On 26/05/06, Daniel Mayer maveric149@yahoo.com wrote:
We have been talking about this for at least a couple years; the last time we did so publicly was just mentioned and linked to by Erik. The reason why this is necessary is due to the fact that we long ago reached the limit on what volunteers alone can accomplish. We have therefore been missing out on many different potential opportunities (for getting grants, very large donations and to reach our ultimate goals) simply because we have not had proper staffing. And a staff needs a person to manage them and the daily aspects of running the organization. Simply put, we are transitioning from the amateur football club model to a professional organization. Staff are an investment.
-- mav
You see i really don't like how that was worded (this is not meant at all to be a personal attack on mav just a warning about what we may become). " We have been talking about this for at least a couple years; the last time we did so publicly was just mentioned and linked to by Erik." I've been lurking and occasionally posting on this list and others for most of the time it has existed and now that Erik linked to that thread i do remember it but that is the only previous mention i remember (i'm not saying there haven't been more, just that we haven't had a large public debate about it). I think we need to engage anyone who is willing to be engaged in a debate about where we should be heading and how we should go about it. Espesially if the direction is towards corpratisation. So far i think the WMF has been doing the best it can of a difficult job and i don't mean to critisise anyone personally, I just think that the future direction of wikimedia is up to the community not the board or its officers, staff or whoever. The money that the foundation spends is not the foundation's but the wikimedia community's (i am not talking in a legal way i am talking in an ethical way. It was given for the community not the foundation).
The balance sheets tell me that 60 something percent of money goes to servers and hardware and the rest goes to other stuff. I don't think that is a good balance. That is my view. What is the view of most people in the community? What is the view of most donors? I dunno. Does anyone? Do all the board members and others who have most to do with the day to day running of foundation issues think we need a CEO?
paz y amor, -rjs.