[Foundation-l] Provisional Volunteer Council - proposal sent to the Board

Tue Apr 1 13:11:44 UTC 2008

Could I make one more suggestion then? Please try to get someone from  
Wikiversity on that council?

-Dan
On Apr 1, 2008, at 9:07 AM, effe iets anders wrote:

> Hi Dan, all,
>
> thanks for the feedback. First of all, let me make clear that this is
> for me not the *final* list or something, the Board still has to
> decide over the resolution at all, including the list of candidates.
> After that, the PVC has the opportunity to fill some gaps, such as
> South America, Africa, Asia and developers, to improve the spectrum of
> volunteers.
>
> I never claimed, and will not claim that this is a perfect
> representation, nor that it is ideal with respect to size. This
> because this is a matter of opinion, and people disagree on sizes etc.
> Please note that it is much easier to increase the size afterwards
> (especially if you believe all those emails you get all the time) then
> to decrease. I think the current list ensures a workable provisional
> council, that can come up with a broad carried advice. Not because
> every language or continent is represented, but because many opinions
> on this respect are represented. The mentioned main projects are, as
> michael mentioned correctly, intended to show from which corner people
> are coming. How they were "raised" in the community, so to speak.
>
> With kind regards,
>
> Lodewijk
>
> 2008/4/1, Dan Rosenthal <swatjester at gmail.com>:
>> I disagree, I think that this council (the provisional one) should be
>> larger, regardless of whether the final council's size is adjusted or
>> not.
>>
>>
>> -Dan
>>
>> On Apr 1, 2008, at 3:57 AM, Gerard Meijssen wrote:
>>
>>> Hoi,
>>> Our dear friend Danny Wool pontificated that I would oppose this
>>> proposal (
>>> http://allswool.blogspot.com/2008/03/it-seems-that-effeietsanders-has.html)
>>> .
>>> It is for this reason only that I do not want to disappoint him and
>>> give
>>> a reaction.
>>>
>>> What is on the table is that a group of self appointed bosses are
>>> going to
>>> investigate if and how a wiki coucil can be started. This group is
>>> likely to
>>> come to the conclusion that it would be a good thing. As long as
>>> there is
>>> nothing to see, there is not much for me to comment on. The fact
>>> that they
>>> take the initiative is the best reason why they may succeed.
>>>
>>> I have not been invited in this group of self appointed bosses, this
>>> is a
>>> good thing as I am busy enough as it is. I have written in the past
>>> extensively on the subject, I spoke with some of the bosses so my
>>> view is
>>> known. With Milos and Pathoschild part of this effort, I am sure
>>> that the
>>> relevance of linguistic and cultural diversity will get some
>>> attention (one
>>> of my hot buttons)
>>>
>>> From my perspective, this group is large enough to still be
>>> effective, a
>>> shame that they are likely to come with the suggestion to have a
>>> council
>>> that is many times this size and destroying its effectiveness in the
>>> process.
>>> Thanks,
>>>     GerardM
>>>
>>> On Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 1:46 AM, effe iets anders <effeietsanders at gmail.com
>>>>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> I am very glad that the proposal for establishing a provisional
>>>> volunteer council received such a lot support both on this list  
>>>> as in
>>>> private conversations.
>>>>
>>>> Since the request for candidates for the Provisional Volunteer
>>>> Council, I received quite some nominations. However,  
>>>> unfortunately I
>>>> have to admit that there were no (willing) candidates from some
>>>> important regions amongst these. As I have to work with the
>>>> candidates
>>>> that were nominated, I was therefore unable to candidate someone  
>>>> from
>>>> these regions.
>>>>
>>>> I did try however, to get at least a few projects represented, and
>>>> also a more technical person (from the developers side of the
>>>> volunteer spectrum). Please find my final suggestion list below in
>>>> the
>>>> proposal (attached again for reference - only one minor spelling  
>>>> and
>>>> layout changes).
>>>>
>>>> Please note that this is a *proposed* resolution, and not yet
>>>> accepted.
>>>>
>>>> I know this list is not very long. And some area's are still  
>>>> missing
>>>> in representation. However, I trust this group wholehearely, and
>>>> suppose that they will make sure as a first thing to get at least  
>>>> one
>>>> or more projects better represented (such as Wikinews or  
>>>> Wikiversity
>>>> which have a very different character).
>>>>
>>>> If you have major concerns with respect to this list of candidates,
>>>> please send them to this list or communicate them to the Board (I  
>>>> am
>>>> not sure which route is the best for that though). I will make no
>>>> changes any more myself, but the Board is of course able to  
>>>> determine
>>>> the list as it likes.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> With kind regards,
>>>>
>>>> Lodewijk Gelauff
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> Whereas the Board,
>>>>
>>>> * recognizes the value of volunteers in Wikimedia projects and that
>>>> their work is the very reason of their success,
>>>> * values the volunteers' opinions and takes them into serious
>>>> consideration when discussing issues involving the volunteers,
>>>> * is of the opinion that these volunteers should have a strong  
>>>> say in
>>>> changes in the articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the
>>>> Wikimedia Foundation,
>>>> * considers a Volunteer Council a valuable intermediary between
>>>> volunteers and the Foundation, and as a good instrument to hear the
>>>> voice of the volunteers:
>>>>
>>>> it is hereby resolved that:
>>>>
>>>> 1. The Board of Trustees hereby creates a Volunteer Council, to  
>>>> serve
>>>> as a valuable complement to the Staff, Advisory Board and Board of
>>>> Trustees.
>>>> 2. Without restricting the generality of this provision the  
>>>> purposes
>>>> of the Volunteer Council shall include:
>>>>
>>>> 1) Offering advice and support on issues relevant to the Wikimedia
>>>> Volunteers,
>>>> 2) Recommanding the opening or closure of Wikimedia projects,
>>>> 3) Approving changes to the articles of incorporation or bylaws of
>>>> the Wikimedia Foundation and
>>>> 4) Assist in establishing a clear separation between the legal
>>>> responsibilities of the Wikimedia Foundation as an Internet Service
>>>> Provider and the community decisions for the Wikimedia Projects.
>>>>
>>>> 3. The members from the Volunteer Council must be volunteers within
>>>> Wikimedia.
>>>> 4. The Provisional Volunteer Council shall report to the Board no
>>>> later than September 1, 2008, which report shall include
>>>> recommendations regarding the number and composition of the  
>>>> Volunteer
>>>> Council, and how the members of the Council shall be chosen. Said
>>>> report shall also include recommendations regarding the  
>>>> distribution
>>>> of rights and responsibilities between the Board and Council, and  
>>>> any
>>>> changes in the by-laws that may be necessary to implement this.
>>>> 5. Except where it pertains to its own procedures, no decision of  
>>>> the
>>>> Provisional Volunteer Council shall bind any person.
>>>> 6. On receipt of the said report the Board shall take such steps as
>>>> it
>>>> deems necessary to confirm and empower the Volunteer Council, and
>>>> provide for a transition of operations from the Provisional  
>>>> Volunteer
>>>> Council.
>>>> 7. Members of the Volunteer Council will not be financially
>>>> compensated for their activity. On approval by the Board of  
>>>> Trustees
>>>> expenses of the Provisional Volunteer Council and Volunteer Council
>>>> in
>>>> the fulfillment of their duties may be reimbursed.
>>>> 8. The following people are hereby appointed as member of the
>>>> Provisional Volunteer Council:
>>>>
>>>> Michael Bimmler, Mbimmler (Main project: de.wikipedia)
>>>> Yaroslav Blanter, Yaroslav Blanter (Main project: ru.wikipedia)
>>>> Lise Broer, Durova (Main projects: en.wikipedia and
>>>> commons.wikimedia )
>>>> Jesse Plamondon-Willard, Pathoschild (Main projects: en.wikisource
>>>> and meta.wikimedia )
>>>> Sydney Poore, FloNight (Main project: en.wikipedia)
>>>> Milos Rancic, Millosh (Main project: sr.wikipedia)
>>>> Ray Saintonge, Eclecticology (Main project: en.wikisource,
>>>> en.wikipedia)
>>>> Andrew Whitworth, Whiteknight (Main project: en.wikibooks)
>>>> Michal Zlatkovsky, Timichal (Main project: cs.wikipedia)
>>>>
>>>> 9. The members of the Provisional Volunteer Council may on a 2/3  
>>>> vote
>>>> of all its members add such additional members as they may deem
>>>> necessary and useful to their deliberations.
>>>>
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