On 4/18/06, GerardM gerard.meijssen@gmail.com wrote:

Hoi, With some suprise I have seen from a distance a situation arise by people who did not involve themselves during the setup of the Dutch chapter. If anything I can vouch for the fact that one of the guiding principles during the setup of the chapter was to maximise the community aspect.

Hmmmmm ... it sounds quite similar to Japanese projects' situation. The main difference is here is no legal body yet. Only discussion. Perhaps from the same reason, I kept silence on that affair, but the current cource of Dutch people makes me anxious.

So, I would describe what is going on meta around "Japanese chapter" from my view. Please let me share your experience and impression. I believe all people involved would be in a good faith, but their deeds haven't seemed to me productive nor matured......

I would like to say I have never been involved, but should confess already I left my footprint on those pages. I have found necessity to express my objection and unfavored voice to them, those who were discussing on [[meta:Wikimedia Japan]], created by an anon and then none of those - two editors - I haven't known (I think I have interacted with more than 100 editors on Japanese projects. Even 200. But none of those who were editing on that page were unfamiliar to me) . One another editor supported to found the local chapter, but he is known very young, and, ah, immature person, even in a good faith.

I don't think they are in a bad faith. Perhaps contrary. As for involvement, and understanding what the Wikimedia project is, how chapters and the Florida based Foundation interact with each other, or whatsoever - my impression wasn't favored to them, honestly.

Since I believe they are in a good faith, and only now lack understanding what they (and we) need, but from this very reason, I wouldn't have liked to interact with them. Still I don't. So I would have liked to keep a distant - very afar I have observed their discussion, but one day one of them stated "every Japanese project' editor, including anons, are considered to have membership of japanese chapter" and "Aphaia would be our contact person to the Florida Foundation" - note, I haven't have been involved into their discussion, nor have indicated to join "the chapter", I couldn't avoid letting them know that they had no legal right to involved any person in such a way - people who woudln't their intention explicitely.

Now, there are three editors listing themselves as "supporters to found Wikimedia Japan". On that document, it states "when 20 people support to settle the Japanese chapter, It will be settled". In my humble opinion, it would be one of most naive prospecti around local chapter launching, but if they are so naive to believe in their own statements, their fate, and our own would be not different from the Dutch community, I'm afraid.

-- Aphaea@*.wikipedia.org email: Aphaia @ gmail (dot) com