For Turin, IMHO, could be interesting also to have a defined rule to choose the bids.

I have followed three years of candidatures and each year different rules.

My question is... in this choice what is the role of the communities?

Last year the final bidders (Toronto e Boston) have been choosed after a poll (IMHO unnecessary because the two towns are in the same continent with a little bit difference of proposal)... and this year?

Who has a limited knowledge of marketing knows that a poll is important to investigate the crowd of wikipedians. It's not a must, but it's important because the board of examiners could take a choice with impartial data without taking in charge the weight of an important choice.

Without a poll *seems* that the choice has been already taken previously.

I ask for more importance of Wikipedians.

Regards

Ilario

----Messaggio originale---- Da: jwales@wikia.com Data: 28.09.06 10.57 A: "Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List"foundation-l@wikimedia.org Oggetto: Re: [Foundation-l] Taipei chosen to host Wikimania 2007

Not that it is up to me, nor should it be, but I intend to be a strong personal supporter of Turin for 2008, and encourage the concept that we should settle this fairly soon.

Gianluigi Gamba wrote:

I congratulate with Taipei team and I'm sure they'll organize a

memorable

event.

As a member of the Turin bidding team, let me voice a choral "too

bad".

We had a sort of incredible "astral conjunction" of sponsors

*really eager*

to have the Wikimania event, the enthusiasm of the whole

community, the

honeymoon with the media and the commitment of many people from

national

(and not only) institutions. I wonder if such combination will return in a future. I hope so.