[Foundation-l] foundation-l Digest, Vol 95, Issue 3

Wed Feb 1 18:17:17 UTC 2012

This procedure is unfair for some candidates and is sowing suspiciousness
against chapters.

Last elections I nominated a candidate and also sent questions to be passed
to all candidates.

The situation was absolutely crazy. Some candidates had access to chapters
wiki and could have feedback from the answers of other candidates while
others like the one I nominated didn't. One candidate, Phoebe, published
her answers which honors her and the others not. When the election process
finished nobody told the candidates without access to internal wiki the
results. Still today nobody has told anything to them.  And ofcourse I
don't know the answers to my questions.

Chapters elected board members means that the chapters are who have to
appoint them but doesn't mean that this doesn't affect and is of interest
of the entire community.

Chapters would do a favor to themselves if they publish the candidatures,
and keep questions to candidates and discussion publicly. Otherwise this is
only creating division and suspiciousness among chapters and communities
and among communities with chapters and communities without chapters.

If someone want to have private conversations everybody has freedom of
speach to talk to everybody trough private means. But WMF means belong to a
common, free and open project and must not be transformed in a privative
asset.

I think that we must try to keep everything free and open by default. Only
kept private when there are very strong reasons like legal requirements and
this is not the case. It is ridiculous that we have gone to strike against
SOPA and we are accepting to transform in privative the informations about
a process that affects all the movement.

> Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2012 13:21:14 -0200
> From: B?ria Lima <berialima at gmail.com>
> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List
>        <foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org>
> Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Call for nominations: chapter-appointed
>        seats on the WMF Board of Trustees
> Message-ID:
>        <CAA2XHjDSOtH2v+BNn7xwBnN-m91gxWOHLpmtnXypFA-0YumP2g at mail.gmail.com
> >
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello, I will (try to) answer everyone - so I will send several mails in a
> row... please stick with me during the process.
>
> *Excellent; I am pleased to see that the chapters are becoming more
> > transparent in this respect.  However, if the plan is to mirror the
> > discussion on Meta, why not just have it there in the first place?*
> >
>
> Because not all the discussion will be in meta. Some parts are confidential
> and will not be disclose in Meta. I know you people might start scream:
> "CABAL!" but that is a chapters decision, not a community one. We do need
> to give them a safe space to work and get a consensus. And some people
> might feel better asking some questions in a private wiki.
>
> *I assume that all candidates must identify with the WMF before their
> > candidacy is accepted, is that correct?
> > *
>
>
> According with the meta page (
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Chapter-selected_Board_seats/2012/Process)
> :
>
> *All candidate statements will have to supply the following information: *
>
>   1. *The name of the nominee*
>   2. *The name of the nominating chapter (if applicable)*
>   3. *A statement from the chapter in support of the nominee (if
>   applicable)*
>   4. *A statement from the nominee in support of themselves, accompanied
>   by a short CV and confirming they are willing and eligible to take a seat
>   on the WMF board. Any candidates with Chapters wiki accounts will have
>   those accounts disabled for the duration of the selection process.*
>
> So, no, they don't need to send their document to Phillipe.
>
> * As well, will candidates who are chapter executive members be required to
> > take a leave of absence or to resign from their executive position during
> > their Board candidacy?
> > *
>
>
> Another question already answered in a document, this time in the
> Resolution (
>
> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Resolution:Bylaws_amendments_and_board_structure
> ):
>
>
> *Chapter-selected Trustees must resign from any chapter-board, governance,
> chapter-paid, or Foundation-paid position for the duration of their terms
> as Trustees, but may continue to serve chapters in informal or advisory
> capacities.*
>
> *One more question, this time about who will actually be doing the voting.
> >  Can you clarify exactly who will be voting in this selection process?
> Will
> > it be one representative for each of the 38 chapters, or will more than
> one
> > representative be participating?*
> >
>
> Who will vote? Everyone here:
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Template:Chapters
>
> Each chapter has a vote, and how they decide their candidates is up to
> them. Some held a internal vote, some decide in General Assembly, some have
> an internal discussion in ML... you would need to ask each one of the 38 to
> know the exact process.
> _____
> *B?ria Lima*
> <http://wikimedia.pt/>(351) 925 171 484
>
> *Imagine um mundo onde ? dada a qualquer pessoa a possibilidade de ter
> livre acesso ao somat?rio de todo o conhecimento humano. Ajude-nos a
> construir esse sonho. <http://wikimedia.pt/Donativos>*
>
>
> On 1 February 2012 03:49, Risker <risker.wp at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for your prompt responses, Beria.  I have a few follow-ups.
> >
> > On 31 January 2012 22:43, B?ria Lima <berialima at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Risker. let's go by question.
> > >
> > > *Why is the discussion happening on chapterswiki, instead of in an open
> > > > place where all Wikimedians can at least read the discussion?
> > > > *
> > >
> > >
> > > Everthing that is in Chapters wiki is replicated in meta. All the links
> > in
> > > the Call for Candidates (CfC) are from meta. Everyone can read the
> > > discussion. So far the only discussion in chapters wiki was the
> election
> > > for moderators, and the review of the CfC wording. We are not trying to
> > > exclude the community - by the contrary - we would be glad to have the
> > > community involved in the process, not only with questions, but also as
> > > candidates.
> > >
> >
> > Excellent; I am pleased to see that the chapters are becoming more
> > transparent in this respect.  However, if the plan is to mirror the
> > discussion on Meta, why not just have it there in the first place?
> >
> >
> >
> > > *
> > > *
> > > >
> > > > * Will the names of the candidates be published for the entire
> > Wikimedia
> > > > community to see?  *
> > >
> > >
> > > The real names, obviously not. The usernames may be published - IF the
> > > candidate has no problem with that.
> > >
> >
> >
> > I'm sorry, I have a problem with that.  All other candidates for Board
> > seats must publicly disclose their real name in their candidate
> > presentation (because the identities of Board members are a matter of
> > public record, it is not possible to hold a position on the Board of
> > Trustees anonymously or under a pseudonym).
> >
> > I assume that all candidates must identify with the WMF before their
> > candidacy is accepted, is that correct?
> >
> > As well, will candidates who are chapter executive members be required to
> > take a leave of absence or to resign from their executive position during
> > their Board candidacy?
> >
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > > *Will opinions from non-chapter members (who make up 97% of
> > Wikimedians)
> > > > be considered?*
> > > >
> > >
> > > With questions and suggestions, of course will. But with votes, No.
> There
> > > are a vote for elect the community members of the Board, that happened
> > last
> > > year and will occur again next year. This vote is decided only by the
> > > chapters according with WMF bylaws itself. Quoting: "Be*ginning in July
> > > 2008, two Trustees will be selected by chapters in even-numbered
> > > years*"[1].
> > >
> > >
> > I am pleased to hear that questions and suggestions from the majority of
> > Wikimedians will be accepted.
> >
> > One more question, this time about who will actually be doing the voting.
> >  Can
> > you clarify exactly who will be voting in this selection process? Will it
> > be one representative for each of the 38 chapters, or will more than one
> > representative be participating?
> >
> > Thanks again,
> >
> > Risker/Anne
> > _______________________________________________
> > foundation-l mailing list
> > foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> >
>
>
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> End of foundation-l Digest, Vol 95, Issue 3
> *******************************************
>