Michael Snow wrote:
I normally try to avoid "me too" posts, but
I feel I should speak up to
say that I agree with virtually everything Erik Zachte wrote, and thank
him immensely for taking the time to compose that thoughtful message.
I want to add some thoughts on the transparency issue he raised. A very
critical part of managing any organization, especially one as committed
to ideals of openness as Wikimedia, is reporting back to everyone about
your activities. Given the transparency of most actions on a wiki,
producing such reports is especially important for off-wiki activity.
In particular this applies to the board, the officers (including those
of local chapters), and the developers. I trust all of these people and
the processes by which they were chosen, but we still need to hear from
all of them regularly about their work. The proliferation of non-public
mailing lists and wikis adds to the concern. I understand that some
matters cannot be announced at the outset, and that deliberation and
delay may allow for a more thorough report. But on the other hand,
disappearing behind closed doors, not to be heard from again, is not an
acceptable option.
With the developers this is a longstanding problem, and they struggle
constantly with more pressing issues, like a simple lack of manpower
(womanpower would certainly do as well if we can recruit some female
developers). I'm guessing we could use three or four times as many
developers before we'd have enough of them to spare one to spend much
time reporting. I think most people are willing to give a lot of slack
here as long as the sites keep running.
For the rest, because the issues they deal with are more frequently
"political", people will be more uncomfortable with a lack of
transparency. I see some effort to deal with this, but I'm afraid that
even among those of us who are deeply interested enough to be on this
list, people frequently feel out of the loop on issues of concern to
them. I have tried to contribute a little myself toward more thorough
reporting (and hope to help more in the future), but the overall task is
a full-time job and I already have one of those.
Keeping people informed is essential to sustaining trust, and makes a
tremendous difference in whether they will accept the decisions you make.
--Michael Snow
Right
Now that several people have expressed their feeling we are non
transparent, I would like that they go further than just stating a
situation, and make suggestions to improve.
Michael is mentionning that "with the developers, they struggle
constantly with more pressing issues". And that "we could use three or
four times as many developers".
Well, this is also one of our problems. We are also struggling with more
pressing issues. We would also benefit of help, because we also lack
wo-man power. And as you mention, taking care of communication could
also be a full-time job and aside from Jimbo, both Angela and I also
have one of those.
I have a problem with the equation
board : amount of time spent answering personal mails + amount of time
spend on OTRS + amount of time spent writing board meeting reports +
amount of time spent writing to this list + amount of time spent on
setting up a wikimedia foundation website + amount of time spent writing
Quarto
With
Wikipedians : we are not informed.
It does not fit :-)
So my questions are
* exactly on which topic do you feel you are not informed ? Please cite
some examples of issues where we have been failing ? Was the information
missing related to legal issues ? To partnership ? To budget ?
* please cite some examples of how we could inform you. Please not "I
want to be more informed", but HOW, WHERE, WHEN and under WHICH form.
Example : some french editors complained during the year that I did not
inform them enough on the village pump. But there are more than 300
projects. Do you expect us to go ourselves to possibly 50 of the biggest
ones to inform people ? It is just impossible. So, is the solution to
find human relays *appointed* to do that, or should we make a big
communication campaign to explain to people where to go ? I intend to
try to write a FAQ on the Foundation website, do you think it can help ?
Will it if no one goes there to read it ?
The Quarto takes a lot of time and is distributing information very
slowly. But at least, it ensure translation in major languages. Do you
think we need to add an intermediate level (such as a weekly or a monthly ?)
Since you make the sign post, it may be that you feel like suggesting
the Foundation make a sign post itself. But then, you need to help us
find sustainable ways to do it. Because as you mentionned it, it takes a
LOT of time. I know I can not alone add in my own timetable the
necessarily time to do 4-5 articles per week alone. Not without help.
Not in a language which is not my mother language. And as you might very
well be aware yourself, most articles do not come all by themselves.
Most will be written by yourself.
In the case of Quarto, I know we have to hunt for authors each time, or
write ourselves.
* are you yourself ready to help distribute the information ? How many
times did you yourself copied an information mentionned on that list on
your own village pump ? How many times did you help translate the
foundation website or the Quarto ? How many times did you yourself
provide us information that might be useful ?
It is good to point out to a problem, but it is even better to try to
help find some solutions. I also think that most of the time, when you
think "I am not informed", it is only that you heard nothing, so feel
some stuff is going undersground and you are kept away of it. But most
of the time, it is that there is just nothing very special to report.
What are my memories of the big stuff of the past two months ?
Well, from the financial perspective
* trying to find ways so that Mav get hand on all financial papers, so
that we can get a decent budget to work on.
* setting up the budget (this has been published here)
* starting a fundraising (this is openly discussed here)
Grant perspective
* major points reported here in the board report
* discussion of the european grant by chapters coordinated by Danny
(reported here)
Technical perspective
* yahoo servers soon to be on (it was reported here)
* the recent downtime (asked to developers to explain why to the
community, no report was done here. Well, I am not the police.
Business perspective
* mostly reported in the board meeting
Wikimania
* took us most of the past 2 months in truth. Anyone could report on
what happened. Pictures are on Flickr. Presentations available as well.
* incidently, sponsorship by OSI was announced here.
Officers and co
* I announced myself we were heading toward having a new officer and
new mailing list (prematuraly dead in the server crash)
* new chapters (pl, announced here)
Quarto
* no quarto because Sj has been very very busy with Wikimania, and
myself quite busy with my presentation and my real life and all related
issues.
Legal considerations
* well, since you are on the legal list, do you think anything needs
reporting here ? I do not.
On which topics do you think things are missing ?
Do you guys realise that the Foundation is basically 10 people while the
editors are basically thousands ???? In any reasonable organisation,
there would already be a PR person whose job is 100% communication work.
We do not have this, but any of you can help. So, it would be nice that
you just explain where things are failing exactly, where energy should
be put and best that you yourself help.
-------
Now, since I said it would be nice to explain exactly where things are
failing, please also consider MY own perspective.
Yesterday, several people here, and on irc said
"the german money is not spent. It should be. Why is it not ?"
Some german answer
"how can we make a budget if the foundation
isn't able or willing to work with us on reasonable ways to spend the
money?
We asked several times, what is needed and
never got an answer. the answer "give us the money" is not appropriate"
With my perception
look at my mail
http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2005-August/003915.html
Look at answers given to it.
There are none whatsoever.
From my perspective, not only did I lose time writting the mail, but I
do not have the slightest beginning of more information. *I* also feel
not informed at all.
So... what will I do ? Probably nothing :-)
Similarly, I would love that officers get used to making a weekly or
monthly reporting. A summary of all stuff taking care of (or not taking
care of) during a certain amount of time. It would both inform us and
make it easier to inform you. But again, I am not their boss and if they
do not feel like doing it... I only know these are some of the stuff we
did in firms I have been working in, and that help.
Anthere