On 6/5/06, Jimmy Wales jwales@wikia.com wrote:
It is my expectation that Tim will be replaced by the end of this year.
Notice that such decisions are not up to me, but up to the entire board. We have been discussing board expansion, and it is a complex matter. We are not prepared to say at the moment exactly how or when it will happen. My expectation is that we will see at least one additional member from the community, and one additional member (likely from the free software / free culture world) to provide additional external oversight.
These are at least two important statements to have on the record, so thanks for that, in spite of the fact that you ignored all my other points. Why "by the end of this year" and not "within the next couple of months"? What is it that makes these decisions so complex and hard to take? The Board situation hasn't changed since Angela and Anthere were elected two years ago -- in fact, their one year terms were extended to two year terms without much discussion. I understand the need for continuity. I do not understand the conservative and very slow process in which Wikimedia is reorganizing itself.
Of course you cannot make such a decision alone, but you can certainly communicate your intent and your rationale fully, as can all other Board members. When that is done, it should become fairly clear where the community stands on an issue, and that could very well be a good way to resolve a standstill. And when it comes to inviting an outside member, how is that member going to be chosen? Will there be a public dialogue about who the best figure is for this role, or will they simply be appointed?
Erik