On Sun, Jul 15, 2012 at 12:21 AM, Mr. Gregory Varnum
<gregory.varnum@gmail.com> wrote:
When we go past 4-5, how do we fairly determine which US chapters get to keep their votes and which don't get one? Also, what reason do other nation's chapters have to trust we'll simply give up votes down the road when we have more chapters? Providing a solution now seems a good way to ease concerns and decrease resistance to future US chapters.
I don't disagree that there exist potential scenarios where we would be forced to agree to such a system as the price of recognition for a future US-based chapter. What I do disagree with, however, is simply acceding to this arrangement without any indication that it will actually be necessary, and without any guarantees that it will be applied to other countries as well.
Plus, are we really worried that the US is going to lose our clout in WM or WMF?
It depends on what you mean. There are really only two scenarios where chapters "vote" as entities:
(1) WMF board elections
(2) WCA council votes
The first of these is a non-issue in practice; the successful candidates wind up being determined by something closer to a rough consensus than a true vote. The second, however, is potentially a very significant issue, particularly given that nobody really knows what authority the WCA will eventually come to wield.
Cheers,
Kirill
--
Kirill Lokshin
Secretary | Wikimedia District of Columbia