2009/9/11 Jennifer Riggs <jriggs(a)wikimedia.org>rg>:
However the word and concept of "frugality"
differs significantly across
cultures. In my experience with many non-Western cultures, asking people
to bring lunch from home or spend their own money for it would not only
exclude participation, it would insult people. If the purpose is to
encourage participation and commitment to a newly forming organization,
it seems it would be very important not to insult people.
If we were talking about meetings with people from outside the
Wikimedia movement, I would agree with you, but I really can't see how
it can be insulting not to provide food at a meeting of Wikimedians
when the people attending the meeting and the people organising the
meeting are exactly the same people. If people are only willing to set
up a chapter if the WMF buys them lunch once a month, I don't want
those people setting up a chapter.