[Foundation-l] Analysis of statistics

[Henning Schlottmann]

Milos Rancic wrote:
> The whole thread is about long-term sustainability. At least, I
> started it with this intention, mentioning that WMF started to work on
> that (Strategy plan).

"Long term" planning for the Foundation is not planning with
contributors who will write on Wikipedia for several decades. I have
almost 15 years of experience in a completely different field of
volunteering and in the very long term oriented culture of German
Vereine (~ non-profit associations, but ingrained in to German society
for 150 years). Even there you don't recruit people with the intention
to "keep them" for decades.

In the beginning Wikipedia offered professionals and aspiring students a
place where they could share their existing knowledge with others and
ultimately with the world. Now some here seem to think about building an
education system where kids can make their first steps in serious
non-fictional writing and get supported in their learning.

It is delusional to plan with Wikipedia volunteers to enter as
high-school students  and keep them as writers to their grave. Pretty
much every Wikipedian is a passing guest. He or she will share some of
their knowledge or just fix a few typos and leave afterwards. Maybe to
come back sometimes - or not. And that's perfectly fine, because that is
what we need, fresh outside knowledge. The Foundations job is to
facilitate this kind of contribution. The few long term authors will
grow out of these on their own - just like the core of volunteers in the
German Vereine I mentioned above evolved out of irregular contributors.

Ciao Henning