There has apparently been a major misunderstanding over my view towards local chapters, so I want to go on record as saying I *strongly* support the idea of Wikimedia having local chapters and I always have done.

The source of the misunderstanding appears to be an edit by an anonymous user: http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk:Membership_fees&diff=4... stating they did not see the point of local chapters.

Anthere later edited the page to sign this comment as me: http://meta.wikimedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Talk:Membership_fees&diff=4...

This was most definitely not me and represents the complete opposite to my view. It was only on reading the logs of the Hindi Wikimedia IRC channel that I discovered this problem.

I see the existence of Wikimedia chapters as a very positive step and I will help in any way I can to encourage the growth of these. I hope to see them in every part of the world. I want one day for no one to become a member directly of the Foundation because everyone will have a local chapter they can join. Issues such as the legalities of money transfer between chapters and the Foundation in certain countries are problems that we need to work around, but these should in no way prevent the creation of a chapter in any country with a sufficient number of interested volunteers. The main reason I went to Berlin in June was so I could learn more about the process of starting a chapter since Wikimedia Germany were the first country to do this. I also went to Paris and observed the beginnings of the French chapter there, and discussed ESTU with Arno Lagrange when we were in London. I fully intend to have a UK chapter registered as a charity in this country later next year.

I have never been opposed to local chapters, and I am upset that people are under the mistaken impression that I am.

Angela