[Foundation-l] Seeking clarification

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
You know one of the values enshrined in the Wiki philosophy is the right of
departure. The good news is it does not matter if you do, we still love you
when you do good. The best way of making a point is by disproving the
sceptics. When Wikinews is capable of doing a good job, it can do it
anywhere but when all you can is complain about what others should do to
help you, do not be surprised when nothing happens. You do not have the
leverage, you should not need such leverage. In the end, the WMF is an
enabling organisation. It allows you to do your project... so make use of
that privilege.

The major problem that I have with your attitude is that it is so easy to
think that everyone in Wikinews shares your ideas.
Thanks,
     GerardM

On Jan 23, 2008 10:10 PM, Jason Safoutin <jason.safoutin at wikinewsie.org>
wrote:

>
>
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:05:07 +0100
> > From: "Gerard Meijssen" <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Seeking clarification
> > To: "Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List"
> >       <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> > Message-ID:
> >       <41a006820801230405r3e39055ft589fa3e99b98d6c0 at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
> >
> > Hoi,
> > I would turn it around, are the communities of the projects
> communicating
> > with the WMF? I would argue that there is a gaggle of people all talking
> > among each other making such a din that they are not heard over make so
> much
> > noise that the WMF is not heard. I would also argue that it is for the
> > people themselves to organise when and what they need, mindful of there
> > being a foundation that will have to approve of what they come up with,
> >
>
> One. At least two board members were regular helpers and contributers to
> Wikinews and to Wikipedia, and probably many other project. Both of
> which do not participate in the community anymore, both who, as elected
> board memberes, have basically ignored the needs and or requests of
> those projects. Erik is the *founder* of Wikinews...but where is he?
> Worried about Kaltura and Wikieducator and Encyclopedia of life.
>
> > Wikipedia predates Wikinews. Wikipedia did news before Wiknews existed.
> Much
> > of the relevance of Wikipedia is in their bringing background
> information to
> > the news. If Wikinews cannot handle this, tough. If it means that
> Wikinews
> > is a project that is a failure, tough. In the end it is a failure for
> the
> > people who promoted the idea of Wikinews, however I think there is
> plenty of
> > scope for Wikinews to hack it. But the Wikinewsies have to find their
> own
> > way, their own niche. So please move on.
> >
>
> Again. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. Wikinews is news. Wikipedia is not
> the only WMF project and its them that needs to realize that, along with
> the board/WMF, which they currently don't. It's not a matter of handling
> it, its a matter of competition, which is NOT the goal of the WMF or
> their projects. If anything, Wikinews should be granted a majority of
> their news section...after all Wikipedia gets their own links throughout
> WMF projects.
>
> Wikinews is far from a failure. It IMHO is one of the most successful
> Citizen Journalism site on the web. We have more OR Exclusive stories
> than any CJ site and we also interviewed a head of state...something NO
> other CJ site has come remotely close to doing. Not to mention the
> handful of BIG stories WN broke. So to even incline that WN is a failure
> is just 100% wrong.
>
> Hard to move on, when the scope of WMF's *current* view is what's best
> for only WP, WP, WP....I think it's time they move on, and remember they
> have other projects.
>
>
> > Again, it is YOU that has to make things work. At best the WMF provides
> you
> > with a framework. It is you, the editor, the community that have to make
> > things work. The WMF provides the hammer a nail, it is you that has to
> hit
> > the nail on the head.
> >
>
> Then maybe the board and such should not get in the habit of making
> policies or resolutions for projects, especially when that item does not
> conform to the needs and goals of a project. Like the image resolution
> for example. I think WN and other smaller projects have hit the nail on
> the head, and have driven it into the wood...I just think those projects
> are being neglected by their parents.
>
> > In conclusion, I could not disagree with you more.
> > Thanks,
> >       GerardM
> >
>
> Sometimes we have to agree to disagree.
>
> Jason Safoutin (DragonFire1024)
>
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