We welcome constructive criticism, and I am happy to listen to any members' concerns and ideas for improving Chapter-Community cohesion and communication. :)
John Lubbock
Communications Coordinator
Wikimedia UK
+44 (0) 203 372 0767
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On 10 April 2018 at 18:49, John Byrne john@bodkinprints.co.uk wrote:
As very often in recent years, I got a notification of my post sent an hour or so ago, with completely blank text. Yet Katie has clearly seen it, as she quotes me. Have others also got blanks? Can the rather cryptic instructions for replies be clarified, or is there some bug? I get the digest version. It doesn't exactly encourage people to contribute, and may be a factor in the much lower activity on this list in recent years. It never used to happen.
No Katie, I don't think this has much to do with it, though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism...
John/Johnbod
On 10 April 2018 at 18:37 wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org wrote:
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Today's Topics:
- Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Charles Matthews) 2. UK chapter
membership numbers (John Byrne) 3. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Katie Chan) 4. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Richard Nevell)
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 14:25:51 +0100 (BST) From: Charles Matthews To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
On 10 April 2018 at 11:41 Fæ wrote:
It appears that the jump in numbers was a one-off event, there has been no continued growth since whatever happened.
I don't know what happened. I did correspond with the office about a prompt to renew. One could simulate such a "one-off event" by simply asking people whose membership had lapsed to renew. I was doing this sort of thing for WMUK some seven years ago, so as an explanation it is not far-fetched.
Charles
Message: 2 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:31:33 +0100 (BST) From: John Byrne To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1.co.uk Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
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Message: 3 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 18:31:14 +0100 From: Katie Chan To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Oh I don't know, maybe this "yawning gap" wouldn't be so wide if the chapter don't get criticised for both not increasing its membership numbers and having increased its membership numbers. Just a wide guess.... KTC
Sent from my Samsung device
" though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism... "
John, I must have missed that bit as I didn't see Katie imply that at all. If anything, I think the chapter receives, and always has received, a lot of unwarranted criticism from people who have ill-defined issues with how it operates. Some people have always been very quick to rush to criticism rather than gently join a conversation. Others simply have an axe to grind.
The chapter is doing a good job. Wouldn't it be nice if we heard people say that more often?
On Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 6:49 PM, John Byrne john@bodkinprints.co.uk wrote:
As very often in recent years, I got a notification of my post sent an hour or so ago, with completely blank text. Yet Katie has clearly seen it, as she quotes me. Have others also got blanks? Can the rather cryptic instructions for replies be clarified, or is there some bug? I get the digest version. It doesn't exactly encourage people to contribute, and may be a factor in the much lower activity on this list in recent years. It never used to happen.
No Katie, I don't think this has much to do with it, though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism...
John/Johnbod
On 10 April 2018 at 18:37 wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia.org wrote:
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You can reach the person managing the list at wikimediauk-l-owner@lists.wikimedia.org
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Wikimediauk-l digest..."
Today's Topics:
- Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Charles Matthews) 2. UK chapter
membership numbers (John Byrne) 3. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Katie Chan) 4. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Richard Nevell)
Message: 1 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 14:25:51 +0100 (BST) From: Charles Matthews To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
On 10 April 2018 at 11:41 Fæ wrote:
It appears that the jump in numbers was a one-off event, there has been no continued growth since whatever happened.
I don't know what happened. I did correspond with the office about a prompt to renew. One could simulate such a "one-off event" by simply asking people whose membership had lapsed to renew. I was doing this sort of thing for WMUK some seven years ago, so as an explanation it is not far-fetched.
Charles
Message: 2 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:31:33 +0100 (BST) From: John Byrne To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1.co.uk Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
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Message: 3 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 18:31:14 +0100 From: Katie Chan To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: 7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Oh I don't know, maybe this "yawning gap" wouldn't be so wide if the chapter don't get criticised for both not increasing its membership numbers and having increased its membership numbers. Just a wide guess.... KTC
Sent from my Samsung device
I'm also willing to listen to criticism of the chapter, and I promise I'll do my best to address any issues that I can, as long as it does not fall directly within the operational remit of the staff.
I don't share the concern about the jump in membership. All the reports I have seen indicate that the membership grew because a significant number of donors simply agreed to call £5 worth of their donations a membership fee. We have quite a few regular donors, so it does not seem unlikely to me that the observed effect on membership numbers was almost wholly as a result of that.
The possibility of entryism has been a concern for the Board for some time, because of low numbers of members. However, again as far as I am aware, the jump in membership was not localised to any group other the very diverse group who are our regular donors. The result of that will be to make it more difficult for any special interest group to become a significant voting block, although the proof of that will lie with the next AGM, when we see if the number of members voting goes up in line with the increased membership. I have a sneaking feeling it might not.
As ever, the trustees will be keen to hear of issues that the community raises, and concerned members should always feel that they can ask any trustee for items to be raised at the next Board meeting - or earlier, should the matter be urgent.
Cheers
--
Doug
On 10 April 2018 at 18:57 Stevie Benton stevie.d.benton@gmail.com wrote:
" though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism... " John, I must have missed that bit as I didn't see Katie imply that at all. If anything, I think the chapter receives, and always has received, a lot of unwarranted criticism from people who have ill-defined issues with how it operates. Some people have always been very quick to rush to criticism rather than gently join a conversation. Others simply have an axe to grind. The chapter is doing a good job. Wouldn't it be nice if we heard people say that more often? On Tue, Apr 10, 2018 at 6:49 PM, John Byrne <john@bodkinprints.co.uk mailto:john@bodkinprints.co.uk > wrote: > >As very often in recent years, I got a notification of my post sent an hour or so ago, with completely blank text. Yet Katie has clearly seen it, as she quotes me. Have others also got blanks? Can the rather cryptic instructions for replies be clarified, or is there some bug? I get the digest version. It doesn't exactly encourage people to contribute, and may be a factor in the much lower activity on this list in recent years. It never used to happen. No Katie, I don't think this has much to do with it, though you are right to imply that the chapter is over-sensitive to criticism... John/Johnbod On 10 April 2018 at 18:37 wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia .org wrote: Send Wikimediauk-l mailing list submissions to wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia .org To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediauk-l or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l-request@lists.wikimedia .org You can reach the person managing the list at wikimediauk-l-owner@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l-owner@lists.wikimedia .org When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of Wikimediauk-l digest..." Today's Topics: 1. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Charles Matthews) 2. UK chapter membership numbers (John Byrne) 3. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Katie Chan) 4. Re: UK chapter membership numbers (Richard Nevell) > > > ---------------------------------------------Message: 1 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 14:25:51 +0100 (BST) From: Charles Matthews To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: < 1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia mailto:1623281894.198396.1523366751569@mail2.virginmedia .com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 > > > > On 10 April 2018 at 11:41 Fæ wrote:It appears that the jump in numbers was a one-off event, there has been no continued growth since whatever happened. > > > I don't know what happened. I did correspond with the office about a prompt to renew. One could simulate such a "one-off event" by simply asking people whose membership had lapsed to renew. I was doing this sort of thing for WMUK some seven years ago, so as an explanation it is not far-fetched.Charles --------------------------------------------- Message: 2 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 17:31:33 +0100 (BST) From: John Byrne To: wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia mailto:wikimediauk-l@lists.wikimedia . org Subject: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: < 522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1 mailto:522111329.168305.1523377893491@email.1and1 . co.uk http://co.uk > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: --------------------------------------------- Message: 3 Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 18:31:14 +0100 From: Katie Chan To: UK Wikimedia mailing list Subject: Re: [Wikimediauk-l] UK chapter membership numbers Message-ID: < 7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android mailto:7mbf1d6v6k6decqn08p662nx.1523381474669@email.android . com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Oh I don't know, maybe this "yawning gap" wouldn't be so wide if the chapter don't get criticised for both not increasing its membership numbers and having increased its membership numbers. Just a wide guess.... KTC Sent from my Samsung device
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