[Wikimediaindia-l] Let's *Talk*

[Ashwin Baindur]

+1

Warm regards,

Ashwin Baindur
------------------------------------------------------


On Tue, Nov 15, 2011 at 9:52 AM, Hisham <hmundol at wikimedia.org> wrote:

> Hi Folks
>
> I'm deliberately opening a new mail chain on this.  This is at the risk of
> me being told off for doing so - but I believe that email protocol is one
> thing - but communication philosophy is (arguably) even more critical.
>
> I (and personally upsetting to me, others at India Programs - namely
> Nitika & the Campus Ambassadors) have taken some beating over the past few
> days.  Some has been personal and not been circumspect or constructive;
> not pretty.  I have been touched by the offlist messages of comfort and
> support that I and the others have got.
>
> I am exceedingly worried about the impact it has had on team morale.  To
> all those who have criticised the India Education Program, spare a thought
> for the volunteers who have helped out on this.  I want to tell the Campus
> Ambassadors to be strong and keep your chins up.  You guys have been
> incredible.  Hand on heart, you have given your hearts and souls and have
> conducted probably the single biggest Wikipedia outreach program in the
> world.  (btw, I really don't care if someone wants to tag this as {citation
> required.})  You have taken time out of your working lives and college
> days.  I know how tough it's been  - conducting more than 100 in-class
> sessions, working with so many students and faculty, reaching out on email
> and talk pages and SMS and mobile calls and social networks and in
> canteens, poring over student entries, learning Wikipedia policies,
> figuring out new tools to help your work, building relationships  with
> other editors across the globe, doing the back-breaking documentation
> that's been required on project & course pages, and I can go on and on and
> on.  I know that sustaining this level of motivation and energy over months
> has been hard on you.  I also know some of you faltered.  I know some of
> you wanted to scream and kick someone some times, maybe even many people
> many times! Keep the faith, guys.
>
> I am sorry for the personal attack on Nitika.  To her, I want to publicly
> apologise.  I know her to be hard-working, diligent, honest, competent and
> an all-round professional.  She's new and she's learning and has and will
> make mistakes - like all of us do.  It is fantastic to have her on the
> team.  Period.
>
> The program is a pilot - and we made a ton of mistakes.  Sorry, let me
> rephrase that.  I led the initiative so all responsibility should be mine.
>  I made a ton of mistakes.  I promise the following.  We will have a
> thorough, honest and fact based evaluation.  We will be open to make all
> the changes that are required.  We will not let the events of the past few
> days force us into a bunker mentality.  We will be open and we will be
> intellectually rigorous.  We will learn and we will improve.  The India
> opportunity is massive - and our ambitions are huge.  It is also fraught
> with challenges.  Unless we try and do things - new and tough and complex
> things - we will never be able to realise our true potential.
>
> I know that some who have participated in these exchanges are driven by an
> awe-inspiring love and passion for Wikipedia.  I urge you to continue to
> come forward and work with others and us.  Come forward early though - and
> stay engaged through the journey.  It will have ups and downs.
>
> On communication, I urge everyone to maintain WP:CIVILITY and WP:NPOV in
> all our interactions.  On this - and to be fair - quite a few other
> interactions recently on totally unrelated topics (and involving a whole
> host of others), I daresay we have drifted from core Wikipedia principles.
>  These should apply to us to all our community's interactions as
> religiously as we apply them to our projects.
>
> I would urge folks who agree with me to write back.  Even a +1 will do.
>  Let's hear the voices of the quieter folks.  Let's hear from the folks who
> don't always get involved in mailing list exchanges out of either
> apprehension or apathy.  Let's move forward.
>
> Warm Regards,
>
> hisham
>
>
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