[Foundation-l] Concern with performance issues

[David Gerard]

Robert Scott Horning (robert_horning at netzero.net) [050117 22:56]:

>   I've also been involved in other 
> volunteer organizations (political, social, and youth groups) and the 
> need to keep the volunteers happy should never be underestimated.  The 
> fickle thing about volunteers is that if they don't like what is going 
> on, they will leave quietly... often without the leaders or those "at 
> the top" even being able to percieve that there is a problem.  If you 
> hire somebody in any role (developer, PR work, accounting, etc.), you 
> have to make sure that individual is committed to the goals of the 
> organization, and if possible would be a volunteer if they would not get 
> paid for their work.  This is true for Wikipedia as it is for the Red Cross.


I have considerable experience in managing volunteers (both as a volunteer
and being paid to manage them). One question I'd like a better answer to is
how to keep volunteers from each others' throats better ... en: is large
enough to be qualitatively different from any other wiki, anywhere, ever.


- d.