BLP Task Force

The BLP Task Force is a group of community members organized by Wikimedia's Volunteer Coordinator with the specific remit to determine the problems surrounding Biographies of Living Persons and to make strong recommendations as to actions to be taken in order to solve those problems.

The Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Resolution on Biographies of Living Persons, which can be found at Resolution:Biographies of living people, upholds and strengthens the Wikimedia Foundation's commitment to high quality, accurate information about the subject of biographies. In that vein I am suggesting a framework for the community to build upon the board's resolution and make substantive recommendations in order to carry out the resolution's spirit.

Working pages

The working pages here are listed in order as a roadmap.

The /Scope which includes the statement of the problem, and our remit/mission.

The /Ideas page. This is the blender where we brainstorm.

Our /Workshop. There place where the idea turns solid.

We will publish out /Findings here.

This is there our Draft Proposal of recommendations will be kept.

And once we are finshed, we will transmit a /Submitted Proposal.

What do we want from a *BLP task force*?

Here is a list of possible activities for the BLP Task Force:

• Achieve a consensus on what the challenges are for biographies
  • Defining which class(es) of articles should be considered to be BLPs, noting that many articles have at least some connection to a Living Person.
• Make recommendations for technical changes to implement in accordance with those challenges
• Make recommendations for cultural changes to influence and actionable ways in to meet those challenges
• Advise on strategies for interacting with subjects of biographies
  • Defining the usual roadmaps of our OTRS correspondence
• Advise to the Board of Directors on resolutions or other actions they should take in order to facilitate changes that meet the challenges
• Make recommendations to Wikimedia staff on strategies to meet the challenges
• Work in conjunction with potentially related Strategic Plan project groups

The BLP Task Force should not be encumbered with fixing individual biographies, but to determine the issues surrounding BLP. Initial focus of the BLP task force will be the English Wikipedia, although this will expand to include other language projects later.

Recommended timeline of the BLP Task Force

It is recommended that the BLP Task Force operate from September 15 to December 15.

Members of the BLP task force

Members:

1. Gnangarra
2. Jennavecia
3. Kevin
4. KillerChihuahua
5. Philosopher
6. Sam Blacketer
7. Shirulashem

Advisory members:

1. Geni
2. Keegan
3. Nonvocalscream
4. NewYorkBrad

Coordinator:

1. Bastique (Cary Bass)