Hi All,
The core problem (as several times before) seems to me that all these broad discussions are held AFTER things went wrong or a specific meta decision got out of hand.
Obviously the current transparency of or even the current decision-making process in its entirety isn't appropiate (anymore) for a movement of such global variety and plurality.
The BoT is basically paralysed and most probably overstrained, because e.g. for the sake of the rules of the current construct the relevant power play decisions must stay non public, not to speak of possible hidden interests which can conveniently sneak in. And as the icing of the cake a person asking the wrong questions can easily be removed as a board member.
As much as I care basically more about the subject-oriented debates and the discourse about the balanced appreciations of values I more and more convinced that a critical review of the core decision-making processes become necessary. Not as an end to itself, but to openly rethink the ways how power and responsibilty in a global, pluralistic movement should be organized. A movement with the kernel project of an encyclopedia still being the biggest role model for the idea of an open and free knowledge based internet (which not necessarily was to follow all the tech and social media trends relevant to a more commercially oriented platform-monoculture internet)
It's true, we have to change. But maybe the whys and the hows of change should be discussed and decided more broadly, more democratically represented as in the current structure. And especially BEFORE the paths are already written in stone and the horses have bolted.
Best regards Jens Best
2016-02-22 17:03 GMT+01:00 Anthony Cole ahcoleecu@gmail.com:
I found this response interesting. It highlights the imbalance we, on the outside, are having to deal with. It is OK for anyone to criticize the ED on this list and elsewhere but if she says something that implies shortcomings on the part of one or more of her staff or former staff - and if WMF had problems when she arrived at least some of them were staff problems - it is used as proof she's "literally Hitler".
None of us on the outside knows who's Hitler here. And I guess we never will. Sorry, but the volunteers who actually write and run Wikipedia can't just believe either of you.
Does anyone know when the board is meeting (has it met) to resolve this? I don't want them to rush a poorly thought-through decision but, after a while, inaction in a human crisis like this becomes negligent abuse. On 22 Feb 2016 10:53 pm, "Giuseppe Lavagetto" glavagetto@wikimedia.org wrote:
Dear Lila,
I woke up this morning and as usual I went for my WMF email with my
coffee.
I woke up to read my ED implying that the employee discontent[1] was due to, amongst other things:
We’ve asked for adjustment in attitude towards work, our
responsibilities and professional relationships.
We prioritised impact and performance so that we can provide more value
to our communities and the world.
Now, one easy way to read this, the most obvious one, is that the attitude towards work of the WMF employees was somewhat not right or unprofessional, and that we were lazy and not goal-driven.
I would find this inappropriate in an internal email, but you went to state that in public, and I have to admit I find this is deeply offending on a personal and professional level.
I restrained from expressing publicly any issues I might have with your own performance; I would love you to not spread covert allegations on my performace and professional attitude (not specifically, but well, I'm part of the staff here right?).
For the first time in the two years since I joined the WMF I felt a sour taste in my mouth for just sitting down to work.
Deeply sad,
Giuseppe [1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-01-06/News_a...
"WMF Staff morale"
Giuseppe Lavagetto Senior Technical Operations Engineer, Wikimedia Foundation
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