2008/9/9 Andrew Turvey raturvey@yahoo.co.uk:
why is it not called Wikimedia UK?
Being on the Chapcom, this is a question I'm actually qualified to answer. Even though groups are called "chapters" of the Wikimedia foundation, we try to make sure that they are all independent (but mutually supportive) organizations. To slice hairs, you are not a "child organization of the WMF", but instead you are an individual organization with common aims as the WMF (along with a few additional rights such as the use of trademarks and the right to represent the WMF to the press, etc). So, calling yourself "Wikimedia UK" overemphasizes and misrepresents your relationship to the WMF, and that's discouraged.
We do recommend that groups organize and incorporate legally prior to applying for chapter status. Calling yourself "Wikimedia UK" before you are accepted as a chapter seems to be a bit of a gamble. If we (chapcom) feel that you've set yourself up in the wrong way, by being too institutionally dependent on the WMF for instance, we might not approve your chapter application anyway. (On a related note, you should definitely run your bylaws and some other organizational details past the chapcom before you do anything legally binding, just in case you've made a decision that we don't approve of, which is admittedly rare).
--Andrew Whitworth