Hi all,
As Jonathan suggested some time ago, in the publicity we can offer a gift voucher of a given value, and allow the recipient to chose what is easiest for them. This has also been repeated once or twice. I am surprised that we can't reach consensus around this.
That way WMUK is not taking a public stance as regards any business, and our private views on this or that company can be discussed elsewhere.
Likewise, there would be no need to publicise how any recipient may choose to receive their prize.
I would hope people would see this as a suitable solution.
all the best
Fabian User:Leutha
Another suggestion: National book token? It'll encourage the winner to spend the prize on educational material without endorsing one business over another.
NBT shouldn't be a problem for a winner residing outside the UK, because the online shops of most major UK bookstores offer international delivery. In fact it'll encourage overseas winners to spend the NBT on books they can't buy in their home countries, thereby increasing the potential for them to contribute to Wikimedia projects on a UK-related topic.
Deryck
On 30 November 2013 20:53, fabian@unpopular.org.uk wrote:
Hi all,
As Jonathan suggested some time ago, in the publicity we can offer a gift voucher of a given value, and allow the recipient to chose what is easiest for them. This has also been repeated once or twice. I am surprised that we can't reach consensus around this.
That way WMUK is not taking a public stance as regards any business, and our private views on this or that company can be discussed elsewhere.
Likewise, there would be no need to publicise how any recipient may choose to receive their prize.
I would hope people would see this as a suitable solution.
all the best
Fabian User:Leutha
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
On 30 November 2013 20:53, fabian@unpopular.org.uk wrote:
Hi all,
As Jonathan suggested some time ago, in the publicity we can offer a gift voucher of a given value, and allow the recipient to chose what is easiest for them. This has also been repeated once or twice. I am surprised that we can't reach consensus around this.
That way WMUK is not taking a public stance as regards any business, and our private views on this or that company can be discussed elsewhere.
Actually, I despair of the entire thread. There is all of £20 at stake here. There is every reason to economise on staff time, on this scale. The waste of volunteer time and good will that has been generated is unconscionable. The object of the exercise has been completely forgotten. The objects of the charity hardly enter.
Charles
On 30 Nov 2013, at 22:01, Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com wrote:
Actually, I despair of the entire thread. There is all of £20 at stake here. There is every reason to economise on staff time, on this scale. The waste of volunteer time and good will that has been generated is unconscionable. The object of the exercise has been completely forgotten. The objects of the charity hardly enter.
Charles
Absolutely. After 43 emails all we have learned that the mailing list is not a remotely efficient way of deciding how the charity should spend £20. The staff have plenty to go on, and they should be perfectly able to move ahead now without need for any further commentary.
I suggest that this thread should be treated as closed. Thank you for your comments everybody.
Michael
On 1 Dec 2013, at 03:01, Michael Maggs Michael@Maggs.name wrote:
On 30 Nov 2013, at 22:01, Charles Matthews charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com wrote:
Actually, I despair of the entire thread. There is all of £20 at stake here. There is every reason to economise on staff time, on this scale. The waste of volunteer time and good will that has been generated is unconscionable. The object of the exercise has been completely forgotten. The objects of the charity hardly enter.
Charles
Absolutely. After 43 emails all we have learned that the mailing list is not a remotely efficient way of deciding how the charity should spend £20. The staff have plenty to go on, and they should be perfectly able to move ahead now without need for any further commentary.
I disagree with the assertion that this thread has just been discussing an amount of £20. That could have been true if it was a thread focused on a single prize, but instead this has been talking about the general issue. Depending on how many vouchers WMUK purchases for competition prizes over the coming years, then that could easily amount to well in excess of £1,000. There’s also the intangible financial benefits from competition advertising, which is difficult to quantify. I think it’s useful to see the range of viewpoints here, and if there are people subscribed that have different viewpoints than those raised here then they shouldn’t feel forbidden from airing them here if they want to.
Thanks, MIke (Again, from my work address due to technical issues, but this is my personal viewpoint.)
On 2 December 2013 18:59, Michael Peel michael.peel@manchester.ac.ukwrote:
I think it’s useful to see the range of viewpoints here, and if there are people subscribed that have different viewpoints than those raised here then they shouldn’t feel forbidden from airing them here if they want to.
Remarkably naive view of DNFTT, that. And you were asked politely not to.
OK then, I have a viewpoint that the suggestion that people in an international competition should be asked to nominate what gift voucher for £10 they would like, rather than be told (your "choice is good") is plain silly. One winner may want a voucher for a department store in Belize City, the other one want something denominated in Australian dollars. Exactly how much correspondence and faffing around do you want to dump on the office?
Charles
So the happy medium? Nominate a number of different providers and then let the recipient choose.
Tom On 2 Dec 2013 19:24, "Charles Matthews" charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com wrote:
On 2 December 2013 18:59, Michael Peel michael.peel@manchester.ac.ukwrote:
I think it’s useful to see the range of viewpoints here, and if there are people subscribed that have different viewpoints than those raised here then they shouldn’t feel forbidden from airing them here if they want to.
Remarkably naive view of DNFTT, that. And you were asked politely not to.
OK then, I have a viewpoint that the suggestion that people in an international competition should be asked to nominate what gift voucher for £10 they would like, rather than be told (your "choice is good") is plain silly. One winner may want a voucher for a department store in Belize City, the other one want something denominated in Australian dollars. Exactly how much correspondence and faffing around do you want to dump on the office?
Charles
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Or why not offer cash prize? Of course pay by paypal, we are not talking about huge prizes here, so lets not be fussy about them being book vouchers only.
Let the recipient of prize chose where wants to go and buy his books, may be they have a source where they could buy more books in cash (used, secondhand, etc) than they could buy from The Amazon vouchers.
Just my viewpoint,
Dhaval On 2 Dec 2013 19:28, "Thomas Morton" morton.thomas@googlemail.com wrote:
So the happy medium? Nominate a number of different providers and then let the recipient choose.
Tom On 2 Dec 2013 19:24, "Charles Matthews" charles.r.matthews@ntlworld.com wrote:
On 2 December 2013 18:59, Michael Peel michael.peel@manchester.ac.ukwrote:
I think it’s useful to see the range of viewpoints here, and if there are people subscribed that have different viewpoints than those raised here then they shouldn’t feel forbidden from airing them here if they want to.
Remarkably naive view of DNFTT, that. And you were asked politely not to.
OK then, I have a viewpoint that the suggestion that people in an international competition should be asked to nominate what gift voucher for £10 they would like, rather than be told (your "choice is good") is plain silly. One winner may want a voucher for a department store in Belize City, the other one want something denominated in Australian dollars. Exactly how much correspondence and faffing around do you want to dump on the office?
Charles
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: http://uk.wikimedia.org
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