[Foundation-l] Expert board members - a suggestion

[Gregory Kohs]

Wait, wait, wait.  I thought we had all formed consensus that the
appointment of Matt Halprin and his $2 million briefcase full of money was
an ideal (or, at least nearly ideal) measure of progress and success for the
Wikimedia Foundation.  I was about to announce a call for a standing
ovation, with a sporadic "Huzzah!" or two to punctuate our support!

Now you've got this wild idea, Thomas, to totally revamp the Board
structure?  What are you, some kind of troll who won't toe the party line?

Actually, I think your idea is a step backwards, Thomas.  Without the full
immersion of at least four "outside" experts directly on the Board, how will
the outside world ever come face-to-face with exactly how amazing is this
Foundation, that it not only can't recognize conflict of interest and
self-dealing snafus -- it actually actively seeks them out?!

Just like they tried to rocket a few school teachers up into space, so that
they can come back and recount to students first-hand what it's like to be
in orbit, we need to have outsiders on the WMF Board, so that after their
one- or two-year ordeal, they can come back to the mainstream of reality and
tell us about how the WMF does its Jedi mind trick.

-- 
Gregory Kohs