Why would we "not want it to be a membership organization"? In fact, many
of us want exactly that, since the WMF seems to think it can lord it over
the communities instead of fulfilling its role of serving them.
The new Board rules basically say that the Board itself gets to say how the
community-based members are selected, instead of having actual bylaws as to
how it happens. I'd like to see it done very simply: Those eight seats
(forming a majority) on the Board should be elected (not nominated,
elected) by the community, with the Board having no veto power over the
results of the election.
Todd
On Wed, Oct 7, 2020 at 12:45 PM Brad Patrick <bradp.wmf(a)gmail.com> wrote:
This is a very, very old and tired argument. If you do
not understand
United States non-profit corporations, go educate yourself about those
first. If your perspective is non-US based, you may have a different frame
of mind which is irreconcilable with the way WMF is. Take all the time you
need to see the differences before attacking WMF for (a) what it is and (b)
why it isn't what you want it to be.
WMF exists legally, and has as its foundation organizational principle,
authority vested in a Board. WMF is not a membership organization. You
would not want it to be a membership organization (as a matter of law).
Please temper your criticism accordingly.
Brad Patrick
Former WMF General Counsel
On 10/7/20, 12:47 PM, "Wikimedia-l on behalf of Paulo Santos Perneta" <
wikimedia-l-bounces(a)lists.wikimedia.org on behalf of
paulosperneta(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I knew they are theoretically self-appointed, but was under the
impression
that at least until now an appearance of democracy and legitimacy
towards
the community has been respected, which no longer seems to be the case.
I wonder what would be the legitimacy of a self-appointing body in the
eyes
of the Wikimedia Movement, and all the communities which are part of
it?
Regards,
Paulo
Adam Wight <adam.wight(a)wikimedia.de> escreveu no dia quarta,
7/10/2020 à(s)
17:20:
Greetings, this is a semiautomated response
pointing out that the
Wikimedia Foundation Board is not elected, it's self-appointing. The
so-called "elections" are in fact nominations to be considered by the
Board. Therefore, the Bylaws have not been broken.
This is an unfortunate arrangement, please see [1] for some
background
about the conversion from a membership
organization to a
non-membership
organization which is no longer legally required
to hold elections.
Regards,
Adam W.
[[mw:User:Adamw]]
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_membership_controversy
On 10/7/20 5:55 PM, Paulo Santos Perneta wrote:
> The terms of 3 BoT members expired last month, and the BoT itself
decided
> to extend them? What is the legitimacy of
that? And why is a BoT
which is
expected
to be in a mere interim management waiting for elections,
presenting profound changes to its Bylaws [1]?
[1] -
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Octo…
Best,
Paulo
Nataliia Tymkiv <ntymkiv(a)wikimedia.org> escreveu no dia quarta,
7/10/2020
> à(s) 16:49:
>
>> Hello,
>>
>> I can answer a few of the questions raised in this thread.
>>
>> When the Board postponed the community selection of trustees, we
also
>
extended the terms of the trustees in the affected seats (María
Sefidari,
>> Dariusz Jemielniak, and James Heilman)[1]. Their terms were
originally
set
>> to expire last month, but because of that term extension they are
still
>
serving as trustees, and as such María remains the Board Chair and
Dariusz
>> and James continue on as Committee Chairs[2].
>>
>> Raju Narisetti and Esra'a Al Shafei have been reappointed to the
Board
for
>> an additional three-year term[3][4].
>>
>> The current members of the Board of Trustees are listed on the
Wikimedia
>> Foundation website[5].
>>
>> We do not currently have a shortage of trustees on the Board, and
we
have
> had a quorum for every decision we have made
this year. We have
published
>> some outstanding Board records, many of which were just approved
at our
>> recent meeting in September[6][7].
>>
>> I have just sent an email to this list, as well as posted an
update to
>> Meta-Wiki, with a request for feedback
on matters related to the
>> Foundation’s Bylaws and trustee selection[8]. That announcement
contains
>> more information about the postponed
community selection of
trustees.
>
> Best regards,
>
> antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv
>
> Vice Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> [1]
>
>
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Postponement_of_Community_…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Board_Officers_and_Committ…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Renewing_Raju_Narisetti%27…
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Renewing_Esra%27a_Al_Shafe…
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/Octo…
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/July…
>
> *NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal
working
>> hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during
weekend.
You
>> should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off.
Thank you
in
>> advance!*
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 9:52 PM Bill Takatoshi <
billtakatoshi(a)gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> After I asked my questions on September 4, I was sent the message
>>> below by some role account I've never heard of, asking about
claims
>>> that have used the names of five
other people. I don't edit
under my
>>> real name, but I have never used the
names in the linked forum
>>> postings.
>>>
>>> The linked posts also claim that the Foundation's nonprofit
status is
>>> at risk. I am not a lawyer, but I am
skeptical of that claim even
>>> though five Trustees whose three-year terms expired in August
>>> apparently voted on a Resolution in a Board meeting on September
24.
>>> According to Section 4 of the
Bylaws, "A quorum shall consist of
a
>>> majority of Trustees then in
office." Section 6 says, "the Board
may
>>> continue doing business as a Board
during the vacancy of any
Trustee
>>> position." Therefore, since
four of the five remaining Trustees
all
>>> voted in favor, the Resolution was
properly carried, in my
layperson's
>>
view. I am less certain about the propriety of allowing a Trustee
>> whose three year term expired to continue to serve as Chair.
>>
>> The lack of any update or even ETA for an update on
>>
>>
>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2020#Po…
>>> is baffling. Elections have never
been held in person, only
online,
>>> and so the excuse that they were
postponed because of the
pandemic
>>> crisis seems extremely suspicious.
Indefinitely delaying
elections for
>>> such a vacuous reason makes the
Foundation look like the worst
of the
>>> bad actors in today's
international political climate. Doesn't
the
>>> cancelled travel of the pandemic
crisis give the Foundation more
time
>>> to hold elections, not less? Whether
non-profit status is at
risk or
>>> not, I would hope that the
Foundation, Board, and Elections
Committee
>>> would be more interested in
upholding the principles of good
>>> governance than failing to even announce a new schedule or even
a
date
>>> by which a new schedule will be
announced.
>>>
>>> -Will
>>>
>>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2020 at 10:31 PM Gender Desk <
genderscribe(a)gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>> Mr. Takatoshi,
>>>>
>>>> Wikipediocracy has suggested that you have also used the names
"Rogol
>>> Domedonfors, Renée Bagslint,
Jennifer Pryor-Summers, Felicity
Braingut,
>>
Thomas Townsend and others."
>>
http://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=11567
>>> Can you comment on that?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Genderdesk
>>>
>>>
genderdesk.wordpress.com
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2020 at 7:38 PM Samuel Klein <meta.sj(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
>>>> Can anyone from the elections committee comment? What is the
current
>>> plan? //S
>>> On Fri, Sep 4, 2020 at 8:05 PM Bill Takatoshi <
billtakatoshi(a)gmail.com
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> How long can the Foundation legally postpone Board of Trustees
>> elections?
>>>>
>>>>
>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_Foundation_elections/2020#Po…
>>>> has a comment from April saying, "Once things get moving again,
>>>> appopriate [sic] date for the election will be decided and an
>>>> announcement will be made."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_of_Trustees#Curr…
>>>>> suggests that five board
members terms end on "Wikimania 2020"
-- but
>>>> is that accurate?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>
https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Term_Limit_Proposal_for_By…
>>>>> is clear that "All
Board terms are three years" and "the term
of each
>>>>> such appointment shall not
exceed three years."
>>>>>
>>>>> Who are the current members of the Board of Trustees?
>>>>>
>>>>> Can the board achieve a quorum in its present state?
>>>>>
>>>>> Who is the Chair currently?
>>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Samuel Klein @metasj w:user:sj +1
617
529
>>> 4266
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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