[Foundation-l] Transparency (was: What are the assets of the Foundation, anyway?)

[Birgitte SB]

--- Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:

> I do think we've made some progress in
> becoming more
> participatory:
> - Sandra has opened up the ComCom by creating a
> separate, more
> participatory, open communications group.
> - Internal Wiki / List have a proper access request
> procedure now and
> many new people have been added recently.
> 


Considering the question about transparency, have
these things been annouced widely?  I don't remember
ever seeing these items publicized on this list, but I
have stopped reading the list a few times out of
frustration and could have missed them.  Transparency
is crucial problem in my eyes, because lack of
transparency impedes informal communication.  And most
of the problems I have seen here are either caused or
worsened by poor communication.  

I must say that I think Anthere has consistantly
brought better transparency and communication to the
table than any other board members.  She has always
done this since long before she was chair, but she has
done even better at it since becoming chair.  Erik, I
understand your proposal to use blogs, but I must say
your posts are more likely to propose big ideas than
to offer any real communications on active issues. 
However you are the most likely speak up in threads
started by other boardmembers and help clarify issues,
which is the only sort of behaivour that will stop the
infighting.  Kat certainly took the lead communicating
about the resolution on media copyrights which does
her great credit as it was hardly a pleasant task.

I will also say that I do not think I have ever seen a
communication from board members outside of those
either given a strong negative response or next to no
response at all.  This list is very effective at
training boardmembers to remain silent.  If everytime
your dog brought his ball to you, you either ignored
him or yelled at him; he would never show you that
ball again.  So it does not surprise me that
transparency and communication remain problems even
after they were a large part of popular platforms in
the last election.


Birgitte SB

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