Denny,
Like Todd and others, I appreciate your candid exposition of how things
went. It's important to have clarity about what happened here, and your
contributions are very helpful toward that end. Thank you.
However, these words ring hollow:
On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 9:03 AM, Denny Vrandečić <vrandecic(a)gmail.com> wrote:
It strengthens my resolution to stay away from Wikimedia politics
You have also told us that you, a community-(s)elected trustee, played a
key role in the removal another community-(s)elected trustee:
Denny Vrandečić <vrandecic(a)gmail.com> wrote:
I suggested James’ removal.
In so doing, you perpetrated perhaps the most brazen and unjustified
*political *act in the history of the Wikimedia Foundation. What could be
more political than pursuing the removal of your fellow appointee?
Your claim to want to avoid politics rings hollow. If you want to be a
political operative, that's fine -- there is no shame in that. Own it, and
do it. Follow your conscience, and act in your political capacity to the
best of your ability. But don't then denounce the very tool you used.
That's beneath you, and it does nothing to advance the discussion.
I know you are smarter than this. I endorsed your candidacy
<http://wikistrategies.net/wikimedia-board-candidate-recommendations/> --
for the political position of Trustee -- because I believed in your ability
to grasp the values of the Wikimedia community, build consensus, and lead
us all in a better direction. You demonstrated your ability to do so
through your efforts with Wikidata. But your more recent actions have led
to the premature departure of not one, but *two *people (including
yourself) entrusted by Wikimedia volunteers to carry this movement forward.
Politics is a tool. It's not good or bad, it just is. When people with
varying points of view want to work together, you end up with politics.
Politics can be handled in a way that moves things forward smoothly with
extensive buy-in, or they can be handled in a way that produces pain and
impedes progress.
It is becoming vividly clear that Doc James was working in the best
interests of Wikimedia and WMF throughout his short tenure as a Trustee.
His efforts may not have been perfect, but they were clearly sincere,
well-intentioned, and in fact more reflective of reality than any of his
peers, including yourself.
And yet you led an effort to remove him.
I am disappointed.
-Pete
[[User:Peteforsyth]]