[Foundation-l] Concern with performance issues

[Ray Saintonge]

David Gerard wrote:

>Robert Scott Horning (robert_horning at netzero.net) [050117 22:56]:
>  
>
>>  I've also been involved in other 
>>volunteer organizations (political, social, and youth groups) and the 
>>need to keep the volunteers happy should never be underestimated.  The 
>>fickle thing about volunteers is that if they don't like what is going 
>>on, they will leave quietly... often without the leaders or those "at 
>>the top" even being able to percieve that there is a problem.  If you 
>>hire somebody in any role (developer, PR work, accounting, etc.), you 
>>have to make sure that individual is committed to the goals of the 
>>organization, and if possible would be a volunteer if they would not get 
>>paid for their work.  This is true for Wikipedia as it is for the Red Cross.
>>    
>>
>I have considerable experience in managing volunteers (both as a volunteer
>and being paid to manage them). One question I'd like a better answer to is
>how to keep volunteers from each others' throats better ... en: is large
>enough to be qualitatively different from any other wiki, anywhere, ever.
>
:-D Let's face it, we're in uncharted territory.  The number of 
volunteers is huge, and each one has considerably more power than a 
volunteer in most much smaller organizations.  Many have strongly 
opposing (usually sincere) views of what is right, and are totally 
convinced that any other position is idiotic. Even our management 
philosophies are radically different, running the entire range from 
laissez-faire permissiveness to literal totalitarian strictness.

With apologies for this note of pessimism -- Good luck!

Ec