Are democratic User Groups More Inclusive?

Reda Benkhadra Al Akhawayn University & Wikimedia Morocco, m.benkhadra@aui.ma User groups form an important part of the Wikimedia movement and ecosystem. They gather a big number of free knowledge enthusiasts both online and offline, having either a shared geographical location or thematic interest, or both. At their creation, these structures and their volunteer founders did not receive any formal introduction nor guidelines on ways of working. Governance of these groups lies then between the hands of their founders, who can have different proceeding methods and approaches, depending on their background and vision. In the past, several conflicts related to user group management have occurred, where words such as “transparency” and “democracy” were mentioned as solutions to the current gaps and lack of inclusivity in the groups. The current paper intends to investigate the veracity of this claim, through detailing and understanding the concept of democracy, most specifically in digital online communities, such as Wikimedia volunteer user groups. Since the question remains open, the paper’s addition is the elements provided to enrich the discussion, highlighting the concerns raised in different communities.