[Foundation-l] Wikimedia "Storyteller" job opening

[SlimVirgin]

On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 18:06, Sue Gardner <sgardner at wikimedia.org> wrote:

> On 1 March 2011 15:54, SlimVirgin <slimvirgin at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 16:41, Pronoein <pronoein at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Le 01/03/2011 18:31, Michael Snow a écrit :
> >> > On 3/1/2011 12:57 PM, Pronoein wrote:
> >> >> If there is such a minority of ethical concerns, it could be one of
> the
> >> >> reasons that volunteers are leaving the boat.
> >> > Based on the one survey of former contributors that has been conducted
> >> > (see
> >> > http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Former_Contributors_Survey_Results
> ),
> >> > this doesn't figure highly enough to demonstrate the kind of
> significant
> >> > minority you suggest. Rather, the concerns of those surveyed are
> >> > overwhelmingly about how rulebound, overly complex, and unfriendly
> their
> >> > work in the community seemed to be. Perhaps somebody would care to go
> >> > back through the full survey responses and see if they can identify
> >> > comments that fit the "I was being exploited" line you're pushing
> here.
> >>
> >> Michael, I wouldn't underestimate the "I'm being exploited" feeling for
> > people either leaving, or failing to join up. In Wikipedia's early years,
> we
> > were exploiting ourselves, as it were. But the more of a corporate
> structure
> > the Foundation assumes, the greater the sense that we're working for
> > something in which we have no input. There will be a tipping point that
> > differs for each individual, and they may not even express it in those
> > terms.
>
> Ah, Sarah, I don't think that's particularly fair. Bear in mind we've
> just published a strategic plan that 1,000+ Wikimedians helped create.
> I'm not denying that some Wikimedians may feel alienated from the
> Wikimedia Foundation: I'm sure it is true for some. But "something in
> which we have no input" is, IMO, not a fair characterization.
>
> Thanks,
> Sue
>
>
I accept that, Sue, but it's a matter of perception. I can see a lot of
effort on the Foundation's part to reach out to new communities, but a
similar "in-reach" program to keep current editors feeling invested would
help a lot.

Every time one of these new jobs is announced it does add to the feeling
(rightly or wrongly) of corporate expansion that we're not part of.

Sarah