[Foundation-l] Board-announcement: Board Restructuring

[Philippe Beaudette]

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Anthony" <wikimail at inbox.org>

> On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 12:52 PM, Brad Patrick <bradp.wmf at gmail.com> 
> wrote:
>> It would be best for those critical of the Board (and feeling that the
>>  community is the most important ideal) to remember that whether you like 
>> it
>>  or not, agree with it or not, or would have selected an alternative 
>> reality
>>  or not, it is still the case that the Board is that which governs the
>>  Wikimedia Foundation, a US corporation, and is responsible for the 
>> ownership
>>  of its assets (servers, etc.) and has a legal, fiduciary obligation to 
>> act
>>  in its best interests.  The Board members are themselves obligated under 
>> the
>>  law to act in the best interests of the Foundation.  That as a matter of
>>  convention means giving due regard to "the community" whatever that term
>>  means, but the fact that the Board allows elections to put people up for
>>  Board positions in no way whatsoever gives "the community" an 
>> *entitlement*
>>  to that process or results.  As is oft-repeated, WMF is not a membership
>>  organization.
>>
>>  Within the spirit of civil discourse, to those who are feeling 
>> frustrated
>>  and demanding action, I submit - "so what are you going to do about it?" 
>> I
>>  suggest you be pragmatic.  You do not have any means of grabbing the 
>> reins
>>  of power from the Board, and you don't have any entitlement to anything
>>  except your ability to participate in a project, if you choose, a 
>> chapter,
>>  if you choose, or to speak up in some forum.  You don't have a "right" 
>> to
>>  vote on anything, and the Board could just as easily have a contest than 
>> an
>>  election to fill Board seats.
>>
>
> Florence, I believe this post goes a long way toward addressing your
> surprise at the relative lack of reaction to this proposal.
>
> Remember back when membership was taken away, and the line was that
> membership was only a formality that didn't matter?  How quickly the
> tune has changed.
>
> I wonder, is Brad speaking here on behalf of the Foundation?  If not,
> and the foundation intends to maintain its "common voice", I suggest
> you get Brad put on moderation and/or ask him to refrain from such
> insulting comments in the future.
>
> Or am I the only one insulted by this rant?
>


Uhm... I'm not sure that Brad could, in fact, speak for the Foundation, 
given that he resigned over a year ago.

Philippe