Erik Moeller wrote:
I'd like to reopen the discussion about whether we
officially consider
MediaWiki a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. Currently, the
position of the Foundation on this issue appears somewhat ambiguous.
While we run the Subversion repository, the website, the mailing
lists, and pay the two lead developers, MediaWiki is listed, for
example, on:
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Our_projects
not as a Wikimedia project, but as a "related project." It is also not
part of our usual list of projects. On the other hand,
mediawiki.org
carries the "A Wikimedia Project" button.
It doesn't bother me. Change the websites if you like, I can't see it
making one bit of difference to the management of the project. We all know
that you have to use a light touch when you're managing volunteers. Maybe
the Foundation could help with recruitment of developers, but I can't see
why the wording on the webpage should influence that activity.
I don't mean to start an argument. Erik, if you think it's important, then
I have no issue with that.
Nobody can deny the close relationship between Wikimedia and MediaWiki.
Some might worry about Wikimedia taking control of MediaWiki, which is
amusing considering the amount of influence MediaWiki developers have over
Wikimedia affairs. They have as much to fear from us as we do from them ;)
-- Tim Starling