[Foundation-l] Chapter-selected Board seats - brainstorming

[Birgitte SB]

Because there is not the incentive to create this.  Yes a US chapter *could* take on a press role *if* it existed.  But since the WMF staff handle all US press issues there is no pressure to create an organization to handle press issues.  Substitute press for legal or tax-deduction or any other issues chapter are created to handle.

I am not saying it is impossible for a US national chapter to exist.  But it will not be created through grass-roots self-organization as was the case for other chapters. The WMF looks foolish to sit on their hands and wait for it to form.  And WMF is not credible when they collect US tax-deductible money, solicit US press, etc. and then say US Wikimedians have the same opportunity to create a national chapter as everyone else if they want to participate in chapter stuff.  The honest options are a) WMF staff organize a US national chapter or b) Chapter committee approves US subnational chapter where there is grass-roots activity.

BTW I am not really bent out of shape over the suffrage issue or crying disenfranchisement over this.  In my eyes, this just about the credibility of the idea that chapters are a pervasive and key part of the whole organization.  Personally I think it is still up in the air whether chapters are generaly important actors or if they are basically Wikimedia fan clubs.  Obviously the German one has proven that a strong chapter is a great thing.  But I am not convinced that we can expect most chapters to be strong ones and the German experience might be a fluke.


Birgitte SB



--- On Thu, 5/1/08, Ziko van Dijk <zvandijk at googlemail.com> wrote:

> From: Ziko van Dijk <zvandijk at googlemail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Chapter-selected Board seats - brainstorming
> To: birgitte_sb at yahoo.com, "Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List" <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008, 10:13 AM
> Sorry, I still do not understand why there cannot be a US
> Chapter. It
> would be useful to make clear that WMF is not an US
> American
> organization by character, but only by legal status. An US
> chapter
> would also take away the concern that US Americans cannot
> take part in
> the chapter seats elections.
> An US Chapter could organize an annual convention and take
> over the
> press contacts from WMF related to US media. It could raise
> money by
> asking a member's fee.
> Ziko
> 
> 
> 
> 2008/5/1 Birgitte SB <birgitte_sb at yahoo.com>:
> >
> >
> >
> >  --- On Thu, 5/1/08, Gerard Meijssen
> <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >  > From: Gerard Meijssen
> <gerard.meijssen at gmail.com>
> >  > Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Chapter-selected
> Board seats - brainstorming
> >  > To: "Wikimedia Foundation Mailing
> List" <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> >  > Date: Thursday, May 1, 2008, 7:33 AM
> >
> >
> >  > At this moment there are no sub-national
> chapters so this
> >  > notion is
> >  > academic. It would make sense to have a US
> chapter in the
> >  > first place. When
> >  > a particular chapter has proven itself, it makes
> sense to
> >  > give it more
> >  > influence. The German chapter is well organised
> and has a
> >  > lot of experience.
> >  > I would rate their contribution higher then a
> newly created
> >  > chapter.
> >  >
> >  > It is about getting the job done and get a
> decent job done.
> >  > If it is only
> >  > about power, then I think this whole notion
> stinks.
> >
> >
> >  The US sub-national issue is not about power but
> logistics.   One national chapter will never self-organize
> in the US.  All the incentives to do so (tax-deductabilty,
> legal support, press contacts) have been "stolen"
> by the WMF.  So if WMF is going to declare that the US must
> have one national chapter (or begin with one) they must
> organize it for the US or it will never happen.  I am not
> sure which of those outcomes is more embarassing for the
> people who believe chapters are important.
> >
> >  Sub-national chapters in the US are still capable of
> self-organizing because of there is incentive to do
> something local with WMF.  But no-one in the US percieves
> the whole nation as "local".  I doubt there would
> actually be one per state, but certainly some states like
> Texas would have one while others might be regional like
> New England. However I cannot see Wikimedians in the US
> getting together and forming a national chapter.  There is
> simply no benefit to the US Wikimedians for having a US
> national chapter.
> >
> >  Birgitte SB
> >
> >
> >
> >      
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Ziko van Dijk
> NL-Silvolde
> 
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