[Foundation-l] [WikiEN-l] Jimmy Wales in the news

[Screamer]

Anthony wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 5, 2008 at 5:20 AM, Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>   
>> Nathan wrote:
>>  > <quote>
>>  >
>>  > *In an interview with The Associated Press, Florence Devouard, who chairs
>>  > the Wikimedia Foundation, defended Wales and said he had simply been "slow
>>  > in submitting receipts." She pointed out that the foundation rejected the
>>  > steakhouse expense.*
>>  >
>>  > *A short time later, in an e-mail exchange with her fellow board members,
>>  > Devouard reported that she had persuaded the AP that "the money story was a
>>  > no story." Yet she proceeded to indicate the opposite, upbraiding Wales for
>>  > having asked the foundation to pay the steakhouse tab.*
>>  >
>>  > *"I find (it) tiring to see how you are constantly trying to rewrite the
>>  > past," she wrote to Wales in the message, which was obtained by the AP. "Get
>>  > a grip!"*
>>  >
>>  > </quote>
>>  > True?
>>  >
>>  > Nathan
>>
>>  Yeah. The first quote comes from a direct discussion I had with the
>>  journalist. The two other quotes were taken from two different emails
>>  sent to the comcom list.
>>
>>  The comcom list is supposingly an internal list to deal with
>>  communication issues. A *private* and *confidential* list.
>>  Unfortunately, some members of that list (and I have no idea who) are
>>  also leaking information. It also happened on internal-l some time ago
>>  (again, no idea who is the author of the leak).
>>
>>  We are currently in an odd situation. I wish from all my heart that we
>>  be transparent as much as possible. But for all the transparency in the
>>  world, there are stuff that is just internal discussion, cases where we
>>  need to discuss openly without the fear that it will make the headlines
>>  the next day. Unfortunately, there is now no way we can be certain that
>>  a discussion we have anywhere, be it irc, email or phone, will not be
>>  leaked.
>>
>>  These are very sad times.
>>
>>     
>
> I'm sorry Florence, but if this issue had been brought into the open
> *nearly two years ago* when *I* first started hearing the rumors (so a
> lot of people must have already known about it by then), this would
> have been taken care of then and wouldn't have even made any headlines
> (maybe Slashdot, but not the Associated Press, anyway).  Instead, the
> board and staff chose to try to cover things up, and now you've all
> dug yourself a very deep hole.
>
> You're right about one thing: "there is now no way we can be certain
> that a discussion we have anywhere, be it irc, email or phone, will
> not be leaked".  Of course, that's something that has always been
> true.  That's why you don't lie to reporters and to the public.  And
> that's why you admit problems before they snowball out of hand.
>
> I'm posting this to foundation-l, both because it's more on topic here
> and because I'm on moderation on wikien-l.  I was put on moderation
> there by David Gerard for urging you, on that list, to come out with
> this story before Danny.  Had you listened to me then you could have
> at least gotten your spin out ahead of time.  I even suggested the
> spin: "they did, but then they got caught and now they've stopped" --
> & provide detailed evidence that this is the case.
>
> Believe it or not, my suggestion was made because I felt that it would
> be in all of our interests if you followed it.  And I second the
> suggestion today.  This story still hasn't completely broken - I
> suggest you get it out into the open sooner rather than later.
>
> Anthony
>
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>   
Well, at least take the [Wikien-l] tag out of the subject. ;)


./scream