[Foundation-l] Policy governance ends

[Anthony]

On 4/16/07, Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Anthony wrote:
> > Well, I'm not sure if this was what you were looking for, but one
> > thing I came up with while thinking about this is I'd like to see
> > Wikinews become the best news source. [snip]
>
> Nod.
> This is on the same level than the idea expressed by Yann. My problem
> with this one though is that it is hard to measure afterwards. How do
> you know a project has improved ? You may measure "number of languages"
> or "number of articles", but how do you measure "higher quality".
>
> If we tell the staff, your END is to improve the quality of Wikinews,
> how do we afterwards assess whether there was an improvement or not ?
> What is an improvement ? Practically ?
>
Does the measurement have to be something put into a contract, or
otherwise measurable objectively?  Or can it be something that is
measured subjectively, for instance by a board vote?  The board could
certainly look at Wikinews a year from now (or six months from now, or
three months, or whatever) and subjectively decide how much they feel
it has improved.  Objective measurements would be much more difficult.

I guess I wasn't really thinking of this in terms of what the ED can
be told to do.  In terms of that I think ensuring financial
transparency is an important one that hasn't really been mentioned.
It's also one that Brad started, but never finished - we were supposed
to have regular financial statements by now, which I took to mean
monthly or quarterly.  I'll be bold, and request monthly financial
statements.  For whom?  Published on the website for everyone within
45 days of the end of the month.  At what cost?  I'd need more
information to be able to give an accurate estimate.

Anthony