[Foundation-l] Community of the Wikimedian Projects

Sun Apr 27 09:00:34 UTC 2008

This is a model for self-management, not for hierarchical
organization. If the idea of Volunteer Council is to make a
hierarchical organization, I am definitely out of it.

On Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 4:25 AM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Forgive me if I am missing something... but isn't this kind of bureaucratic?
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Milos Rancic <millosh at gmail.com>
> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 9:20:01 AM
> Subject: [Foundation-l] Community of the Wikimedian Projects
>
> As the previous proposal failed, I am able to make a different approach to
> the issue related to the common body of Wikimedian projects. Proposal below
> is at the Meta page [[Community of the Wikimedian
>
> Projects<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_of_the_Wikimedian_projects>]].
> Of course, it is a draft. According to my proposal, we have time until the
> end of June to decide what to do with the proposal.
>
> * * *
>
> As the creation of Volunteer
> Council<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikicouncil>(named as
>
> Wikicouncil at the beginning) failed (Board
> didn't want to create such
> body<http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/foundation-l/2008-April/041917.html>),
>
>
>
> there is a possibility for changing the approach for the creation of the
> common body for the Wikimedian projects. Proposal on this page describes the
> Community of the Wikimedian Projects (CWP).
>
> In short, projects interested in coordination of their activities would
> would be able to opt-in the body where they would be able to make decisions
> related to all projects. Examples of such decisions may be granting bot
> status at one place, increasing communication level between projects,
> coordinating activities around particular WikiProjects and whatever else
> which some or all projects from this group see as their common interes.
>
> Coordination between projects is almost non-existing. While it works inside
> of language boundaries, it is rare out of them. And we have a lot of tasks
> which are common to all projects, especially if we are talking about the
> same project types (like Wikipedia is). We are wasting a lot of resources
> and efforts by doing one task a number of times. Instead of that, we should
> start to work on the common goals together.
> Opting in
>
> Opting in CWP should be done by making a community decision inside of the
> particular project. The process of the community decision is up to a
> particular community and their own rules and customs. Sometimes it is simple
> majority, sometimes it is 2/3 majority and sometimes it is consensus-lik 80%
> majority. Before opting in, community of a particular project should
> describe its own process for making decisions which affect the whole
> project.
>
> Community which opts in should make the next decisions at the time of opting
> in:
>
>   -
>
>   To adopt all decisions already made by CWP. (If the project is opting
>   in at the time of CWP's creation, it should adopt only the initial
>   document.)
>   -
>
>   To delegate at least one person for coordination inside of the CWP.
>   -
>
>   To decide how it will make decisions: only on project-wide referendum,
>   by a special body which represents the projects, by a single representative
>   or a group of representatives; or in combination of all of them.
>
> Full members and observers
>
> Project with at least 10 very active contributors is qualified to become a
> full member. Projects with less than 10 active contributors are able to make
> project groups. Project group with at least 10 very active contributors is
> qualified to become a full member.
>
> Full member projects are able to vote in the decision making process, while
> observing projects are not able. In all other cases rithgs of observing
> projects are equal to the rights of full member projects.
> Constituting the CWP
>
> CWP will be constitued at the time when 10 projects (or groups of projects)
> with the right to vote join the CWP.
> CWP bodies
>
>   -
>
>   Decision-making body:
>   -
>
>       Council of the Wikimedian Projects is the body which is
>       consisted of the representatives or delegates of all full member projects.
>       -
>
>   Working bodies
>   -
>
>       The Secretariat is the main coordinating body. Its role is to
>       coordinate activities of CWP. The Secretariat is giving reports
> to the CWP
>       quarterly.
>       -
>
>       Working groups are permanent or non-permanent CWP bodies made to
>       address a particular issue.
>
> All members of CWP's bodies have to be Wikimedians, while they don't need to
> be members of the project-member.
> Decision making process
>
> All of the decisions should be made with clearly support of all
> project-members. Projects are able to decide how it would be made. They may
> choose to make all of the decisions inside of their communities or to elect
> one or more persons to represent their will. All proposals should consider
> that fact and leave enough of time for decision.
>
> Council of Wikimedian Projects may delegate to the working bodies power to
> make a particular decision.
> CWP's first tasks
>
>   -
>
>   Chosing the Secretariat of the CWP.
>   -
>
>   Addressing common issues, like centralized bot flags are.
>   -
>
>   Translating and analyzing rules made by communities.
>   -
>
>   Making a program for self-education of the community members according
>   to the projects needs.
>
> Transitional notes
>
>   -
>
>   This proposal is on discussion until the June 30th, 2008. Until that
>   time the next tasks should be done:
>   -
>
>       The document should be finished in details.
>       -
>
>       Provisional Secretariat, a body which should made the rest of
>       the job should be formed by volunteers interested in this issue.
>       -
>
>   During another three months (until September 30th, 2008) the next
>   tasks should be done:
>   -
>
>       Provisional Secretariat should make an analysis statistics and
>       define which projects are egliable to be the full members and whichmay be
>       observing members (or need to make a group of projects to have
> the right to
>       vote).
>       -
>
>       Provisional Secretariat should contact all Wikimedian projects
>       and present to them this proposal.
>       -
>
>       Projects should opt in.
>       -
>
>       If CWP wouldn't be constitued in that time, Provisional
>       Secretariat may give three months more grace period. If CWP wouldn't be
>       constitued in that time, Provisional Secretariat should declare that the
>       constitution of CWP didn't succeed.
>
> End notes
>
>   -
>
>   The main idea behind CWP is to make a body which would be able to
>   address common issues on the existing projects. Its primary goal is not to
>   deal with non-existing projects or the global structure of Wikimedian
>   community.
>   -
>
>   CWP may decide to take care about the projects which don't have very
>   active contributors. However, it may be done only in coordination with the
>   Board of Trustees of Wikimedia Foundation.
>   -
>
>   As CWP is an opt-in body, until it doesn't represent the clear
>   majority of the Wikimedian community, it shouldn't be able to make decisions
>   related to make any meta decisions, including aproving or disaproving new
>   projects, stewards or any other global Wikimedian body. However, if the
>   project members of CWP decides so, it may be able to approve Arbitration
>   Committees or similar bodies inside of the member projects.
>   -
>
>   CWP may decide to act as an intermediate body between project members
>   communities and Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Volunteers willing to be members of the Provisional Secretariat
>
> If you are willing to become a member of the Provisional Secreatirat, sign
> here.
>
>   -
>
>   ~~~
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