[Foundation-l] for the future...

[George Herbert]

On 7/3/07, Robert Horning <robert_horning at netzero.net> wrote:
> George Herbert wrote:
> >
> > I agree that it seems reasonable for this to be an official,
> > all-projects-wide thing to do.
> >
> > We've had a few vocal "it's entirely inappropriate to do this"
> > complaints, and a lot of vocal "it was inappropriate to do this only
> > for a few projects" complaints.  In my opinion, the latter has a good
> > point, but the former are a sufficiently small minority.  It's at
> > worst a minor annoyance to some few, and the real, significant
> > benefits to the Foundation as a whole are clear to me.
> >
> >
> >
>
> I'm curious by what statistical methodology you determined this
> quantifiable figure of "a sufficiently small minority"?  Those who voice
> their opinions here on this list can't be counted upon to represent the
> much, much larger Wikimedia community, and that fact seems to get
> forgotten quite frequently on this list, except perhaps on a
> philosophical camp basis.
>
> You may be correct, but I am challenging you on this point of research
> when I have strong doubts that you used anything approaching a
> scientific study to find this fact out.  Especially when you are using
> this statement to establish a policy guideline.  Particularly one that
> represents a significant change in (defacto) policy from what has been
> done in the past, which is not to send any e-mail communications at all
> in the form of mass-mailings.

This is not a thesis project problem; we're trying to determine
foundation policy going forwards.

No, I have not gathered and do not intend to gather rigorous
statistical information regarding people's response to the email
notices.

I don't think that's necessary or useful.  I've seen people's
comments, and I believe that I'm adequately summarizing the sense of
the community.  I don't have time for a semantical argument.  If
people feel that I'm mis-stating the sense of the community, feel free
to ignore me...  or send feedback.


-- 
-george william herbert
george.herbert at gmail.com