Pradeep's email sums up the scenario pretty well. I completely agree with
the points he's put forth.
It is a very sad situation.
As for Ravi, being a long-time member of Wikimedia community in India, I
can understand where he comes from while evidently seeming to obstruct the
funding. All I can say seeing him from a distance is that his intentions at
the end of it look good.
His commitment to the movement seems very strong. He's obviously thinking
long term about the movement in India.
On 30 April 2014 15:33, Pradeep Mohandas <pradeep.mohandas(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Hi,
I think I should write more bluntly to put this point across. For the
quantum of money spent, I'd like to see a WHOLE LOT more than what is on
offer now.
I differ from the position Ravi has taken of wanting to stop funding etc.,
We, in India, have been stung once by the work of India Program. What you
see here is just a case of once bitten twice shy. We are being extra
cautious here because while CIS can walk away from failed programmes (since
even did WMF India programs), leaving the community to clean up the mess.
No efforts have been made since to rebuild the community that once left
the movement after a similar storm. This is the reason why you see no
engagement from the community with CIS' early efforts here. Can you see any
documented community feedback? All work seem to have happened off-wiki and
the low trust environment in which they worked led to differing versions of
the same conversations happening.
Backstage conversations, undocumented meetings, lack of transparency have
only worsened the situation. You see conversations where WMF staff daring
WMIN to make certain things public and counter accusations and accusations
flying.
Gerard is right. The first thing that needs to be done is to build the
community - the people. The situation as is inspires no one. Frankly, each
individual left on his own home computer and his own passion will have
accomplished the same as we have. We all need to become Wikipedians again.
Warm regards,
Pradeep Mohandas
--
Hari Prasad Nadig
http://hpnadig.net
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