[sorry for cross-posting]
Hello everyone.
Thanks Romaine for bringing up this issue, because it's good
to talk these kind of things together with the whole
community. It's a way to improve collaboration, I hope.
Yes, this year WLM and FR will split banners in Semptember: we
reached an agreement in which
* 1-7 September: everyone see a WLM banner
* 8-22 September: everyone see a fundraising banner
* 23-30 September: the traffic will be split 50/50 between
the WLM campaign and the fundraising campaign. (50% of readers
will see a fundraising banner and 50% will see the WLM
campaign.)
We asked also a bigger percentage of visibility during the
last 2-3 days of September, as they are very important days in
terms of number of photo uploads: we'll see if we manage to
find an agreement also there.
I'd like to declare that the conversation with the
fundraising team have been nothing less than polite and
contructive: at the same time, there *is* a "banner conflict",
and we will both suffer from this.
Last year (WLM 2014) we had the same problem, but in the
end FR decided to leave us the banner for the whole September,
but the final days.
This year the conflict is on the whole month of September,
and WLM in Italy will definitely suffer (as it does also in
normal conditions ;-).
This is a pity because:
* FR decided to use September months ago, and they are now
in a rush and cannot really change their plans
* WMIT decided to run WLM on September months ago as well,
as it has done for the past 4 years. WMIT also declared his
plans on WLM in the FDC appplication, reviewed in May. Knowing
also that last year there was the same issue, it's fair to
say, I hope, that from WMIT part there was no lack of
communication.
I agree with Maarten that, in the end, it's WMF decision
the one that counts.
This is why we were firm in stating our position but did not
put up a fight (or a scene). We manage to reach a more
favorable agreement for WLM (we asked for the first and last
week of September, as they are in our opinion the most
important).
What we plan to do now is discussing the issue also with
the Funds Dissemination Committee, as it will impact our
goals and figures and metrics. Moreover, we do have sponsors
in Italy for WLM, and it will not be easy to explain them if
numbers drop dramatically.
Lorenzo will explain to you what WLM means in terms of
organization and management in Italy.
Of course, this is the last time this problem has to
happen. If the WMF is committed in running the FR banner in
September in Italy (it seems it's the most favorable month),
WMIT will have to change WLM and run it in October. I don't
see other solutions.
I hope this mail cleared a bit the situation.
Cheers
Andrea Zanni
Wikimedia Italia