[Foundation-l] Re: Resignation as CRO

[Erik Zachte]

Erik Moeller, your announcement is a most regrettable final step after an
escalation of sentiments on both sides. You invested too much in wikimedia
projects to let your pride get the better of you. You have strong opinions
and sometimes are impatient and even a bit short tempered, but your drive
and vision are most wanted.

I do not know enough of the current matter at hand to judge who is wrong and
who is right, if any is at all. I read all the exchanges between you and
Anthere but that seems not be the whole story. I do however believe that
much confusion could have been avoided when the role of CRO had been better
defined. But the same goes for the role of the board!

I do feel somewhat uncomfortable with the ongoing trend to treat the board
as the people who pull the strings. In my view a hierarchy is indeed
emerging, where you Erik, object to, but which you, perhaps unwittingly,
fostered in the past, in fact I noticed on several occasions how you
deferred matters to the board instead of to the community.

Role and responsabilities of the board have never been clearly defined,
unless we view the bylaws as such, but those seem more like a safety valve,
with formulations that only should be applied in extreme emergencies "The
Board of Trustees shall be empowered to make any and all regulations, rules,
policies, user agreements, terms of use, and other such decisions as may be
necessary for the continued functioning of the Foundation not inconsistent
with these bylaws."

The board according to Jimbo is currently discussing (ironically behind
closed curtains) how to improve democracy within wikimedia. After experts
have been consulted the community will have a final say, Jimmy told us, but
it still does not feel like the wiki way, where everyone helps in the
brainstorming process when ideas are still fluid.

Having said that, we are lucky in my view with the board members we have,
who are mostly a cohesive force. I've seen several occasions in the more
distant past where Angela and Anthere expressly refused to take decisions
before the community had spoken. Jimbo delegates a lot, I would say. Also I
don't believe Jimbo's ego is "the size of a planet". His ambitions are,
almost literally, "the size of a planet", which is different.

So let us be inspired to clarify roles, responsabilities and procedures, at
a time when we can do without in many occasions, in preparation for a time
when we might need more clarity and transparency badly. Erik, in fact your
collision with the board is a wake up call in this respect. Please stay and
help us turn this into a positive experience.

Erik Zachte