[Foundation-l] Changes to the identification policies and procedures

[Steven Walling]

I would agree with you Birgitte, except that MZ talked to Christine and
Philippe about the issue beforehand and was specifically asked not to post
about it here until Philippe is back and any questions can be answered.

To answer Elizabeth: I am listed on the staff page at
wikimediafoundation.org. My fellowship is for a year and I work at the
offices here in San Francisco. Fellowships are all different in length and
who they work with, and that diversity is intentional, since they're
project-based and different projects have different needs.

On Fri, Feb 4, 2011 at 12:15 PM, Michael Snow <wikipedia at frontier.com>wrote:

> On 2/4/2011 11:19 AM, Birgitte SB wrote:
> > I imagine MZMcBride's inquiries have so often been slanted as though they
> had
> > originated from a hardened negative opinion, because he gets his
> information
> > from the gossip network rather than the WMF. I think I am so often
> ignorant
> > because I do the opposite. It seems to me, that MZMcBride has been taking
> pains
> > for sometime to change the tone of his messages. I personally have
> noticed a
> > continual incremental improvement on his part. It bothers me that despite
> what I
> > would rate as his success in crafting a neutral and reasonable message,
> he is
> > still characterized as demanding answers and chided for bringing up the
> issue
> > altogether. Whatever anyone else thinks MZMcBride, I have noticed your
> efforts
> > and I appreciate them a great deal.  Introspection and change are hard
> things to
> > do; thank you.
> I agree with much of Birgitte's analysis. I would add that it is not
> fundamentally wrong to try to surface issues from the gossip network to
> a more public discussion. (The gossip network is as closed and opaque a
> forum for discussion as any private mailing list; I'd call for it to be
> more open, but that would be denying human nature.) Among other things,
> surfacing these discussions can do the foundation a service by informing
> it about what matters are being discussed there. However, it does
> require a great deal of care to surface things in a way that is
> productive and informative, rather than simply poisoning the public
> discourse. You can see some of this in how the respectable media
> approach news that is thrust upon them by tabloids or internet chatter.
> They go to considerable lengths not to defame and try to avoid unfairly
> maligning or adding their own insinuations and speculation. I think the
> pattern of inquiries here has improved, though it could still stand
> further improvement.
>
> On the foundation side, meanwhile, I believe more work ought to be done
> to minimize the "need" for the gossip network as an information channel.
> I've repeatedly pushed for creation of a staff position specifically
> dedicated to communications with the community. As the current
> communications staff, Jay and Moka are wonderful but much more
> external-facing, and have their hands plenty full with just that. I've
> been expecting that one of the Community department positions outlined
> in the annual plan would cover this, and if things follow the schedule I
> would hope to see such a position relatively soon.
>
> --Michael Snow
>
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