On 6/5/06, GerardM gerard.meijssen@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