On Monday, June 13, 2005, at 11:17, VampWillow wiki@vampwillow.com wrote:
Rhetorically, what is the 'point' of Wiki UK.
It isn't to buy hardware (or rather if it is we need to retain ownership)
What about contributing for the up-keep of caching servers in Europe; these are (apparently) legally more OK (not publishing, only forwarding as a sort of Common Carrier status body). Alternatively we could sponsor the Foundation's upkeep of the server computers in British languages (as well as en, also cy, kw, etc.), or help in the Foundation's advertising in the UK and EU generally (?)...
It isn't to buy or create software (ditto and liaibility flowing therefore)
Can we really not aide in funding development without being liable for the resultant product's end users' actions? Putting money towards the devs was one of the aims I thought we were going to attempt to move in. Also towards the sysadmins, of course, though that's more covered by the previous point.
It isn't to give it to a parent based in another country
Well, it is, just not exclusively. An idea was to have Wikimedia UK pay "chapter membership" fees to the Foundation of some not insignificant nominal level (a few thousand p.a., perhaps). Also, we could have (and help fund) joint-projects with our fellow European chapters, say to promote social learning and inter-cultural awareness (or something else both positive and good-sounding) in the EU. Yes, this is more overtly political than the Foundation does things, but we could be more pro-pedagogy than merely supplying, being more like a "pusher" than a "dealer", to use an unfortunate similie. :-)
It isn't - specifically - to write articles (and if we could be said to have done so then the French example Angela pointed to would be bound to occur here, probably on a (scientology) article!)
Indeed, though we could still rally for and encourage British cultural articles (and act as a base from which to make requests of British institutions on behalf of (agent/intermediary rather than sub-entity) the Foundation (e.g., asking for digital versions of paintings in the NPG for Commons, or databases of, say, British politics (lists of every Act, every S.I., etc.) which are difficult to come by, and where having a British organisation to our name can help convince people that we're not fly-by-night-ers.
It might be to "promote" the various wikis under the parent umbrella, but arguably unless we are taking out major press advertisements that wouldn't seem to take up any cash we get in.
Promotion doesn't have to be through media advertising; we could give talks at universities, work with librarians' organisations (though I've heard that some of them are rather anti-us, or something), etc.
So exactly what are we trying to do. Suggestions on a postcard^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H posting here please ...
Hmm. Perhaps serving to an extent as a social community of volunteers to egg-on each other and otherwise encourage activity?
Other thoughts, anyone?
Alison
Yours,