On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 2:14 PM, Alex mrzmanwiki@gmail.com wrote:
Brian wrote:
On Fri, Sep 25, 2009 at 12:30 PM, Trevor Parscal <tparscal@wikimedia.org wrote:
- The topic is supposed to be on Template Editing which is, at least in the way it's being proposed, a little less of a stale topic - so where is all the energy on that front? We have an XML format to design and complex problems to sort out. Help is really needed. Let's all take a look at the link provided at the beginning of this thread http://usability.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template_forms
- Trevor
I do think that sufficient energy has been directed at this topic. People have complained that xml is harder to edit that wikitext and that it is
too
complicated, among other things. Additionally, several people have
pointed
out that solving this little part of the problem doesn't make sense in
the
context of the larger problem at hand here. You are trying to separate
the
issue of template editing from the larger issue of wikitext, and that doesn't make sense. Also, I am quite serious about my point that an
entirely
new language interface specification will be added to MediaWiki and that
it
will be widely adopted and propagate throughout the wikisphere, much like parser functions, and in the end will make the job of fixing MediaWiki
much,
much harder. As it is very important developers already thing the problem
is
so hard as to be impossible. I disagree with that, but at the same time I don't think it's a good idea to make it even harder.
So I don't think help is needed in designing a new xml interface specification for mediawiki right now. I'm also a bit confused, because I thought we had this new strategic planning wiki, but it looks like the strategy aspect of this proposal is being largely ignored. From what I
have
heard, there was a meeting about how to solve this problem among core
devs
and a few others at wikimedia headquarters, they decided what the
solution
would be, and now you guys are moving forward on implementing it, totally ignoring the strategy wiki.
AFAIK, the strategy wiki is designed to help formulate a 5-year strategic plan. According to the timeline, actual execution may not begin for at least another 4 months.[1] The usability project has its own timeline and deadlines and is more concerned more with short and medium term projects. I don't know if there is any plan to continue funding the usability initiative after the Stanton Foundation grant runs out.
[1]http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Process#Timeline_.282009_-_2010.29
-- Alex (wikipedia:en:User:Mr.Z-man)
The vision for the strategy wiki is much, much broader than that. Here is a recent e-mail from Sue on the subject:
On Tue, Sep 22, 2009 at 7:35 PM, Sue Gardner sgardner@wikimedia.org wrote:
2009/9/22 Eugene Eric Kim eekim@blueoxen.com:
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:49 PM, Pavlo Shevelo pavlo.shevelo@gmail.com
wrote:
"Who will decide what the strategy will be, and what will be the decision-making process?"
this page explains nothing about (or explains in no detail if somebody prefers) how main stakeholder - Foundation will make decision about said strategy. The huge, extremely intensive (and effective, if we will do our best) Earth-wide pipeline for proposal preparation - it's good. But what will be in the very end? How Foundation will decide what idea is good enough to stand behind it (and to put money in it)?
Sorry for taking so long to respond, Pavlo. I'm not sure I'm the right person to respond to this. I'll do my best, you can tell me if you think it's clear, and hopefully other folks from the Foundation will jump in.
I just saw this thread; I'm happy to jump in.
What Eugene says is all accurate -- let me expand a little.
Essentially, the purpose of the project is to develop a strategy for the Wikimedia movement, not just for the Wikimedia Foundation. What that means is that no single entity will be able to approve and drive forward the whole thing: individual players will drive forward the pieces that compel and engage and inspire them.
So for example:
- If it looks like it makes sense to stage a lot of events aimed at
broadening participation in developed countries, the chapters would logically take the lead on that.
- If it looks like it would make sense to conduct a massive awareness
campaign in India, that would probably be moved forward in partnership between the Wikimedia Foundation and what might be -by then- an approved, new Indian chapter.
- If it looks like a very strong focus on mobile makes sense, I expect
that would be something driven forward by the tech staff at Wikimedia, in partnership with individual volunteer devs, and possibly supported by relationships with for-profit firms such as Orange.
- If there is a simple thing that looks sensible, and one person wants
to, and is able to, achieve it by him or herself, they would just do that. They wouldn't need to wait for anyone's goahead.
You see what I mean? Essentially, the goal is that each player will make its own decisions based on its own context -- its own capacity, its skills and abilities and interests, its own goals and priorities. People will be able to do that however they want, in whatever process works for them.
With regards to the Wikimedia Foundation, as Eugene said, if the process works well, it (the process) will deliver to the Board a set of high-level recommendations in key areas. By that time work will have been done, especially in the later stages of the task force work, to try to ensure the recommendations are synched up with each other and make sense together as much as possible --- but there will probably be a few areas in which incompatible (mutually exclusive) recommendations are submitted. The Board of Trustees will then work to resolve whatever contradictions are present, and to prioritize the work it wants to get done. And then, if all has gone well, it will approve the strategy plan.
Hope that helps. And -- Board members should please speak up here also, especially if there are nuances to their understanding that differ from mine or Eugene's.
Thanks, Sue
-- Sue Gardner Executive Director Wikimedia Foundation
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