[Foundation-l] How bureaucracy works: the example

[Michael Snow]

  While I support the idea that we should have a discussion about how to 
manage and structure our bureaucratic elements, I think the distinction 
posited between American and European perspectives is imaginary. As an 
example, personally I have so far declined to accept "bureaucrat" status 
largely because of the connotations of the name. This despite the fact 
that I feel reasonably capable of navigating most bureaucracies (a skill 
that has far more to do with whether someone can "appreciate" 
bureaucracy than their nationality).

--Michael Snow

On 9/25/2010 8:53 AM, Milos Rancic wrote:
> If I understood well, Americans don't have such bad feelings toward
> the word "bureaucracy" and its derivatives. In Europe it is different.
> When I tell to Gerard that he is better bureaucrat than me, he feels
> offended; although I thought about specific virtues, not defects; and
> although I've defined myself a number of times as a Wikimedia
> bureaucrat.
>
> That difference lays probably in 300 years of different developments
> of societies. Franz Kafka wasn't living in 18th century, but in 20th.
> Horrors of bureaucracies wasn't so obvious in 18th century because it
> is hard to say that any kind of sensible bureaucracy existed then.
> Arbitrariness of feudatories and rulers was much bigger problem. And
> at least in the case of bureaucracy, Americans had much more luck.
>
> As you could see I am usually use the "American" meaning of the word
> "bureaucracy" and its derivatives. Complex societies can't exist
> without more or less good bureaucracies. Unlike many of my friends, I
> appreciate good formal bureaucracy. This is the minimum and it is much
> better to deal with formal bureaucracy than with informal relations.
> As a user of [social] institutions you can count on formal
> bureaucracy, while it is not possible with informal relations.
>
> However, to be effective, bureaucracy has to be managed. This is
> particularly true for very complex bureaucracies, and Wikimedia is
> already a very complex bureaucracy. And it (bureaucracy) is not
> managed well.
>
> The main problem with not well managed bureaucracies are not well
> defined responsibilities. In other words, it is not possible to say
> that one person or one group is responsible for some malfunctioning.
> It is the product of the right decisions at the lower level of
> complexity, which creates malfunctioning at the higher level of
> complexity.
>
> That means that I am not blaming anyone particularly, but that we have
> increasing number of the problems of that type; which means that all
> of us have to think how not to make such mistakes.
>
> Last couple of months I am not uploading images to Commons as I would
> like to do. Not counting that I block all of my upload link for ten or
> more minutes per one high resolution photo, it is very painful process
> even for 20k logo.
>
> Today I am working from my netbook. It is not so easy to find the
> right button and the screen is small. I wanted to upload 20k logo for
> new Wikipedia edition (in Banjar) [1]. I wanted to find the right
> copyright tag (logo is trademark of WMF). So, I clicked on
> "Permissions" link, instead on question mark. When I went back all of
> the form was blanked.
>
> Note that I did that because I didn't want to be arrogant bureaucrat.
> People who want that project have already created SVG logo and I
> didn't want to insist that they have to create PNG derivative; I can
> do that, it should be easier.
>
> So, I wanted to do that as I treat that as my responsibility. I filled
> the form once again and I had to spend next ~15 minutes while trying
> to upload the 20k logo: license is not correct, author is not correct,
> this is not correct, that is not correct. And I am using Commons from
> the time when it started to exist.
>
> There is no way that I would be willing to upload any file on Commons
> because I would like to do it; just if I have to do it.
>
> The logical question is, of course, have I complained about it? This
> problem exists for a year or so. And I am sure that I am not the only
> person who complained about it in various ways.
>
> The first step in solving the problem is to ask one of the responsible
> persons to fix it. So, maybe a year ago, I've asked that person. He
> told me to fill the bug. No, I am not willing to fill the bug. (Note
> that I am doing that regularly as a LangCom member.)
>
> There are three types of [technical] bugs in process: (1) mostly,
> nothing has been done; (2) my bug is redundant, someone is working [or
> not] on this issue already (in this case for a year or so); (3) if I
> am lucky and someone responds to the initial bug request, I would have
> to spend hours in defining, explaining etc.
>
> And I just wanted to upload a photo or logo. It should last for 5-15
> minutes, depending on my upload speed. Not hours in explaining what
> the problem is.
>
> And if I have to spend hours every time when I see a problem, I think
> that it is much more reasonable to spend hours in talking about the
> problem in general.
>
> This particular problem has and doesn't have responsible persons or
> groups. The problem lays somewhere between Commons community and WMF
> tech staff. And the point is that any of those groups could make our
> life easier, while I suppose that all of them think that it is not
> their problem, but the problem for which another group is responsible.
>
> Both of the groups made right decisions at the lower level of
> complexity. The first one wanted to be sure that there are a lot of
> explanations, the second has put upload form with more useful
> features. However, the final product is a nightmare from the point of
> the basic usability: you can't upload file effectively, which is the
> main purpose of the upload form (and Commons).
>
> I am sure that there are a lot of similar problems all over Wikimedia
> projects. Something has to be done generally. And once again, I don't
> know who should do that. Who should lead the synchronization process
> between various Wikimedia groups? Or, who should delegate that problem
> to a particular person or group?
>
> [1] - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lambang_Wikipidia_Bahasa_Banjar.png
>
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