[Foundation-l] Mission/Vision Statement

[The Cunctator]

On 1/6/07, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 1/5/07, Erik Moeller <erik at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> > On 1/6/07, Gregory Maxwell <gmaxwell at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > What happens when webpages are replaced by GopherNG? ;)
> >
> > Well, we're not saying anything about the web, we're saying
> > "Internet". In that respect, "multilingual wiki projects" is much more
> > tech-centric. But either seems fine with me; if these solutions become
> > outdated, we will simply update our mission statement, as we've done
> > before. It's the vision statement which should be timeless.
>
> Same argument applies. I don't see how the internet is important to
> our mission. It's the best tool for the job today, sure, but it's not
> our mission. Sure we can revise it.. but why bother mentioning it. Our
> mission is providing effective support for the creation and
> propagation of this free content. That we use the Internet is true
> today, but it's not at all fundimental ... it simply adds length
> without adding clarity.


I would respectfully disagree -- some degree of specificity in mission is a
Good Thing. The *vision* statement is deservedly as broad as possible. I
think focusing on the Internet in the mission is good.

We can offset the additional length by removing the free-beer aspects
> of the current draft. I believe the free-beerness of Wikimedia itself
> is a natural side effect of our mission of wide propagation but not in
> and of itself a fundamental goal.


Considering how many people in the world are poor, and that our intended
audience is the whole world, maybe it should be a fundamental goal.