[Foundation-l] Instant Commons : INCORRECT

[Birgitte SB]

--- Erik Moeller <eloquence at gmail.com> wrote:

> The notion that every contract has to be between the
> Wikimedia
> Foundation and another organization is also
> unnecessary -- contracts
> can be between volunteers and grant-giving
> organizations, if the
> grants are small and having the contracts managed by
> Wikimedia only
> adds unnecessary bureaucratic overhead. This way,
> Wikimedia adds
> organizational credibility for volunteers who
> deserve it.
> 

I cannot agree with you on this point.  Contracts must
be with the Foundation if they want the WMF's name
attached to it.  If Kenniset was willing to give the
money to anyone willing to make it happen (Wikimedia
or otherwise), I imagine you would have already worked
it out.  Surely you understand why things must be done
in such a way.  It is just not acceptable for the
Board to not be a party to such a contract.  And this
is nothing against GeradM.  I would say the same thing
if the vonlunteer was Ahthere.  Bureaucracy is in
unfortunate when it slows things down, but it is
neccessaary to some degree to ensure oversight.  

With regards to the rest of you email.  The Board is
going to hire an interim executive director. 
Hopefully it will be soon.  This shows me that the
Board is addressing your corncerns about their
efficiency.  I imagine it will be a big and effective
change for WMF.  Please let us not talk of
re-organizing entire commitees when we have not even
given this new hire a chance.  The job hardly requires
solving global hunger!  I understand that you are
frustrated.  I would be too in your shoes.  But I see
that the concerns are being addressed, so now is an
even more appropriate time for patience than two
months ago.  It would be nice if this deal were
already finalized, but now we will have an executive
to help see these things through.  If we change to
many things at once we will not know what helped and
what hindered.


Birgitte SB

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