VampWillow wrote:
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.
So exactly what are we trying to do. Suggestions on a postcard^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H posting here please ...
I would say that the main aims should be:
1. Promotion of _the community_ in the UK, meaning, organizing/funding local conferences and meetings -- not just pub meetings, but real conferences which invite UK academics, overseas personages of some interest, etc.
2. Liasoning with the press -- people love to have titles, and the press loves to talk to people with titles. "James Forrester, some random guy off the Internet" is a fine title *for us*, but if you're talking to the press, they like a nice title like "James Forrester, Wikimedia UK Black Rod". (Please have such a title? For me? Pleeease? ;-))
3. Interfacing with Cultural Organizations With Money To Spend But Only If You Are Local.
This is an incomplete list.
As to owning hardware, I think it's an open question as to whether local associations should own a server for their own website or not. I generally think not, but that one seems optional.
I don't think it is a good strategy for us to have the hardware which runs Wikipedia/etc. owned by multiple organizations all over the world. There is some debate on this point, and so I don't regard my position as definitive, but it isn't something I see a pressing need for, at least.
--Jimbo