[Foundation-l] Wikimedia Pennsylvania

[Robert Horning]

Daniel Mayer wrote:
> --- Robert Horning <robert_horning at netzero.net> wrote:
>   
>> Which ultimately means that we don't need a U.S. chapter of the WMF.... 
>> since the WMF provides that legal organization.  This is one of many 
>> reasons why there is no Wikimedia-USA right now, and why it keeps 
>> getting shot down each time it gets tried.
>>     
>
> The WMF is not a membership organization and it will not nor should not be directly involved in
> organizing activities that would tend to make it a publisher of content. Therefore, organizing
> local activities aimed at generating content for the projects is such a thing that the WMF should
> not be in the business of. Certifying the identity of a person who has been approved of by the
> Wikinews community to be accredited is also something the foundation should not be involved in.
> The foundation has certain ISP protections that would be jeopardized if it did. 
>
>   

If this is the attitude of the whole of the WMF board, I'm OK with 
that.  Unfortunately it is going to require completely independent group 
to get things going.

I strongly object to any efforts blocking this very local effort if the 
idea is to hold out for a national chapter in the USA.  I think any such 
effort to block this would be foolhardy at best (it is likely to happen 
anyway), and dangerous to the ultimate effort of trying to eventually 
establish a USA chapter of Wikimedia users.... such as already does 
exist in other countries.  Dangerous in the aspect that trying to block 
local efforts is very possible to backfire and block any such effort of 
organization at all.

I am not suggesting here that the WMF should be directly involved in 
this sort of user organization effort on a local level.  As in having 
foundation resources spend significant times in the organization 
effort.  But at the same time any extra expenses at duplicating the 
legal framework within the USA and going through the added expense of 
501(c)3 status for yet another organization in the USA related to 
Wikimedia projects also seems like an issue.  And since we are already 
talking two organizations, why not more?  The same arguments go the 
other way as well.

I hope that some reasonable accomodation can be made for a USA chapter, 
and I would rather not see efforts like Wikimedia Pennsylvania be 
blocked if there has otherwise been no other similar effort because of 
these same arguments.  It is far better to have something somewhat 
imperfect that can be changed than to have something which doesn't seem 
to be working at all..... which is the current status of the Wikimedia 
USA chapter.  It doesn't exist, nor will it ever exist if the current 
status quo is followed.  I strongly think this PA effort is the best 
thing to come along for some time in the effort to get users organized 
in North America like they are organized elsewhere.

--  Robert Horning