[Foundation-l] Policy governance ends

Tue Apr 17 19:45:35 UTC 2007

Hoi,
Cool. When an extension is developed, implementation is part of the project.
Not to do so would be daft. When an extension is developed elsewhere, we
have a "not invented here" situation.

I would suggest that one function of the WMF could be to perform maintenance
checks on all the software that is included in SVN. This means that having
software in the MediaWiki SVN will have specific benefits. One of these
maintenance checks would be to indicate and or maintain compatibility with
the main branch of MediaWiki. Another is that the software developed will be
truly open source; it will be this because of the general availability that
the MediaWiki SVN implies.

With such a framework in place, it does not need to take three months to
install an extension. It does however not imply that any extension available
in SVN will be installed. There is more to that.

Thanks,
    GerardM

On 4/17/07, Birgitte SB <birgitte_sb at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> To better clarify:
>
> Projects should find volunteers, partners, or grants
> to invest in new features.  However once that
> investment is done the b'crats of a wiki do not have
> the ability to turn it on, activate it, whatever the
> right terminology is.  A developer who is somehow
> under the oversight of WMF must decide if an extention
> that has been developed is acceptable for a Wikimedia
> wiki.  I don't know how they decide that, but I
> imagine it has to do with security and stability.  If
> they decide it is acceptable, the extention is put on
> the wiki.  If they decide it is not, then they tell
> the requesting parties why it is not acceptable.
> Presumably the people who worked on it originally (not
> WMF developers) go back to work on it for another try
> or else they give up on it.
>
> I am specifing what WMF's responsibilty is AFTER the
> investments you are talking about have already been
> made.  I am not putting any constrainsts on the actual
> development of features.
>
> Birgitte SB
>
>
> --- Birgitte SB <birgitte_sb at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > I think you misunderstand me.  I am not talking
> > about
> > developers writing code for extentions, but simply a
> > developer "turning on" an existing extension or else
> > saying they will not turn on that extension unitil
> > some specified problem is fixed.
> >
> > Birgitte SB
> >
> >
> > --- Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hoi,
> > > Do not put artificial constraints in. When an
> > > extension is realistic in
> > > that it provides a service that will benefit a
> > > particular project or
> > > even language, it may be that an investment in
> > > developer time of more
> > > that three months is worth the effort. When a
> > > project is expensive,
> > > there are all kinds of grants possible to gain
> > > either developer time or
> > > money to pay for the development of this code.
> > Often
> > > it is not only a
> > > WMF project that does benefit from an extension.
> > > When such parties are
> > > found and when the development becomes a shared
> > > effort much more becomes
> > > feasible.
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >     GerardM
> > >
> > > Birgitte SB schreef:
> > > > The WMF provides the essential infrastructure
> > and
> > > an
> > > > organizational framework for the support and
> > > > development of multilingual wiki projects.
> > > Wikimedia
> > > > wikis must be able to technically adapt in an
> > > > individual manner to succeed.
> > > >
> > > > Needs to be met?
> > > > Local extension requests must be evaluated by a
> > > > developer with the ability to implement them
> > > within
> > > > three months.
> > > >
> > > > For whom?
> > > > Wikimedia communities
> > > >
> > > > At what cost?
> > > > Not sure; at the cost of other bugs I suppose.
> > On
> > > the
> > > > waiting side, three months seems like a long
> > time
> > > to
> > > > find out if an extension is acceptable or needs
> > > more
> > > > work.  But if it is not realistic to people on
> > the
> > > > developer side, please adjust to any set time
> > > period.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Birgitte SB
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --- Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> Dear all,
> > > >>
> > > >> In the past few days, I have explored more
> > > >> systematically the policy
> > > >> governance model, and how it could be
> > > implemented.By
> > > >> the way, I found a
> > > >> short article about it on the english wikipedia
> > :
> > >
> > > >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy_Governance
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> One of the things the board has to design is
> > what
> > > is
> > > >> called the ENDS.
> > > >> In each ends, the board defines which needs are
> > > to
> > > >> be met, for whom, and
> > > >> at what cost.
> > > >>
> > > >> Let me give you two examples of ends.
> > > >> *******************************
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> The WMF is the host provider of several
> > websites,
> > > >> referred to as
> > > >> Wikimedia project.  Wikimedia websites must be
> > up
> > > >> and running
> > > >> efficiently, 24/24 hours, 7 days a week. That
> > is
> > > the
> > > >> priority of WMF.
> > > >>
> > > >> Needs to be met ?
> > > >> Information must be accessible anytime.
> > > >>
> > > >> For whom ?
> > > >> Any person with internet access
> > > >>
> > > >> At what cost ?
> > > >> Well, within limits reasonable with the revenue
> > > we
> > > >> have. If we had
> > > >> figures to mention, we could say max 1 million
> > > per
> > > >> year.
> > > >> *******************************
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> Another example
> > > >>
> > > >> The WMF is the organiser of an annual
> > conference,
> > > >> Wikimania.
> > > >>
> > > >> Needs to be met ?
> > > >> Both a scientific conference and a community
> > > event,
> > > >> Wikimania brings
> > > >> together members of various Wikimedia projects
> > in
> > > >> order to exchange
> > > >> ideas, build relationships, and report on
> > > research
> > > >> and project efforts.
> > > >> It also provides an opportunity for Wikimedians
> > > and
> > > >> the general public
> > > >> alike to meet and share ideas about free and
> > open
> > > >> source software, free
> > > >> knowledge initiatives, and wiki projects
> > > worldwide.
> > > >>
> > > >> For whom ?
> > > >> Primarily for Wikimedians. Secondarily for the
> > > >> general public
> > > >>
> > > >> At what cost ?
> > > >> No cost. WMF should find sponsors to cover
> > > Wikimania
> > > >> costs by large.
> > > >> *******************************
> > > >>
> > > >> Now, these are two easy ends to define.
> > > >> What I would like to ask you help on, is to
> > > define
> > > >> more ends, which
> > > >> describe what you think the WMF is about. The
> > two
> > > >> ends I mentionned
> > > >> above a "long term" ends, they would be listed
> > > this
> > > >> year, and then next
> > > >> year and probably the year after. Not all ends
> > > are
> > > >> this way. We could
> > > >> also have an end valid only one year, or only 3
> > > >> months.
> > > >> Let us say we want a BIG technical meeting
> > around
> > > >> Mediawiki to occur in
> > > >> the next 6 months, it would be one END.
> > > >> Or we want to produce a DVD of the english high
> > > >> quality content, it
> > > >> could be another END.
> > > >> Actually, hiring an ED could also be an end :-)
> > > >>
> > > >> Now, before you tell me "eh, we elected you
> > guys
> > > to
> > > >> think of that for
> > > >> us", my answer will be "no, you elected us to
> > > >> represent your dreams
> > > >> about WMF, and to make sure your dreams
> > happen".
> > > >> So, what I am currently asking you is
> > > >>
> > > >> "What do you want Wikimedia Foundation to focus
> > > its
> > > >> attention on in the
> > > >> next few months, few years or more".
> > > >>
> > > >> Whether you are members on the "paper" (bylaws)
> > > or
> > > >> not, morally, you are
> > > >> the owners of the organization. I do not think
> > > the
> > > >> editors represent the
> > > >> only owners, but the editors definitly are part
> > > of
> > > >> the owners. So, I ask
> > > >> you your opinion as owners.
> > > >>
> > > >> What do you think we should achieve ? If you
> > had
> > > 5
> > > >> points to list, what
> > > >> would they be ?
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> ant
> > >
> > >
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