[Foundation-l] Re: Business cards

[Anthere]

James D. Forrester a écrit:
> On Friday, March 11, 2005 5:56 PM, foundation-l-bounces at wikimedia.org <>
> wrote:
> 
> 
>>I transfered to nota and Elian the set of business
>>cards I made after James Forrester cards. I had to do
>>them again unfortunately, as I could not open them
>>with my available software and they were american
>>format, not the one we use in Europe.
> 
> 
> Umm. The ones I sent you were in PostScript format, A4-paper, European-size.
> Unless I made a mistake, but I'm pretty sure I didn't... No, I checked,
> they're European-sized, European paper. I also have made US-letter paper and
> US-sized templates (for Jimbo and Mav and so on).

Nod, European paper, but not the size of precut cards one can buy here :-(
If I remember well, yours proposed 4 cards from top to bottom, while 
pre-cut paper has 5. So I could not print them myself. Unless I use 
regular paper and cut them myself by other means. If you remember, I 
wrote to you about this, but you could not answer for a while, and I had 
to do them again so I could have them for my meeting in time. And since 
I could not edit your format with the soft I had, I unfortunately had to 
remake them entirely. But they are of similar type than yours. Now, if 
people purchase precut cards in France, the only type I found is 5 cards 
from top to bottom.

>>These were done in Adobe Illustrator format.
>>Elian will put on meta. And notafish could (if you ask
>>nicely) make each of you a set at your name and sent
>>you a high quality pdf for printing. If you purchase a
>>set of pre-cut cards, it is quite cheap.
> 
> Hmm. This is what I was doing... I've been usurped! ;-)

Two people is better than one. So, when one is missing, the other can 
help :-)
Seriously, the main person likely to need these cards is Ryo. Notafish 
being his girl friend is more likely to fix quickly translation issues 
than you :-)

>>The benefit of it could be that we all have similar looking cards.
> 
> 
> Or, better, that they are 'official' cards.

I suddenly wonder what is "official"...

> [Snip]
> 
> 
>>It would be nice to get James cards as well, to put them on meta
>>possibly. 
> 
> 
> Jimbo has a copy of the templates. The problem with putting them up on a
> public place is that anyone could come along and provide an 'offical' card,
> which might prove difficult to

True. We won't put the template on meta then.
This said, when I was looking for you to fix my own cards, the latest 
thought I had was to ask Jimbo to fix them for me.

>>Last point, it was suggested that only board members
>>or officers get cards, not regular members of
>>associations. I do not think this is a problem.
> 
> 
> Yeah, I put something quite detailed about this on [[Official position]] on
> meta.

Oh, I had not thought of looking at this place.
I go look...

Well, my opinion then

First, there is no mention of local chapters at all. I regret this.
Second, you suggest that the following positions might get a card

* Arbitrator (en)
Member, English Wikipedia Arbitration Committee

I strongly disagree with this.
I do not think being a arbitrator on one project grant in any sense an 
official position in the Foundation.
If there is need of a card, this card should have Wikipedia logo only, 
and should not mention the Foundation itself.
I think there is a big confusion here between being active and trusted 
on a projet, and having an official position on the Foundation.
If any card was distributed to an arbitrator, please ask him not to use 
it. I think it is embarassing because it would give an authority to a 
person on Foundation matters, where there is not I think.

* MediaWiki Developer
Member, MediaWiki Developer Committee
Same comment. MediaWiki is different from WikiMedia. And developers are 
first to say it.
The only one who could have one right now is the Developer liaison.
Now, if MediaWiki developer need a card, by all means, let's do it, but 
with the MediaWiki logo on it.

* Wikimedia Steward
Wikimedia Steward
I would tend to say that again, being a wikimedia steward does not in 
any sense give an authority on Wikimedia matters. Plus, to be honest, no 
one aside from us, knows what it encompasses :-)


> [Snip]
> 
> Yours,

I am sorry if what I say above upset any one. I am perfectly aware that 
a card could help some people get some doors opened, and if we can do 
something, such as giving an official title, fine. If we can make other 
types of cards, fine as well.
But frankly, our internal kitchen is no one business. Being an 
arbitrator is internal business. Sure enough, arbitrators are people we 
generally like and trust. But if we trust them to take some decisions 
for us, that does not mean they should appear as Wikimedia official 
people. There is an arbitration committee on en now, elected with 
certain rules. There will be soon one on fr, elected with other rules. 
And maybe there is one on de ? And maybe in one year, we will have 100 
arbitrators in all projects. Does that grant them the right to appear as 
officials in negociations, say for hosting servers ? I do not think so.

I would hope to say that from now on, I would prefer that only those on 
board of Foundation and local chapters, plus officials, have a card.
I do not know Ang position on this, but I trust that Jimbo agrees. What 
do you think Ang ?