blackouts may last no longer than 48 hours.
  2. Please notify the Ynternet.org Foundation of any planned blackouts by emailing info@wikideal.net.

See also

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