--- On Thu, 5/1/08, Andrew Whitworth wknight8111@gmail.com wrote:
From: Andrew Whitworth wknight8111@gmail.com Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Chapter-selected Board seats - brainstorming To: birgitte_sb@yahoo.com, "Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List" foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008, 12:17 PM On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 11:36 AM, Birgitte SB birgitte_sb@yahoo.com wrote:
I am not saying it is impossible for a US national
chapter to exist. But it will not be created through grass-roots self-organization as was the case for other chapters. The WMF looks foolish to sit on their hands and wait for it to form. And WMF is not credible when they collect US tax-deductible money, solicit US press, etc. and then say US Wikimedians have the same opportunity to create a national chapter as everyone else if they want to participate in chapter stuff. The honest options are a) WMF staff organize a US national chapter or b) Chapter committee approves US subnational chapter where there is grass-roots activity.
I disagree with this completely. Grass-roots organization is how the US chapter(s) will form, it's the way things are currently progressing. There are grass roots organizations, that I've heard of (which may not be a comprehensive list) starting in many places: New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Oregon, California, Massachusetts, and other places. Progress has been mostly stagnant in these groups for many reasons, all of which are organizational failures on the part of the WMF/Chapcom.
It is my personal estimate that there could be as many as 10 or 12 active subnational US chapters operational within a year if all barriers to entry were removed. Of course, there are many logistical issues to work out before those barriers can be removed completely.
You misunderstood my message (probably because did a poor job qualifying it). I agree with you that if subnational *chapters* are allowed there will be the grassroots organization for them. I speaking of the grassroots organization of a national *chapter* if subnantional *chapters* are disalowed or required to be subchapters of an existiong national one.
Birgitte SB
____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ