[Foundation-l] Our values

[simonpedia]

Florence Devouard [mailto:anthere at anthere.org] 
On: Wednesday, 30 January 2008 9:06 AM
Said,

What is it about?
..... The values represent the principles we share together.

>>> Thanks Florence. OK, So it's about "our" guiding Principles.
So where, "Wikipedia (as one project) has NPOV as a pillar(ed principle)", 
Wikversity has almost the exact opposite as theirs.
http://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Research_grant_collaboration_group
And where this group's readers prefer a long list and (perhaps) IRC, another

will prefer a google group or a forum and skypecast. (DIVERSITY)

BTW, yu asked about a forum. This is what one example does to this list.
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/wiki/foundation/

You'll notice I did link your Values page back to the groups' August
meeting, so we can see the original and complete list, and the context in
which they were generated. Priorities are where Principles hit the tarmac,
so to be fair, we need to see them in order to gain an UNDERSTANDING (which
is always my number 1 guiding principle) of the group think, at that time.
http://advisory.wikimedia.org/wiki/Meeting_August_2007/Notes#Priorities

As you said, "It is important that "outsiders" (donors, partners,
governments, civil society...) understand what is important to us, what is
welcome and what is non negotiable". And as you already know that
communications is one of the prime WMF.org "Weaknesses", we should add
INCLUSION to the top of the list. (especially if we'd like a sponsor or two)


Priorities also give an insight into the thinking about organisational
architecture. If I'd know the discussion about groups (Ubuntu's subject
teams) had already taken place I would have saved my breath this month. I'm
not sure of a principle which helps to overcome the obstacle of perceived
hierarchical difference between one group and another. One's like
'democratic', 'independent' and 'freedom' become parodies when people are
not seen to be included, a la Taipei and after. So perhaps your own
PERSEVERENCE here, like many from the advisory group is better; a bit more
real. 

Actions speak louder than words in this RESPECT.

Just like TRANSPARENCY is normally simply a quality of good or bad
communication, or categorization.

The only one (as others have inferred) I'd hit on the head with a big stick,
due to the often misinterpretation of the phrase, is "Quality of Service".
To an older person "Service" is meant to be "silver"; whereas youngsters
have only known "self". In the Nth American end of the world, which is a
terribly mechanized one, it means "efficiency" and "productivity". It may
have our San Fran team believing they are somewhat different or more
important than any other little team; that they are leading things. 

It would be very sad to watch the fast burn of good talent with such a
misunderstanding, when 95% of 'our' resource is sitting in other localities.
And 95% of 'our' INNOVATION being stifled by "best practice". Regards, simon


............................................................
Imagine you are a person who has done a little editing on a WMF project, and
you are at a dinner with your grand-mother. She asks "so tell me about
Wikipedia, what it is all about?"

Well wikipedia is just the best known project of a Foundation that aims to
share knowledge around the world. Basically, they started by using a tool
called a wiki, which allows people to put up one page and, by letting anyone
add to and edit with it, has produced a free encyclopaedia in a bunch of
different languages. It's just a modern version of what those French guys
were doing back in the mid 1700's. You know, Diderot and Co.

"That's nice dear, so the foundation helps people to be joint publishers? 
(COLLABORATION). So who chooses what is left on a page?"

Well that's a matter of coming to a consensus. If that informal way doesn't
work then there's an elaborate system of escalating arbitration. 

"I can imagine there are a lot of arguments". 

That's true. A lot of people think it's unnecessary, but it seems to work so
long as they (RESPECT)fully disagree. But you know how it works, the more
quality communication, the less arbitration is needed. And with a
globalizing world, that a bit of a problem at the moment.
...............................................................

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