[Foundation-l] Accelerating chapter creation

[effe iets anders]

A nice idea, when you want to focus on the creation of chapters. But I
think creating chapters shound not be a goal on itself. When you put
such a notice, you create certain expectations, people will expect you
to accept their proposal, their chapter, and will have probably have
no idea what kind of work it will bring to them.

I think it is very important that the group of people knows what they
start with, and that they are motivated, and really see the advantages
and want to do it themselves. not because they saw it, thought it
would be nice, and did it in a whelm, and found bound to the idea. Not
because they felt that the foundation apeprently felt that every wiki
should have at least one chapter, not because *we* think it would
work. I think there are enough countries and communities who can work
very well without chapter, or who don't feel the need to it. I would
rather like to open the discussion in general, have an IRC-meeting
with explanations, and invite key people from the communities to think
with us.

Greetings, Lodewijk

2006/9/26, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org>:
> Wikimedia projects exist in over 100 languages. Many of those
> languages are spoken in countries which do not have chapters yet.
>
> Would it be a worthwhile experiment, for every wiki that is in a
> language without a chapter in the country/countries where it is
> spoken, to put a note in the _registered user_ site notice, such as:
>
>  "If you are interested in starting a Wikimedia Foundation chapter in
>   [country/countries], please go to [page on Meta]"?
>
> The process could be similar to the Wikinews language creation
> process, i.e., there would have to be a minimum number of supporters,
> who might also have to do some grunt work to prove commitment. Then
> they would get their own chapter mailing list.
>
> Unregistered readers would not see this notice.
>
> We might define some preconditions for this:
>
> 1) Single login to make it easier to switch over to Meta
> 2) Logo / trademark agreements fully sorted out with existing chapters
> 3) Best practices document in place
> 4) Dismissable site notice so users won't be permanently annoyed by it.
>
> But in general, do you think it's an idea worth exploring?
>
> --
> Peace & Love,
> Erik
>
> Member, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees
>
> DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise stated, all views or opinions expressed
> in this message are solely my own and do not represent an official
> position of the Wikimedia Foundation or its Board of Trustees.
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