Thanks to both Lydia and Denny for these further replies. I assume that
the WMF has a clear stable and unified view of where it is taking its
various products and the dependencies, which is what I understand by the
phrase product roadmap. "A single document" would be nice, but whatever it
is, I am asking for it to be shared with the community.
"Rogol"
On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 6:12 PM, Denny Vrandečić <vrandecic(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
Hi Rogol,
that is why I pointed you to the links in that document, which go all the
way back to 2004 discussions of such a project, and further discussions
over the years. These pretty much establish for me that this item has been
a topic for commons for more than a decade now. But it seems I am
misunderstanding you, and you are not looking for a documentation of the
shared understanding of the roadmap for Commons and other Wikimedia
products, but for a singular Foundation-written document that fixes the
Wikimedia product roadmap over several years instead?
Cheers,
Denny
On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 10:00 AM Rogol Domedonfors <domedonfors(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
Denny
Thank you but the link you provide appears to be to be "Our high-level
roadmap for developing the project", namely the Structured Data in
Commons
project. Since Lisa wrote "Structured Data
on Commons was in our product
roadmap" I was referring to the product roadmap on which the Structured
Data in Commons project is included -- that is, I was asking for a
pointer
to the roadmap for "features both on the
Wikidata development roadmap,
and
in other products supported by the Wikimedia
Foundation" referred to in
Wes
Moran's initial post on this topic:
But I appreciate the speed of your reply.
"Rogol"
On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 5:46 PM, Denny Vrandečić <vrandecic(a)gmail.com>
wrote:
> Rogol,
>
> this was the link previously provided on this project:
>
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Structured_data/Overview
> including
> links to previous documents.
>
> Cheers,
> Denny
>
>
> On Tue, Jan 10, 2017 at 9:32 AM Rogol Domedonfors <
domedonfors(a)gmail.com
>
> wrote:
>
> > Lisa
> >
> > You say that "Structured Data on Commons was in our product roadmap,
so
> > this grant is not diverting our
attention. The grant simply enables
us
> to
> > accelerate the work we were planning to do". Please would you
publish,
> or
> > point to, a version of that product roadmap that can inform the
> community's
> > participation in such planning exercises as the 2017 Wikimedia
Movement
> > Strategy and other more tactical
product planning processes.
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> > "Rogol"
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 11:01 PM, Lisa Gruwell <
lgruwell(a)wikimedia.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hi Pete and Gerard-
> > >
> > > I just wanted to give my thoughts on restricted gifts. Like most
> things,
> > > there are both good and bad restricted gifts. They can be bad if a
> > funder
> > > is making a well-intentioned gift that none-the-less pulls the
> > organization
> > > in direction that they were not planning to go. Or even worse,
when
a
> > > funder pays for something outside of an org's plans that has
ongoing
> > > maintenance cost that are not
covered in the grant.
> > >
> > > This is why the WMF board reviews all restricted grants per our
gift
policy
> <https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Gift_policy>. Those are the
types
> > of
> > dynamics that the board considers when they review a restricted
grant.
> > >
> > > Structured Data on Commons was in our product roadmap, so this
grant
is
> not
> > diverting our attention. The grant simply enables us to accelerate
the
> > > work we were planning to do. In terms of restrictions, we have to
> follow
> > > through with the plan we submitted. In other words, do what we
said
we
> > are
> > > going to do. I think that accountability is a good thing. And the
> Sloan
> > > Foundation is a great long-term funder of WMF. If something
changes
as
> the
> > work progress, I have no doubt we could have a reasonable
conversation
> > with
> > > them about adjusting the plan.
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > Lisa
> > >
> > > On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 1:03 PM, Gerard Meijssen <
> > gerard.meijssen(a)gmail.com
> > > >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hoi,
> > > > Maybe restricted but the subject matter is exactly what we want
> anyway.
> > > > Where I have my reservations is that Wikidata will be set in
stone
> and
> > > > stuff that just is not right will be with us for forever. With
more
>
money
> > > it does not need to be a huge problem because it makes it more
> > manageable.
> > > Thanks,
> > > GerardM
> > >
> > > On 9 January 2017 at 21:52, Pete Forsyth <peteforsyth(a)gmail.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Structured data on Commons is a huge and important area -- for
one
> > > thing,
> > > > > the whole Media Viewer project would have gone much more
smoothly
if
> > > there
> > > > were underlying structured data to rely on. Kudos to WMF and
Sloan
> for
> > > the
> > > > focus on this issue!
> > > >
> > > > If I'm not mistaken, this is by far the most extravagant
restricted
> > > grant
> > > > > in the history of the WMF. I believe the Stanton
Foundation's
> > usability
> > > > > grant ($890k in 2008)[1] and Public Policy Initiative grant
($1.2
> > > million
> > > > > in 2010)[2] are the only ones that comes close. In the past,
WMF
> > board
> > > > > members have expressed great skepticism about -- specifically
--
the
> > > Sloan
> > > > Foundation's influence, when it sought to place an observer in
WMF
>
board
> > > meetings. A former WMF Executive Director has written at length
about
> > the
> > > > dangers of restricted grants.
> > > >
> > > > It appears there is a new theory in play around restricted
grants.
> > Will
> > > > > somebody be expressing it publicly? Will the past practice of
> > > publishing
> > > > > the details of the grant expectations be followed?[3]
> > > > >
> > > > > -Pete
> > > > > --
> > > > > [[User:Peteforsyth]]
> > > > >
> > > > > [1]
https://blog.wikimedia.org/2008/12/03/improved-usability-
> > > > > in-our-future/
> > > > > [2]
> > > > >
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/May_
> > > > > 2010_Wikimedia_Foundation_will_engage_academic_experts_
> > > > > and_students_to_improve_public_policy_information
> > > > > [3]
> > > > >
https://outreach.wikimedia.org/wiki/Public_Policy_
> > > > > Initiative_project_details
> > > > >
> > > > > On Mon, Jan 9, 2017 at 11:48 AM, Wes Moran <
wmoran(a)wikimedia.org
>
> > > wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > Hello Wikimedia community,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It’s our delight to inform you that we received a
US$3,015,000
> > grant
> > > > from
> > > > > > the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
> > > > > >
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation>
[1]
> to
> > > > > expedite
> > > > > > development of structured data on Commons. The grant will
be
> given
> > > over
> > > > > the
> > > > > > course of three years, and will allow us to develop a team,
in
> > > > > > collaboration with
the Wikidata team at Wikimedia
Deutschland,
that
> can
> > > > focus on integrating the structured data features of Wikidata
into
> > > > > describing the media files on Commons.
> > > > >
> > > > > This work will allow us to expedite features both on the
Wikidata
> >
> > development roadmap, and in other products supported by the
Wikimedia
> > > > Foundation. The grant also provides funding to ensure that
movement
> > > > stakeholders, like Wiki Loves
Monuments and GLAM-Wiki program
> leaders,
> > > and
> > > > external partners who contribute heavily to Commons, such as
GLAMs,
> > can
> > > > be
> > > > > involved in the development.
> > > > >
> > > > > We have drafted a high level overview of the grant and its
scope,
> >
> available
> > > > on Commons
> > > > <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Structured_
> > data/Sloan_Grant>
> > > > [2]. A blog post about the grant is also available on the
Wikimedia
> > > blog
> > > > > <https://blog.wikimedia.org/2017/01/09/sloan-foundation-
> > > structured-data>
> > > > > [3].
> > > > >
> > > > > We are currently in the process of identifying the technical
lead
> > for
> > > > the
> > > > > > project. If you have questions, Alex Stinson, the
Foundation’s
> > > > GLAM-Wiki
> > > > > > strategist, will be leading the community engagement and
> > > communications
> > > > > for
> > > > > > the project until we hire a community liaison as part of
the
> grant.
> > > > Stay
> > > > > > tuned for more details about the project in the coming
months.
> > > >
> > > > We’re excited to be able to support this project, and look
forward
> to
> > > > your
> > > > > participation in its development.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thank you,
> > > > >
> > > > > Wes Moran and Maggie Dennis
> > > > >
> > > > > *Wes Moran, Vice President of Product*
> > > > > *Maggie Dennis, Interim Chief of Community Engagement *
> > > > > *Wikimedia Foundation*
> > > > >
> > > > > [1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_P._Sloan_Foundation
> > > > > [2]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Structured_data/
> >
> Sloan_Grant
> > > > [3]
https://blog.wikimedia.org/2017/01/09/sloan-foundation-
> > > structured-data
> > > > _______________________________________________
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