[Wikimania-l] [Foundation-l] Floating a notion: permanent Wikimania committee?

Moushira Elamrawy moushirah at gmail.com
Fri Jun 18 15:15:02 UTC 2010 

So you are proposing experienced committee keeping a close eye on actions
keep help "direct" what goes off track. Sounds good :)

I wasn't personally suggesting an "acting" committee in the sense of taking
action themselves. I was just speaking practically of how an *advisory* role
is different from a role that is more into *action*, at least on a action
planning level..

So how about you become the someoe familiar with program issues?

M


On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 3:02 PM, Lodewijk <lodewijk at effeietsanders.org>wrote:

> I'm not sure an acting committee would be what we need here. The local team
> should, imho, always strive to take that task on itself. The committee we're
> talking about here however, can keep an eye on progress, both before and
> after the bidding - and flag for help in case things are not going as
> scheduled. That way we should be able to catch problems before they become
> problematic. In Alexandria Delphine also took on that role yes, but that was
> /before/ she got involved hands-on. She was there both the flagging person
> and the "solution" - this does not necessarily have to be the case.
>
> If we are going to set up such a committee, I would recommand a very small
> one, of three people roughly. For specific tasks (program, jury,
> organization) they can approve committees or whatever, but they should not
> be doing it themselves. Just keeping an eye on progress. I'm not sure either
> they necessarily need decision power, although it speaks for itself
> everybody should take their input damn seriously.
>
> I would vouch for three types of people on such a committee:
> 1) staff liaison (ie, James)
> 2) someone who has experience with the broad organizing, ie a former
> wikimania organizer (someone like phoebe, delphine, patricio etc)
> 3) someone familiar with program issues (former program committee lead?),
> ie to overview and advise the program committee
>
> I hope these people are explicitely /not/ involved in the organization
> itself, to keep them "independent", and they should have access to
> teamwiki's etc. even if in another language. Also, we should try to get at
> least two continents on the committee. The committee would have a contact
> person at staff, the organizing teams and maybe even (if budget gets
> involved) at board level.
>
> best,
>
> Lodewijk
>
> 2010/6/18 Harel Cain <harel.cain at gmail.com>
>
> I do know Delphine personally (well, at least to some extent) and have been
>> in touch with her on such matters.
>> She's definitely another option for assuming the role of formal point of
>> contact for local Wikimania teams. We just need someone (Sue?) to act and
>> appoint someone to this role.
>>
>> Moushira, I would be very happy for us to learn from the experience of the
>> Alexandria 2008 team. Unfortunately I couldn't make it there. On a personal
>> level, if we see real cooperation between the Egyptian and Israeli teams -
>> that would be a true achievement. We'll be very happy for as many of you as
>> possible to come to Haifa.
>>
>>
>> Harel
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 2:47 PM, Moushira Elamrawy <moushirah at gmail.com>wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Harel,
>>>
>>>
>>> Again, I'm not sure that the formality of a committee is a necessity, if
>>>> that committee doesn't have a very clear role and is not put to optimal use.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Exactly. Organizing Wikimania needs action. Will the committee act? ...
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Currently, and please everyone correct me if I'm wrong, there's not even
>>>> a single person on the WMF staff that can be considered such a point of
>>>> contact. Names that come to mind include Cary, James Owen and Samuel Klein,
>>>> but this is not the job definition of any of them.
>>>>
>>> If one or two people who have the proper background and the willingness
>>>> to do it can somehow be assigned (by the board? by Sue?) to act as formal
>>>> point of contact for the local teams, that IMHO is more effective than a big
>>>> committee.
>>>>
>>>>  That's what I meant when I brought up the name of Délphine and her
>>> role. An experienced and executive person is required.  I am not sure if you
>>> personally know her. I was among the team of Wikimania2008, and
>>> definitly someone of that role was required. Enthusiasm and some knowledge
>>> are wonderful, but they don't get things done. The amount of details related
>>> to organizing such a conference need experience and knowledge.
>>>
>>> Devil is in the details, so it takes another devil to watch out for them.
>>>
>>>
>>> I am unfortunately not going to make it to Poland in 2010, but I would be
>>> more than happy to contribute in discussion/meetings from distant.
>>>
>>> Good luck in 2011 Harel
>>> M
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 12:10 PM, Moushira Elamrawy <
>>>> moushirah at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Yes, but just on a second though: The committee is a good idea as it
>>>>> will advise, and discuss, but how is this committee *actin*g?
>>>>> Otherwise you need a committee to oversee the committee.
>>>>> You need someone who knows what to do when. Acting. That needs one or
>>>>> two people, not necessarily a committee. I am not sure if the committee will
>>>>> get things done, which is what is required.
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>> M
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 7:54 AM, Jeromy-Yu Chan (Jerry~Yuyu) <
>>>>> jerry.tschan.yu at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I do think it is a good idea
>>>>>>
>>>>>> as each Wikimania we have cope with things in similar situation
>>>>>> though committee is not necessary
>>>>>> but we should have better knowledge management and transfer mechanism
>>>>>>
>>>>>> anyway if really such committee will start
>>>>>> I would like to be part of it
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Jerry~雨雨
>>>>>> Jeromy-Yu Maximilian Chan, ARAD
>>>>>> User:Yuyu | zh.wikipedia | Wikimedia HK
>>>>>> ChapCom, WMF | ComCom, WMF
>>>>>> Blogger | http://jeromyu.wordpress.com
>>>>>> MSN: jeromyuchan at msn.com
>>>>>> also Jeromyu on twitter, plurk and most of places
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tel (Mobile): +852 9279 1601
>>>>>> Laudamus quae laudentur
>>>>>> Qui mollis et dissolutus est in opere suo frater est sua opera
>>>>>> dissipantis
>>>>>> Non clamatis hostilia, numquam esse vos accusatoribus
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Fri, Jun 18, 2010 at 15:28, James Forrester <james at jdforrester.org
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 18 June 2010 08:00, phoebe ayers <phoebe.wiki at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> > On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 10:58 PM, Michael Snow <
>>>>>>> wikipedia at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>>>> >> On 6/17/2010 5:35 PM, phoebe ayers wrote:
>>>>>>> >>> OK, so I guess my question is (and we talked about this on IRC
>>>>>>> too) --
>>>>>>> >>> who has the power or the ability -- or who *should*, in a perfect
>>>>>>> >>> world -- create such a committee? We don't have much precedent
>>>>>>> for
>>>>>>> >>> this. There were concerns over who or what body can create
>>>>>>> >>> governance/oversight structures, particularly if this isn't
>>>>>>> really
>>>>>>> >>> just a Foundation issue.
>>>>>>> >>>
>>>>>>> >> I suppose the board could create the committee, if it's not clear
>>>>>>> who
>>>>>>> >> else might have the authority. Or perhaps better, the board could
>>>>>>> >> authorize its creation. I think the board is a bit reluctant to
>>>>>>> jump in,
>>>>>>> >> partly for the reason Sue mentioned that overseeing Wikimania is
>>>>>>> not
>>>>>>> >> really a board-level issue (it's primarily operational rather than
>>>>>>> >> strategic), but also because the board is not well placed to fill
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> >> maintain committees like this. When it becomes a situation of
>>>>>>> appointing
>>>>>>> >> people none of us really knows, or feeling that there are probably
>>>>>>> >> people we're not aware who ought to be recruited to a committee
>>>>>>> like
>>>>>>> >> this, it's pretty uncomfortable to have that responsibility. But
>>>>>>> if we
>>>>>>> >> authorized the committee and then let the staff and experienced
>>>>>>> >> Wikimania volunteers review applications or expressions of
>>>>>>> interest to
>>>>>>> >> join the committee, that might work out. That's kind of the
>>>>>>> direction
>>>>>>> >> things have moved in any case. Some of the early committees that
>>>>>>> still
>>>>>>> >> function have evolved to a place outside the board's immediate
>>>>>>> activity,
>>>>>>> >> and the current work of the governance committee is focused more
>>>>>>> on
>>>>>>> >> structures needed to organize the board's own functions.
>>>>>>> >>
>>>>>>> >> --Michael Snow
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Yes, authorization seems right. I wouldn't really expect that the
>>>>>>> > Board actually fill such a committee or even necessarily ask for
>>>>>>> > direct reports. The question that came up in IRC though was where
>>>>>>> > would such a committee derive its authority from (assuming it had
>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>> > particular authority). Perhaps the answer for this is "it doesn't"
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> > simply fills a communication and reporting role that is currently
>>>>>>> > lacking. Or perhaps (my ideal scenario) we come up with a way where
>>>>>>> > the interested community grants it authority by building the
>>>>>>> > structure, filling the seats, etc., and that is generally
>>>>>>> recognized.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > I'm interested in this case specifically of course, but I also am
>>>>>>> > wondering more generally what the current state of affairs is for
>>>>>>> > forming any sort of operational, community-driven committee. Of
>>>>>>> course
>>>>>>> > we're good at forming wikiprojects to do things that need doing,
>>>>>>> but
>>>>>>> > for areas that also require overlap with things that the office
>>>>>>> works
>>>>>>> > on, it seems tricky.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Re: scheduling a time at wikimania for discussing this potential
>>>>>>> > glorious wikimania committee: yes, let's. I wanted to have a
>>>>>>> reprise
>>>>>>> > of the Future of Wikimania discussion from last year, anyway. How
>>>>>>> > about Sunday? I'll volunteer to check with the 2011 team and other
>>>>>>> > interested parties and schedule a time. This overlaps with Manuel's
>>>>>>> > panel, too, but I think we need a dedicated time maybe. Stay tuned!
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > -- phoebe
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > p.s. if we get both James Owen AND James Forrester involved it will
>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>> > unstoppable. Powered by James^2.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Pah. To disambiguate between the two of us, I will allow people to
>>>>>>> refer to me as "God-Prince James", per Jimmy. ;-)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> James. No, the other one.
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> James D. Forrester
>>>>>>> jdforrester at wikimedia.org | jdforrester at gmail.com
>>>>>>> [[Wikipedia:User:Jdforrester|James F.]]
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>>>>>>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>>>>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>>>>>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>>>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>>>>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>>>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Wikimania-l mailing list
>> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
>> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Wikimania-l mailing list
> Wikimania-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimania-l/attachments/20100618/6c923210/attachment-0001.htm

More information about the Wikimania-l mailing list