There is an interesting flavor to some recent posts that I think derserves to be highlighted. Some comments from other threads below:
--- On Jan 9, 2008 5:52 AM, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
In addition to being financially supported by the public, Wikimedia is able to exist only through the generous contribution of time by tens of thousands of people all over the world.
So, yes, communication is expensive but you are the glass maker complaining about the cost of sand. It's a cost of doing business. --- On Jan 9, 2008 12:57 AM, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
I'm in favor of first promoting transparency through promoting more actual volunteer participation, and secondly, through more systematic & regular reporting. --- Ramir (from ru.WB) writes:
This is comical. An appointed representative (i. e. you) of a corporation (i. e. Wikimedia) is tactlessly suggesting that I (a long-proven, devoted Wiki-education enthusiast with no interest for or against the corporation) am biased. A mongrel mob of clueless, faceless, foreign-speaking door-to-door salesmen have knocked on Russian Wikibooks' door and, without ceremony, are accusing the housekeeper of being "biased" against their T-shirt manufacturing company. Just you all get out of here, pests. Go do some wiki work: moving and deleting, putting templates, voting ¯ you are much better at that than at marketing or any other form of socially constructive work. ---
I want to highlight this:
Greg is telling "foundation" people that they need to be transparent with "wiki" people no matter how expensive because "wiki" is the means of the "foundation". Erik replies that his first method of promoting transparency to these people is to promote more of them to volunteer in these issues rather than just comment. Meanwhile, in the ru.WB thread, a "wiki" person explains why he finds "foundation" people to be pesky salesman that would do better to spend their time on wiki work.
I respect the work done for the foundation and I know the volunteer work done for the foundation is invaluable. However this is not the only "actual volunteer participation" going on in Wikimedia. I do not want to see votes for hiring an accountant. Ever. But the ongoing lack of transparency from the foundation is causing a fracture between people who are in the loop and people who are working the wikis. We need to all be on the same team, if you will excuse my American sports metaphor :) Not disrespecting each others work as unimportant or undeserving.
I am much less plugged in than Greg. I can't see *exactly* what his concerns are, but I feel the deterioration in communication. And I am concerned as well.
Birgitte SB
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