I thought it would be interesting to share a summary I just pulled from the database of how many posts per month the WikimediaUK list had over the last 3 years. In this period the average numbers have declined and now they are at 30% or possibly 20% of what they were in 2012.
289 - Jan 2012 112 - Feb 2012 220 - Mar 2012 293 - Apr 2012 323 - May 2012 319 - Jun 2012 372 - Jul 2012 293 - Aug 2012 312 - Sep 2012 302 - Oct 2012 273 - Nov 2012 47 - Dec 2012 169 - Jan 2013 255 - Feb 2013 167 - Mar 2013 144 - Apr 2013 101 - May 2013 108 - Jun 2013 53 - Jul 2013 91 - Aug 2013 117 - Sep 2013 118 - Oct 2013 138 - Nov 2013 82 - Dec 2013 134 - Jan 2014 123 - Feb 2014 166 - Mar 2014 183 - Apr 2014 88 - May 2014 81 - Jun 2014 119 - Jul 2014 92 - Aug 2014 69 - Sep 2014 43 - Oct 2014 98 - Nov 2014 38 - Dec 2014 64 - Jan 2015
It's the sort of community measurement that might be a good input to a strategy discussion at some point.
Fae
Less trolling perhaps? [?]
On 17 February 2015 at 20:33, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
I thought it would be interesting to share a summary I just pulled from the database of how many posts per month the WikimediaUK list had over the last 3 years. In this period the average numbers have declined and now they are at 30% or possibly 20% of what they were in 2012.
289 - Jan 2012 112 - Feb 2012 220 - Mar 2012 293 - Apr 2012 323 - May 2012 319 - Jun 2012 372 - Jul 2012 293 - Aug 2012 312 - Sep 2012 302 - Oct 2012 273 - Nov 2012 47 - Dec 2012 169 - Jan 2013 255 - Feb 2013 167 - Mar 2013 144 - Apr 2013 101 - May 2013 108 - Jun 2013 53 - Jul 2013 91 - Aug 2013 117 - Sep 2013 118 - Oct 2013 138 - Nov 2013 82 - Dec 2013 134 - Jan 2014 123 - Feb 2014 166 - Mar 2014 183 - Apr 2014 88 - May 2014 81 - Jun 2014 119 - Jul 2014 92 - Aug 2014 69 - Sep 2014 43 - Oct 2014 98 - Nov 2014 38 - Dec 2014 64 - Jan 2015
It's the sort of community measurement that might be a good input to a strategy discussion at some point.
Fae
faewik@gmail.com https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 7:33 AM, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote:
I thought it would be interesting to share a summary I just pulled from the database of how many posts per month the WikimediaUK list had over the last 3 years. In this period the average numbers have declined and now they are at 30% or possibly 20% of what they were in 2012.
Has there been an increase in wiki activity over the same period?
There has certainly been a shift to Facebook in that time and possibly to Twitter and maybe the specialist sublists like tech and I think education. I'm not sure I approve of all of that both for open source reasons and because it excludes the pseudonymous amongst us. But it has certainly happened, hopefully in the most part with specialised discussions now taking place in specialist areas.
Regards
Jonathan Cardy
On 22 Feb 2015, at 00:09, John Mark Vandenberg jayvdb@gmail.com wrote:
On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 7:33 AM, Fæ faewik@gmail.com wrote: I thought it would be interesting to share a summary I just pulled from the database of how many posts per month the WikimediaUK list had over the last 3 years. In this period the average numbers have declined and now they are at 30% or possibly 20% of what they were in 2012.
Has there been an increase in wiki activity over the same period?
-- John Vandenberg
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Mailing lists tend to be a social anti-pattern.
I prefer wikis. http://microformats.org/wiki/wiki-better-than-email
Less mailing list activity should be something we welcome rather than worry about.
On 06/03/15 10:01, Gordon Joly wrote:
On 27/02/15 12:23, Tom Morris wrote:
Less mailing list activity should be something we welcome rather than worry about.
I am old school. I started nattering on the net in 1980, so old habits die hard (Usenet, Spuddy, WSMR, etc).
Gordo
"The wiki works better than email for content (examples, issues, brainstorms etc.) for numerous reasons."
Brainstorms?
I rest my case.
Gordo
It would be something to welcome if that activity had moved elsewhere, but as far as I can tell activity on the wiki is in decline as well. Not to worry, though - as long as we're meeting our meaningless KPIs I'm sure the FDC won't notice. Oh wait... Well, it's a good job we had that get-together last weekend so that the board could (pretend to) listen to the community's thoughts. Oh, wait... Well it's a good job WMUK has independent revenue streams. Oh, wait... Well, it's a good job we've still got those 200-odd volunteers from last year's Wikimania, they should help us tick some boxes for our KPIs. Oh wait... Never mind, though. As long as the board keep their heads in the sand it'll all be all right. Harry Mitchellhttp://enwp.org/User:HJ Phone: +44 (0) 7507 536971 Skype: harry_j_mitchell From: Gordon Joly gordon.joly@pobox.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Friday, 6 March 2015, 10:09 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] List participation
On 06/03/15 10:01, Gordon Joly wrote:
On 27/02/15 12:23, Tom Morris wrote:
Less mailing list activity should be something we welcome rather than worry about.
I am old school. I started nattering on the net in 1980, so old habits die hard (Usenet, Spuddy, WSMR, etc).
Gordo
"The wiki works better than email for content (examples, issues, brainstorms etc.) for numerous reasons."
Brainstorms?
I rest my case.
Gordo
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
What are your most important KPIs?
Rupert
On Mar 6, 2015 12:08 PM, "HJ Mitchell" hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
It would be something to welcome if that activity had moved elsewhere,
but as far as I can tell activity on the wiki is in decline as well.
Not to worry, though - as long as we're meeting our meaningless KPIs I'm
sure the FDC won't notice. Oh wait... Well, it's a good job we had that get-together last weekend so that the board could (pretend to) listen to the community's thoughts. Oh, wait... Well it's a good job WMUK has independent revenue streams. Oh, wait... Well, it's a good job we've still got those 200-odd volunteers from last year's Wikimania, they should help us tick some boxes for our KPIs. Oh wait...
Never mind, though. As long as the board keep their heads in the sand
it'll all be all right.
Harry Mitchell http://enwp.org/User:HJ Phone: +44 (0) 7507 536971 Skype: harry_j_mitchell
From: Gordon Joly gordon.joly@pobox.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Friday, 6 March 2015, 10:09 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] List participation
On 06/03/15 10:01, Gordon Joly wrote:
On 27/02/15 12:23, Tom Morris wrote:
Less mailing list activity should be something we welcome rather than worry about.
I am old school. I started nattering on the net in 1980, so old habits die hard (Usenet, Spuddy, WSMR, etc).
Gordo
"The wiki works better than email for content (examples, issues, brainstorms etc.) for numerous reasons."
Brainstorms?
I rest my case.
Gordo
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
We should be looking at indirectly estimating the impact WMUK has in each given time-period on its goal: "to promote and support the widest possible public access to, use of and contribution to Open Content of an encyclopaedic or educational nature or of similar utility to the general public, in particular the Open Content supported and provided by the Wikimedia Foundation."
I'd suggest that a decent estimate of the number of volunteer-hours devoted to WMUK events per month would be a really good starting point. See what the trend has been over time.
Volunteer involvement is the life-blood of WMUK. Anything else is unsustainable without that.
"Activity units" are a reasonable proxy for volunteer hours. However it is an open question whether spending time on WMUK events is more productive than working on other projects.
On 6 March 2015 at 18:35, rexx rexx@blueyonder.co.uk wrote:
We should be looking at indirectly estimating the impact WMUK has in each given time-period on its goal: "to promote and support the widest possible public access to, use of and contribution to Open Content of an encyclopaedic or educational nature or of similar utility to the general public, in particular the Open Content supported and provided by the Wikimedia Foundation."
I'd suggest that a decent estimate of the number of volunteer-hours devoted to WMUK events per month would be a really good starting point. See what the trend has been over time.
Volunteer involvement is the life-blood of WMUK. Anything else is unsustainable without that.
-- Rexx
On 6 March 2015 at 18:02, rupert THURNER rupert.thurner@gmail.com wrote:
What are your most important KPIs?
Rupert
On Mar 6, 2015 12:08 PM, "HJ Mitchell" hjmitchell@ymail.com wrote:
It would be something to welcome if that activity had moved elsewhere,
but as far as I can tell activity on the wiki is in decline as well.
Not to worry, though - as long as we're meeting our meaningless KPIs
I'm sure the FDC won't notice. Oh wait... Well, it's a good job we had that get-together last weekend so that the board could (pretend to) listen to the community's thoughts. Oh, wait... Well it's a good job WMUK has independent revenue streams. Oh, wait... Well, it's a good job we've still got those 200-odd volunteers from last year's Wikimania, they should help us tick some boxes for our KPIs. Oh wait...
Never mind, though. As long as the board keep their heads in the sand
it'll all be all right.
Harry Mitchell http://enwp.org/User:HJ Phone: +44 (0) 7507 536971 Skype: harry_j_mitchell
From: Gordon Joly gordon.joly@pobox.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Friday, 6 March 2015, 10:09 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] List participation
On 06/03/15 10:01, Gordon Joly wrote:
On 27/02/15 12:23, Tom Morris wrote:
Less mailing list activity should be something we welcome rather than worry about.
I am old school. I started nattering on the net in 1980, so old habits die hard (Usenet, Spuddy, WSMR, etc).
Gordo
"The wiki works better than email for content (examples, issues, brainstorms etc.) for numerous reasons."
Brainstorms?
I rest my case.
Gordo
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
At a basic level, yes, but salaried staff have responsibilities beyond what volunteers have, as do the trustees - who take on a legal duty to ensure the proper running of the charity, and who are asleep at the wheel in my opinion. Harry Mitchellhttp://enwp.org/User:HJ Phone: +44 (0) 7507 536971 Skype: harry_j_mitchell From: Gordon Joly gordon.joly@pobox.com To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Saturday, 7 March 2015, 10:38 Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] List participation
On 06/03/15 11:08, HJ Mitchell wrote:
Never mind, though. As long as the board keep their heads in the sand it'll all be all right.
Steady on old man. We are all volunteers here!
Gordo
P.S. Aren't WMF funds unrestricted?
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
On 07/03/15 18:02, HJ Mitchell wrote:
At a basic level, yes, but salaried staff have responsibilities beyond what volunteers have, as do the trustees - who take on a legal duty to ensure the proper running of the charity, and who are asleep at the wheel in my opinion.
Harry Mitchell
See you in court!
Gordo
On 07/03/15 18:02, HJ Mitchell wrote:
At a basic level, yes, but salaried staff have responsibilities beyond what volunteers have, as do the trustees - who take on a legal duty to ensure the proper running of the charity, and who are asleep at the wheel in my opinion.
Salaried staff, who might be facing an uncertain future, it seems. The CEO left, and we have an interim CEO.
And most of the staff are also volunteers....
Gordo
On 06/03/15 11:08, HJ Mitchell wrote:
As long as the board keep their heads in the sand it'll all be all right.
Not at all. The Board are working on the collapse of WMUK finances! They even have a camera: they are looking into it.
https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Minutes_2014-12-13
Gordo
I suggest adding "number of sarcastic comments on the list" as a new KPI. Something the whole community can get behind. On 9 Mar 2015 13:43, "Gordon Joly" gordon.joly@pobox.com wrote:
On 06/03/15 11:08, HJ Mitchell wrote:
As long as the board keep their heads in the sand it'll all be all right.
Not at all. The Board are working on the collapse of WMUK finances! They even have a camera: they are looking into it.
https://wikimedia.org.uk/wiki/Minutes_2014-12-13
Gordo
Wikimedia UK mailing list wikimediauk-l@wikimedia.org http://mail.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l WMUK: https://wikimedia.org.uk
On 09/03/15 17:44, James Farrar wrote:
I suggest adding "number of sarcastic comments on the list" as a new KPI. Something the whole community can get behind.
On reflection, this is exactly why I have a problem. The registered charity operates, within its own terms of reference. The community operates within a different framework, and is not a legal entity. This mailing list is an example of the intersection between WMUK and the community.
The community came first, as did the first attempt at charity formation.
Perhaps we need a WMUK Supporters' Trust?
Cf. Manchester United Supporters' Trust (formerly Shareholders United).
Gordo
wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org
