On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 1:38 PM, Doug Weller <dougweller(a)gmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, Sep 17, 2012 at 1:19 PM, Andreas Kolbe
<jayen466(a)gmail.com> wrote:
This is paid Wikipedia editing and paid Wikipedia-based PR work,
leveraging
a Wikimedia UK directorship. It looks terrible.
Take coverage like this article here:
http://vox.gi/local/5634-gibraltarpedia-on-the-road-to-success.html
"The enthusiasm and conviction radiating from both the Min. for Tourism,
Neil Costa and Clive Finlayson who came up with the idea of marketing
Gibraltar as a tourist product through Wikipedia which the Ministry for
Tourism has embarked upon, leaves one without a doubt that the venture
will
truly be a success."
As things stand, we can look forward to Wikimedia UK directors getting
involved in a long string of similar for-profit Wikipedia-based marketing
campaigns, all conducted with the apparent seal of approval of Wikimedia
UK.
I say that as someone who thought Monmouthpedia was a great and
pioneering
project that offered educational value consistent
with the WMF mission.
But
Wikimedia UK directors cannot be seen to be in
the business of tourism
marketing, and be seen to be offering themselves for sale to the highest
bidder.
Anyone who engages in paid on-wiki marketing efforts for their private
clients should ipso facto be excluded from WMUK board membership, join
the
ranks of paid editors, and perform their work
under the watchful eyes of
the
community, without the shelter of WMUK.
Andreas
Leaving out the Jimbo bit, why does anyone disagree with Andreas? Ok,
you can modify the 'string of UK directors', but the basic principles?
Just a minor correction – I did not write "long string of UK directors",
but "Wikimedia UK directors getting involved in a long string of similar
for-profit Wikipedia-based marketing campaigns, all conducted with the
apparent seal of approval of Wikimedia UK."
The reason I said that is because there has been significant interest from
other towns and cities. John Virgin, posting on the Wikimedia UK blog in
July, said,
---o0o---
Tyson’s initiative, in talking to Neil Costa, and instigating an approach
on behalf of this British Overseas territory, greatly impressed the
Monmouthpedia organisers, Roger Bamkin and John Cummings. *They had already
been inundated with offers from people looking for their city to be the
world’s second Wikipedia town.* Offers had come in from the Czech Republic,
the USA, Norway and elsewhere. None had such strong political support
behind them.
http://blog.wikimedia.org.uk/tag/gibraltarpedia/
---o0o---
And offers here means business offers, because it involves paid consultancy
jobs for their companies. There is clearly enough paid work here for many
years. Now it would be a different thing – still untenable, but differently
so – if the revenue from that paid consultancy were to accrue to Wikimedia
UK or the Wikimedia Foundation, rather than to the consultants personally.
But they don't: they are private earnings. I have nothing against
successful business ideas and private ventures, but in this case Roger's
Wikimedia UK directorship is an element of how these services are marketed,
and how they are reported upon in the press, e.g. here:
---o0o---
IT was the cyber <http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/cyber> project
that made the sleepy market town of Monmouth a internet phenomenon.
And Monmouthpedia has been so successful the mastermind behind the project
is taking the idea to the British Territory of Gibraltar.
Roger Bamkin is director of Wikimedia UK - the charity that supports
Wikipedia's mission - and the co-creator of Monmouthpedia.
He picked Gibraltar, at the southern tip of Spain, as his next project
after being flooded with invitations from places around the world hoping to
be the second Wikipedia town.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Monmouthpedia+idea+goes+global+as+creator+loo…
---o0o---
How is this not a gravy train?
I understand that Steve Virgin, as a former Wikimedia UK director, is also
in business for himself, together with John Cummings and Roger.
And according to
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Declarations_of_Interest#Roger_Bamkin, "Roger
is part of a successful Geovation bid with Andy Mabbett, Robin Owain and
John Cummings. This means that he is likely to be talking to many councils
in Wales."
There is a reference to it on this page:
http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Reports_26Jul12
under the heading RB, saying, "Geovation bid for 17.5 K for Coast Path
Wales - more to come. Need to find 100K ext funding to get 100K more".
What is this Geovation bid? What involvement, if any, does Wikimedia UK
have in the project? What is this 100K funding? Does this too involve paid
consultancy work?
Andreas