[Foundation-l] WMG Community Report/Status

[Jeffrey V. Merkey]

The Wolf Mountain Group has been reincorporated as a C Corporation with 
10,000,000 shares of common/preffered stock and the LLC has been 
dissolved effective November 19, 2006.  The company is now Wolf Mountain 
Group, Inc.

I also received a disturbing email from Mr. Wales to the affect some 
people in the community and business community seem to have a mistaken 
belief that the Foundation and Wolf Mountain Group have some sort of 
partnership.   I will clarify and address these statements.

There is NO formal partnership between the Wikimedia Foundation and the 
Wolf Mountain Group, Inc.  of any kind, nor is there likely to be in the 
future.   The basis for this position is that the Foundation is a 
non-profit entity and the Wolf Mountain Group is a for profit domestic 
corporation which is 100% owned and controlled by Tribal Members or 
Tribal Entities of Native American Tribes.   A formal partnership 
between the two entites would preclude our participation in many of the 
programs of the Federal Government since the Foundation is not eligible 
for participation in any of these these programs for Native American 
Tribal entites.  WMG, Inc. as currently structured is eligible for 8(a) 
status with the Federal Government, which means we come before minority 
businesses and even the open bidding process due to our status on 
equipment purchases and business arangements with the Federal 
Government, ANA, and BIA.  A partnership with the Foundation would 
preclude us from our primary mission to serve the Native American Tribes 
with our programs and place this status in jeopardy.

I have no idea where this mistaken belief has originated, so I am 
correcting it.   WMG is simply a consumer of Wikipedia content like many 
other groups who work with the Wikipedia community, the Wikimedia 
Foundation, and various stakeholders in the effort as do a large number 
of other groups who interact with the Wikipedia projects.    Mr. Wales 
is under some impression there is some sort of "bad blood" with various 
members of the community as well he cannot correct.   My response to 
this is its irrelevant to our mission and business objectives.  The last 
company I co-founded sold to the Canopy Group for 3.9 million dollars, 
and the one before to Network General for 10.1 million dollars, so I 
know how to create profitable ventures and we do contribute to the 
Foundation in many ways that are complementary.

My message to those with "bad blood" is get over it.   WMG isn't going 
away, and and we have 175 languages to preserve.   I want everyone to 
understand that our mission overshadows any personal issues people may 
have with me personally, or our company.    We don't care, and to be 
honest, its not relevant.  We all have our roles and as a consumer of 
Wikipedia content we are a "customer" of sorts of your efforts. 

We look forward to promoting Wikipedia content and working with the 
Foundation as a Wikipedia customer and content consumer.    For anyone 
spreading these rumors there is some sort of "partnership" we ask you to 
please stop immediately.   These statements are untrue and contrary to 
the facts.

Sincerely,

Jeff