If I'm reading Gordon's post right, I think I share some of his hesitancy. I'm very wary of anything that makes what we do more formal, and I think it needs to be made as easy as possible to start doing things for WMUK - anything that makes it more difficult for people to just turn up is a bad thing.

I don't think anybody is naive enough to believe that we shouldn't have any formality or paid staff given the amount of (voluntarily donated) money involved, but it's essential that we remember that the overwhelming majority of the people involved with WMUK do it for pleasure and/or out of passion for the Wikimedia movement - those people *are* Wikimedia UK. The staff roles and the bureaucracy exist to support them..

That said, Jon's clarification that it was intended primarily for interns/kids on work experience/etc put my mind more at rest.

Harry      

From: Gordon Joly <gordon.joly@pobox.com>
To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org; chriskeatingwiki@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, 17 February 2012, 20:34
Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] Wikimedia UK staff policies

On 17/02/2012 19:05, Gordon Joly wrote:
> On 09/02/2012 17:51, Chris Keating wrote:
>>
>> Gordon - have you actually read the draft policy - if so is there anything you particularly object to about it?
>>
> Yes, I have. Thanks for asking.
>
> Gordo
>

Apologies Chris. Let me explain.

I was in full time work in 1999, but since then I started to spend more time as a "volunteer" and less time making hard cash. Some say that I might be building "social capital". I Chair two active local groups, I have been a Trustee of registered charity, I am very active with various parts of my local housing association, and also with local NHS bodies.

The housing association has a "volunteer policy", and the application pack was 34 pages in length (I think that has changed). They have a lot of volunteering effort. But there is a real divide between those are "official" volunteers and those who contribute to the community in different ways. What bugs me is some will get awards, get their picture taken, get invited to special events and others will just on with it.

Wikipedia started as a volunteer effort. Wikimedia UK wanted to label some people as volunteers, since those volunteers will take take part (online and offline we assume) at workshops, competitions, hack days, GLAM events etc etc run by the organization.

I guess I need to used to the idea ...... bit like Usenet being transformed into Google Groups, perhaps (or Dejanews).... if you get my drift.

Gordo


--
Gordon Joly
gordon.joly@pobox.com
http://www.joly.org.uk/
Don't Leave Space To The Professionals!


_______________________________________________
Wikimedia UK mailing list
wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org
http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l
WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org