On Sunday, February 28, 2016, Leigh Thelmadatter <osamadre(a)hotmail.com>
wrote:
I have to agree here.
Yes.
The WMF and its employees have forgotten that the mission is to support
the work done on the various wikis, not make work for fireworks for
themselves.
No.
Nothing we are dealing with here is new. It is just
the eruption of some
very long-standing problems with the WMF and the tone it sets for the rest
of the movement.
Yes.
While some might be celebrating now,
No, except as sense of relief in an immediate part of problem bent
addressed.
Lila was not the problem. IMHO, the problem is a lot
of hidden
hierarchies (denied of course). Add to that, that the lack of transparency
allows the growth of hidden agendas.
Remember this blew when a community selected board member was tossed off
the board unceremoniously. We find out through this
that the community (or
chapters) have no real voice on the board under the current set up.
Yes.
-- brion
From: dacuetu(a)gmail.com <javascript:;>
Date: Sun, 28 Feb 2016 17:52:30 +0100
To: wikimedia-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;>
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] What it means to be a *volunteer* organization
I am starting a new thread because I disagree with the idea that the WMF
should be a high-tech organization as the other thread by Brion seemed to
suggest. Yes, technology is a tool that we use in our mission to gather
and
process all forms of human knowledge, but in the
end the driving force is
volunteership.
Without volunteers there wouldn't be any movement and there wouldn't be
any
need for tools, or any donations whatsoever. It
is the concept of working
for free for the common good that allows us to exist and fulfill our
mission. The WMF is instrumental in providing the tools for it to happen,
but those tools are not only technological, they are also legal,
educational, and social, however when talking through computer screens we
seem to forget that.
A hi-tech tool can work for a given task or not, but there are more
important topics like trust, commitment, empowerment, motivation, and joy
that cannot be assessed so easily, and that are at least as crucial as
any
software. What is the point of having a perfect
tool Z if I don't enjoy
working with my fellows on a common mission?
The role of nurturing volunteers is not exclusive of affiliate
organizations, the WMF offer grants to volunteers and organizes several
gatherings. Is that enough to strengthen the volunteer community? Then I
look at organizations like WOOF or workaway that thrive with full-time
volunteers and I wonder if more opportunities could be opened for our
volunteers.
Is there anything holding us back to try new things besides old patterns
of
participation?
It is a challenge to do more for the volunteer community without
resorting
to grants or payment, but that is the key to
succeed as a volunteer
organization, to provide an ecosystem where personal growth is possible.
I am interested in hearing what others have to say about it. Maybe it is
possible to gather ideas or even a team of people who wants to research
more information about the topic.
Cheers,
Micru
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