[Foundation-l] Fundraising and site notice

[Anthony]

On 1/7/07, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> Oldak Quill schreef:
> > On 07/01/07, Florence Devouard <anthere at anthere.org> wrote:
> >
> >> Hello everyone.
> >>
> >> Just for a head up (or down)
> >>
> >> First, I wanted to announce to all that there will be no more matching
> >> donors in that fundraiser.
> >> This is due to a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, the
> >> reaction of some members in the community.
> >>
> >
> > Regardless of whether I agreed with the Virgin notice or not, this is
> > an excellent move on behalf of the Foundation. It demonstrates the
> > Foundation's responsiveness to Wikimedians and that there is no
> > bureaucratic disconnect (which is always a worry when a project like
> > ours begins to organise into formalised institutions and structures).
> >
> > Thanks Florence and the rest of the team. You're doing an excellent job.
> >
> >
> Hoi,
> I am afraid you did not read the whole of Florence her e-mail, or you
> only read what you want to read.. "Fourth, we'll go on with limited
> funds. Limited means we'll go delaying certain issues. That's life !"
>
> This means that things that are deemed necessary will not happen or will
> not happen in the near future for lack of funds.

Ant didn't say anything about the issues which were delayed being
*necessary*.  Framing it that way seems unfair.

> There have been no
> serious proposals on how the WMF can make the money that it requires.
> And where you see responsiveness, I fail to see how our aim is indeed
> best served when you consider our growth and our lack of current funding.
>
You seem to be taking as a given that the Virgin Unite sponsorship had
an overall positive effect on the amount of funds raised.  It seems to
me that isn't necessarily the case.  There certainly has been a
dropoff of raised funds recently, though at least some of this is
likely simply due to it being a new tax year for most US donors.

Anthony