[Foundation-l] Reply to Mark

Tue Feb 26 17:56:01 UTC 2008

Florence,

I guess I wasn't clear with what I was saying, because what you're  
describing is exactly what I was talking about.

The board meets this saturday. Hypothetically, they vote for Sue to  
investigate. I was referring to the board announcing to this list that  
they have voted for Sue to investigate. Obviously, such an  
investigation would take time. Typically you or someone else makes an  
announcement shortly after a board meeting as to what was discussed at  
the board meeting. So hypothetically, the meeting is Sat. and then say  
Wed. someone posts to this list what the results of that meeting were  
(for everything, not just Wikimania, but all issues the board is going  
to discuss this weekend).

Does that make more sense?

-Dan
On Feb 26, 2008, at 11:45 AM, Florence Devouard wrote:

> Meeting is saturday.
> But to avoid any disappointment Dan... I doubt very much that any sort
> of announcement will happen in the subsequent week. Here is why.
>
> As part of our growth, we must try to be careful to identify what is  
> the
> role of the board, and what is the role of the ED. And to convey the
> difference to the community.
>
>
> I'd say that it is within the role of the board to say
> "we want a Wikimania every year. This should be a meeting of roughly
> 300-400 people, mostly wikimedians; an opportunity to participants to
> meet face to face and share experiences, have fun, and bond. Also an
> opportunity to push certain agendas, meet with the press, expand the  
> fan
> circle, hear big leaders in the free movement, in the wiki world, in  
> the
> educational system etc... Should propose scholarship. Should be in
> various places around the world. As much as possible, should be a cost
> free even for the WMF."
>
> Then, the role of the ED is to make sure that this happens. It is her
> job to ensure that the event is successful, financially sound... and
> probably that security of participants is taken care of.
>
> Right now, two situations may happen.
> The ED herself might wonder if there might be problems because of
> hersay, mails on the list, press, private emails, whatever...
> Or the board might wonder if there might be problems.
>
> If the board thinks there might be problems, the wise thing to do is  
> for
> the board to ask the ED to conduct a study, analyze the risks given  
> the
> latest circonstances, evaluate which steps may be followed to balance
> the risk if there is one, do contingency planning, and estimate the
> consequences of cancelling or moving the event elsewhere. Naturally,  
> the
> analysis is not fully conducted by Sue, but done with the help of many
> parties.
>
> Then, the ED will present her conclusions to the board, and provide  
> some
> recommandations. Based on the ED recommandations, the board may either
> decide to delegate full authority to Sue to make the decision herself,
> or the board will take a decision *with* Sue.
>
> So, what I plan to do Saturday is to ask the board whether they  
> consider
> new circonstances are worth requesting a more straightforward study of
> the situation and steps to ensure security. The board can either  
> dismiss
> the issue I raise, or agree to ask for a recommandation from Sue.
>
> THEN, it will be up to Sue to act. And I doubt she will make any
> suggestion in 2-3 days.
>
> I'll forward this email to the board :-)
>
> Thanks
>
> Ant
>
> Dan Rosenthal wrote:
>> Mark,
>>
>> I thought about it, and given that at least Florence is aware of our
>> concerns now, there's probably not a whole lot more to discuss about
>> this until after the board meeting (or rather, after the board
>> meeting's results are published/announced). My hope is that they will
>> discuss it there, and it will address your final sentence ("IF and
>> WHEN..."), and we can resume the discussion then more productively. I
>> believe the board meeting is this weekend? So most likely we will see
>> some sort of announcement during the week immediately subsequent.
>>
>> -Dan
>> On Feb 26, 2008, at 8:41 AM, Mark Williamson wrote:
>>
>>> I agree with Gatto Nero that this is an issue. As a gay man, this  
>>> all
>>> concerns me very much. The way that peoples' concerns have been  
>>> pushed
>>> aside is inappropriate at best.
>>>
>>> Peoples' concerns should be addressed in a respectful way. If it is
>>> not possible or a reasonable suggestion anymore to change the venue,
>>> people will understand this, IF and WHEN you show some care for  
>>> their
>>> safety and address it in detail.
>>>
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> On 26/02/2008, Gatto Nero <gattonero at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On Tue, Feb 26, 2008 at 10:48 AM, Ray Saintonge
>>>> <saintonge at telus.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> So we can just not go to Wikimania, or we can decide that the
>>>>>> benefits
>>>>>> for us outweigh the risks. It is a tough decision, but we will
>>>>>> have to
>>>>>> make it. And if we don't go this year, we can show up next  
>>>>>> year, or
>>>>>> the one after that.
>>>>> Thank you for being realistic  At some point a decision has to be
>>>>> made,
>>>>> and we can't afford to look back on the decision with regrets.  We
>>>>> can't
>>>>> build a good conference if the organizers' time is so taken up by
>>>>> rear-guard actions.  The Toronto people could not have been very
>>>>> happy
>>>>> when Boston won with a late bid.  The Turin people were upset when
>>>>> they
>>>>> lost to Taipei.  I personally favour Buenos Aires for 2009, but
>>>>> I'm not
>>>>> going to make an issue of it if another city gets that Wikimania.
>>>>
>>>> Don't combine apples and oranges (we say so in Italy): don't reopen
>>>> all the "other wikimanias" issues, it's better.
>>>>
>>>> By the way, I'm sorry to read - again - that people complaining  
>>>> about
>>>> their safety (or the way WMF faced some problems like "freedom of
>>>> speech", "freedom of thought" or "freedom of sexuality") are simply
>>>> "irrealistic".
>>>> Next step is "they're troll" (yet said by someone, thanks).
>>>>
>>>> Is this respect?
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Refije dirije lanmè yo paske nou posede pwòp bato.
>>>
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