[Wikimediaindia-l] Time to assume good faith and carry on.

[Ashwin Baindur]

Hello everyone,

I think the time has come to assume good faith and let the office
bearers get their act together. We have had enough emails expressing
the community's concerns at lack of transparency, lack of
communication, etc, etc. The new office bearers are in an un-envious
position. I'm sure that they must now be feeling that all the work of
putting up a chapter is a thankless job. It was an important task and
let us recognise that tackling any state bureaucracy is not an
occupation of pleasure. So let us thank them for doing this task and
ask them to henceforth function in a manner which meets the concerns
of the community.

It would have of course been great if the community had been brought
in before establishing the foundation, but that is all water under the
bridge now. It is time for us to let them be and go about doing
whatever they planned. This spate of attacks/accusation/discourse I'm
sure has halted them in their tracks. Such a limbo is the worst
situation possible. In expressing our legitimate concern, we have
virtually accused them of every possible wrong without concrete
evidence and now they stand here already condemned in public eyes. If
they have to serve us - make no mistake - chapter activities are meant
to serve the community, not govern them - then we have absolutely
demotivated them from doing so.

To the EC committee, I would like to say, you have my unqualified
support for the period of a year and I request you to get your act
together and deliver what you have promised. At this point of time, my
support is unqualified but henceforth after this grace period, it will
be based on your performance and output. I'm giving you the rope,
gentlemen of the EC, now either construct a rope bridge and span the
gap between you and the community or hang yourselves with that rope
(figuratively speaking).

To the community, I further request that the tone on the list be
lowered to gentlemanly discourse. I am not saying that we stop
expressing our concerns but let us do it in a constructive way. Also,
we must not make mountains out of mole-hills and we must be even more
tolerant than before. If the EC have to achieve ambitious targets,
they have to act. When people act, they make mistakes. Only those who
dont act, make no mistakes. In my eyes inaction is the greater sin
than acting and making mistakes. The EC will make a few mistakes but
they may be discussed in a non-accusatory way and lessons should be
learnt from them instead of seeking to crucify the EC members at every
instant.

Also, I will request that all feelings/issues that the community feels
strongly about be discussed openly on the list rather than offline and
that no efforts be made to influence the EC offline or in an
undemocratic fashion.

For those who feel, that they would like to be part of the setup in
the Wikimedia India chapter - that is a great and good ambition and
the way to go about it is by working in constructive manner so that
the community's aims are progressed.

This email is not meant to point fingers towards any one person, but
definitely I feel the community needs to heed my message and if you
don't agree, to discuss it politely.


Warm regards,

Ashwin Baindur
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