Like many, I've been following this saga closely. It has ramifications not just for Stack Exchange, but for other Q &A and forum sites as well in regards to how cultural issues should be addressed and responded to. In this case, it's clear this was handled very poorly in more ways than one.
Given the enormous outpouring of support and backlash, I'd like to suggest that you take it a step further and hire an attorney who specializes in labor or civil law. That might seem extreme, but I think it could help to serve as a landmark case that could set precedence for others to come, and in any case would help to establish facts that otherwise will surely remain locked behind closed doors.
I think labor law applies here because although you weren't technically being "paid", you were conducting work for the organization and representing it as evident by your moderator agreement, which establishes terms for that representation which you were obligated to abide by, and which gave them the authority to terminate that representation. You were also accruing "reputation points" which can be used like currency on the site, such as adding bounties, downvoting, etc… and how different is that from virtual currency like Bitcoin, or even stock which allows one to vote in corporate shareholder meetings.
Clearly the actions taken by the organization not only impacted your reputation on the site, but publicly since they gave quotes to the press about your alleged behavior. This unwelcome notoriety could impact your ability to earn a living if employees came to view you as a "troublemaker" or someone who was unwilling to accept policy decisions, thus impacting your ability to earn a living.
It's also evident that this organization seems poised to assert their power over its users, which have similarly invested a good chunk of their lives into, and their cumulative work is paying for the operating costs, salaries, and future profits for the organization's investors.
So although it would seem not to be a legal dispute, it very much does involve labor, earnings, and profit. If a corporation is focused on paying dividends, the most effective way to impact their policy is to demonstrate legally that they're jeopardizing this through poor management decisions and policy mishandling.
If you explained to the community why were you pursuing this course of action, I strongly believe they'll continue to back you. They have become aware that this is not just about inclusivity, but about the bottom line. And you don't have to seek a monetary judgement if you don't want to (or you could donate it to a worthy cause).
Note that I'm not lawyer, just a fellow user who "reviewed" the situation and found it very unsatisfactory and unfair. It appears to me that you seem very capable of standing up not just for yourself, but for others too. I believe taking this to the next level will not only help the community at large, but minorities who likely feel they'll be targeted now as part of that backlash.
That is of course easier to suggest than to do :-) Regardless, I wish you the very best, and hope that in the future you'll be able to look back and say, "Wow, that was totally nuts, but I'm glad I went through it, wasn't defeated, and came out stronger in end." IMHO, you can already hold your head high, and it's just a decision as to whether you see this as an opportunity for a cause worth fighting for, or something you need to move on from for your own well-being. Either would be very understandable. Best of luck!
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Consider taking this a step further...
Date: 2019-10-06 11:01 pm (UTC)Given the enormous outpouring of support and backlash, I'd like to suggest that you take it a step further and hire an attorney who specializes in labor or civil law. That might seem extreme, but I think it could help to serve as a landmark case that could set precedence for others to come, and in any case would help to establish facts that otherwise will surely remain locked behind closed doors.
I think labor law applies here because although you weren't technically being "paid", you were conducting work for the organization and representing it as evident by your moderator agreement, which establishes terms for that representation which you were obligated to abide by, and which gave them the authority to terminate that representation. You were also accruing "reputation points" which can be used like currency on the site, such as adding bounties, downvoting, etc… and how different is that from virtual currency like Bitcoin, or even stock which allows one to vote in corporate shareholder meetings.
Clearly the actions taken by the organization not only impacted your reputation on the site, but publicly since they gave quotes to the press about your alleged behavior. This unwelcome notoriety could impact your ability to earn a living if employees came to view you as a "troublemaker" or someone who was unwilling to accept policy decisions, thus impacting your ability to earn a living.
It's also evident that this organization seems poised to assert their power over its users, which have similarly invested a good chunk of their lives into, and their cumulative work is paying for the operating costs, salaries, and future profits for the organization's investors.
So although it would seem not to be a legal dispute, it very much does involve labor, earnings, and profit. If a corporation is focused on paying dividends, the most effective way to impact their policy is to demonstrate legally that they're jeopardizing this through poor management decisions and policy mishandling.
If you explained to the community why were you pursuing this course of action, I strongly believe they'll continue to back you. They have become aware that this is not just about inclusivity, but about the bottom line. And you don't have to seek a monetary judgement if you don't want to (or you could donate it to a worthy cause).
Note that I'm not lawyer, just a fellow user who "reviewed" the situation and found it very unsatisfactory and unfair. It appears to me that you seem very capable of standing up not just for yourself, but for others too. I believe taking this to the next level will not only help the community at large, but minorities who likely feel they'll be targeted now as part of that backlash.
That is of course easier to suggest than to do :-) Regardless, I wish you the very best, and hope that in the future you'll be able to look back and say, "Wow, that was totally nuts, but I'm glad I went through it, wasn't defeated, and came out stronger in end." IMHO, you can already hold your head high, and it's just a decision as to whether you see this as an opportunity for a cause worth fighting for, or something you need to move on from for your own well-being. Either would be very understandable. Best of luck!