Well, you could always do a nominal membership contribution, like a penny,
or sponsorships for those who wish to join but don't have the money. Since
WMF makes its money primarily from donations, there's really no need for it
to actually sustain itself from membership fees.
So far as requiring non-pseudonymous membership, I don't think there's any
requirement that such member lists be made public. So it would work a lot
like functionaries giving their information for the private access policy;
they are required to verify their identity, but that will be held privately
and not available to the public. So for all intents and purposes,
pseudonymous membership would still be possible.
Todd
On Thu, Oct 8, 2020 at 11:46 AM Risker <risker.wp(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Without needing to go into further detail, it is
because to be a membership
organization, pseudonyms aren't acceptable; all members must provide their
full legal names and addresses. I also cannot think of a membership
organization that does not charge a membership fee, although I suppose it
is possible; but anything requiring a financial contribution would limit
the membership to those who have the money to pay to join, which is
antithetical to the movement's philosophy.
Risker/Anne
On Thu, 8 Oct 2020 at 13:41, Todd Allen <toddmallen(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Why would we "not want it to be a membership
organization"? In fact, many
of us want exactly that, since the WMF seems to think it can lord it over
the communities instead of fulfilling its role of serving them.
The new Board rules basically say that the Board itself gets to say how
the
community-based members are selected, instead of
having actual bylaws as
to
how it happens. I'd like to see it done very
simply: Those eight seats
(forming a majority) on the Board should be elected (not nominated,
elected) by the community, with the Board having no veto power over the
results of the election.
Todd
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 12:45 PM Brad Patrick <bradp.wmf(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
This is a very, very old and tired argument. If
you do not understand
United States non-profit corporations, go educate yourself about those
first. If your perspective is non-US based, you may have a different
frame
of mind which is irreconcilable with the way WMF
is. Take all the time
you
need to see the differences before attacking WMF
for (a) what it is and
(b)
> why it isn't what you want it to be.
>
> WMF exists legally, and has as its foundation organizational principle,
> authority vested in a Board. WMF is not a membership organization. You
> would not want it to be a membership organization (as a matter of law).
>
> Please temper your criticism accordingly.
>
> Brad Patrick
> Former WMF General Counsel
>
> On 10/7/20, 12:47 PM, "Wikimedia-l on behalf of Paulo Santos Perneta"
<
wikimedia-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org on behalf of
paulosperneta(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I knew they are theoretically self-appointed, but was under the
impression
that at least until now an appearance of democracy and legitimacy
towards
the community has been respected, which no longer seems to be the
case.
I wonder what would be the legitimacy of a
self-appointing body in
the
> eyes
> of the Wikimedia Movement, and all the communities which are part
of
it?
Regards,
Paulo
Adam Wight <adam.wight(a)wikimedia.de> escreveu no dia quarta,
7/10/2020 à(s)
17:20:
> Greetings, this is a semiautomated response pointing out that the
> Wikimedia Foundation Board is not elected, it's self-appointing.
The
> so-called "elections" are in
fact nominations to be considered by
the
> > Board. Therefore, the Bylaws have not been broken.
> >
> > This is an unfortunate arrangement, please see [1] for some
> background
> > about the conversion from a membership organization to a
> non-membership
> > organization which is no longer legally required to hold
elections.
Regards,
Adam W.
[[mw:User:Adamw]]
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_membership_controversy
> >
> > On 10/7/20 5:55 PM, Paulo Santos Perneta wrote:
> > > The terms of 3 BoT members expired last month, and the BoT
itself
> decided
> > > to extend them? What is the legitimacy of that? And why is a
BoT
which is
> > expected to be in a mere interim management waiting for
elections,
>
presenting profound changes to its Bylaws [1]?
>
> [1] -
>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Octo…
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Paulo
> > >
> > > Nataliia Tymkiv <ntymkiv(a)wikimedia.org> escreveu no dia
quarta,
> > 7/10/2020
> > > à(s) 16:49:
> > >
> > >> Hello,
> > >>
> > >> I can answer a few of the questions raised in this thread.
> > >>
> > >> When the Board postponed the community selection of trustees,
we
> also
> > >> extended the terms of the trustees in the affected seats
(María
Sefidari,
>> Dariusz Jemielniak, and James Heilman)[1]. Their terms were
originally
> set
> >> to expire last month, but because of that term extension they
are
still
> >> serving as trustees, and as such María remains the Board Chair
and
> > Dariusz
> > >> and James continue on as Committee Chairs[2].
> > >>
> > >> Raju Narisetti and Esra'a Al Shafei have been reappointed to
the
Board
for
>> an additional three-year term[3][4].
>>
>> The current members of the Board of Trustees are listed on the
Wikimedia
> >> Foundation website[5].
> >>
> >> We do not currently have a shortage of trustees on the Board,
and
> we
> > have
> > >> had a quorum for every decision we have made this year. We
have
> > published
> > >> some outstanding Board records, many of which were just
approved
> at our
> > >> recent meeting in September[6][7].
> > >>
> > >> I have just sent an email to this list, as well as posted an
> update to
> > >> Meta-Wiki, with a request for feedback on matters related to
the
> > >> Foundation’s Bylaws and
trustee selection[8]. That
announcement
contains
>> more information about the postponed
community selection of
trustees.
>>
>> Best regards,
>>
>> antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
>>
>> Vice Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>>
>> [1]
>>
>>
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Postponement_of_Community_…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Board_Officers_and_Committ…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Renewing_Raju_Narisetti%27…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Renewing_Esra%27a_Al_Shafe…
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Octo…
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/July…
>
>>
> >> *NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your
normal
working
>> hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during
weekend.
You
>> should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off.
Thank you
in
>> advance!*
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 9:52 PM Bill Takatoshi <
billtakatoshi(a)gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> After I asked my questions on September 4, I was sent the
message
> > >>> below by some role account I've never heard of, asking
about
> claims
> > >>> that have used the names of five other people. I don't
edit
> under my
> > >>> real name, but I have never used the names in the linked
forum
>>> postings.
>>>
>>> The linked posts also claim that the Foundation's nonprofit
status is
> >>> at risk. I am not a lawyer, but I am skeptical of that claim
even
> >>> though five Trustees whose
three-year terms expired in August
> >>> apparently voted on a Resolution in a Board meeting on
September
24.
> >>> According to Section 4 of the Bylaws, "A quorum shall consist
of
a
> >>> majority of Trustees then in office." Section 6 says,
"the
Board
> may
> > >>> continue doing business as a Board during the vacancy of any
> Trustee
> > >>> position." Therefore, since four of the five remaining
Trustees
all
>>> voted in favor, the Resolution was
properly carried, in my
layperson's
> >>> view. I am less certain about the propriety of allowing a
Trustee
>>> whose three year term expired to continue to serve as Chair.
>>>
>>> The lack of any update or even ETA for an update on
>>>
>>>
>>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2020#Po…
> > >>> is baffling. Elections
have never been held in person, only
> online,
> > >>> and so the excuse that they were postponed because of the
> pandemic
> > >>> crisis seems extremely suspicious. Indefinitely delaying
> elections for
> > >>> such a vacuous reason makes the Foundation look like the
worst
> of the
> > >>> bad actors in today's international political climate.
Doesn't
the
> >>> cancelled travel of the pandemic crisis give the Foundation
more
> time
> > >>> to hold elections, not less? Whether non-profit status is at
> risk or
> > >>> not, I would hope that the Foundation, Board, and Elections
> Committee
> > >>> would be more interested in upholding the principles of good
> > >>> governance than failing to even announce a new schedule or
even
> a date
> > >>> by which a new schedule will be announced.
> > >>>
> > >>> -Will
> > >>>
> > >>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2020 at 10:31 PM Gender Desk <
> genderscribe(a)gmail.com>
> > >>> wrote:
> > >>>> Mr. Takatoshi,
> > >>>>
> > >>>> Wikipediocracy has suggested that you have also used the
names
"Rogol
>>> Domedonfors, Renée Bagslint,
Jennifer Pryor-Summers, Felicity
Braingut,
> >>> Thomas Townsend and others."
> >>>
http://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=11567
> >>>> Can you comment on that?
> >>>>
> >>>> Regards,
> >>>> Genderdesk
> >>>>
> >>>>
genderdesk.wordpress.com
> >>>
> >>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2020 at 7:38 PM Samuel Klein <
meta.sj(a)gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > >>>> Can anyone from the elections committee comment? What is
the
current
> >>>> plan? //S
> >>>> On Fri, Sep 4, 2020 at 8:05 PM Bill Takatoshi <
> billtakatoshi(a)gmail.com
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> How long can the Foundation legally postpone Board of
Trustees
>>> elections?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2020#Po…
>
>>>>> has a comment from April saying, "Once things get moving
again,
> > >>>>> appopriate [sic] date for the election will be decided
and
an
>>>>> announcement will be made."
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees#Curr…
>
>>>>> suggests that five board members terms end on "Wikimania
2020"
-- but
>>>>> is that accurate?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Term_Limit_Proposal_for_By…
> > >>>>> is clear that
"All Board terms are three years" and "the
term
> of each
> > >>>>> such appointment shall not exceed three years."
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Who are the current members of the Board of Trustees?
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Can the board achieve a quorum in its present state?
> > >>>>>
> > >>>>> Who is the Chair currently?
> > >>>>>
> > >>>> --
> > >>>> Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj
+1
617 529
>>> 4266
>>>
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