On 6/5/06, GerardM <gerard.meijssen(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Erik Moeller wrote:
GerardM, who has a more impressive track record in special projects
than I do -- there would be no Kennisnet partnership and no
WiktionaryZ project without him, applied for membership and was
rejected. Frankly, this is not an example of an open organization that
accepts the most qualified people to do the right thing. It's an
example of "face by face" selection processes. No amount of rhetoric
is going to change that.
Hoi,
The fact that I am not in the Special Projects committee is in a way a
mixed blessing. It is a blessing in that it gives me more time to
nurture the WiktionaryZ project, develop related ideas and make
connections with people and organisations that share similar goals.
It is sad because it means that I have less opportunity to make the
WMF aware of what is happening with the WiktionaryZ project. I am
grateful for the core people in WiktionaryZ, they make it possible to
make it a true community project. We started with a commission and it
would be easy to extend this with many people who have proven to be as
worthwhile as its original members.
My interest in the Special Projects committee is that I am interested
in ensuring that the projects that are dear to my heart get the
attention and integration that they require. I am interested in all
the wikimedia projects, it is however obvious that my work is focused
on the projects that are most dear to my heart, I can appreciate why
people would not like to have me in the special projects committee
because they are different from what is considered the mainstream.
Then again, given that the Wikidata technology may have a great impact
on Wikipedia, beneficial in my honest opinion, and given that the
members of the Special Projects committee are pressed for time, it may
be clear why I wanted to be in there in the first place.
All in all, there are arguments why I am not in there. Given that
people are chosen by the existing committee members, it does not help
argueing publicly about why someone is or is not in a committee. The
one thing I am interested in is cooperation. You do not achieve it by
being resentful.
Thanks,
GerardM
Thanks very much for this, Gerard. I had drafted a response to this
very point, but felt it was unfair on you to send it (ie. to be drawn
into a discussion about why we rejected your application).
You are doing great work on your projects, WiktionaryZ and
InstantCommons, which the SPC is working with you on. I hope we're
doing all we can to help them progress - but I don't agree that we
would be working on them any better if you were on the committee.
Really, all community projects are worked on outside the committee -
the SP committee simply evaluates them and, if approved, facilitates
whatever needs to be done in realising them. That's what the committee
exists for - simply to relieve the board of this responsibility
(amongst other things).
All the best (and thanks again),
Cormac