[Wikimedia-l] About the concentration of resources in SF (it was: "Communication plans for community engagement"

[Richard Symonds]

>
> *We are a global movement with global projects and global goals.*


Indeed we are! But allow me to play devil's advocate here:

   - How would you run HR meetings? Is it feasible to use videoconferencing?
   - What are the additional costs involved with this approach? Are there
   local taxes that would need administrating and paying? Would you need a HR
   team who can handle
   - Does it increase the WMF's liability if they have a permanent staff
   presence in another country (eg., EU data protection laws, or UK libel
   laws)?
   - What are the insurance implications of staff remote-working from (say)
   Ghana or India?
   - If employees from one country are entitled to certain privileges by
   law - eg paid paternity leave, or minimum break times - does that
   automatically get extended to others around the world? If not, will it
   create resentment between people who do the same job in different countries?

I'm not offering an opinion on this either way, but these are important
things to consider if there is going to be a change.

Richard Symonds
Wikimedia UK
0207 065 0992

Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and
Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered
Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT.
United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia
movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who
operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).

*Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control
over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.*


On 24 July 2013 15:10, Dimitar Parvanov Dimitrov <
dimitar.parvanov.dimitrov at gmail.com> wrote:

> >
> >
> > And it has additional problems like finding technical staff at a
> reasonable
> > price there and having to relocate people from all over the world, when
> > some development centers could be open at other locations too, which
> might
> > be cheaper:
> >
> >
> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_budget#Development_centers_in_other_places_outside_US
> >
> > Why is this not done? Wikidata is being developed that way, so it is
> > possible. Is there anything against repeating the experience?
> >
> >
> I am thinking the same thing every time I read that "it is hard to find
> programmers in San Francisco for the offered salary" (a recurring statement
> over the years). We are a global movement with global projects and global
> goals. Secondly, in the IT industry having several locations on a global
> scale is more than common. Thridly, in the software engineering field
> employees are paid "good" salaries even in poor countries (albeit
> comparatively cheaper than in the Silicon Valley). Therefore we wouldn't
> have to worry about being accused of abusing underpaid labour.
>
> Dimi
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