Cary, casey,

My Apologies to yu both. 

My eyes were bleeding from the huge number of emails I got in my Simonpedia inbox from the WMF elists I’m trying to stay across, particularly the Foundation’s. I’m reading Florence’s wish list, which is very nice, http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/10_wishes_for_2008 So tell me Casey, cause you’re the one who seems to be across many of the WMF domains, is any of what I’m suggesting useful? 

The big picture here, which the WMF has in common with all other globalizing non profits, is trying to reorganise their communications, particularly their real time stuff, around groups or committees. 

Florence’s wish list led me directly to the Council. http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikicouncil where the first thing that you’re struck by is this comment; “The power of information exchange between Projects (examples of info exchanged, what is currently missing, inconsistencies between policies of different languages, which ones would benefit from being harmonized”. - info exchange is one thing but just reading through the Talk:Wikicouncil page, it’s already overloaded 

BTW. If you wanted another non profit which resembles WMF’s communities, this one seems mirrors WMF’s mission, so I’ve pointed to their approach for a “member’s” council. http://www.oclc.org/memberscouncil/default.htm

We might improve WMF’s comms by getting a few editors to contribute to a wikizine or a wikipedia weekly. But the main thing which is needed is a way, after a person has read something, to be directed to a forum and/or virtual room where they can gain/share an understanding and then perhaps vote for a proposal, etc. The obstacle is, if the WMF take this approach, the forum would no doubt become one of the ‘most hit’ very quickly, and so expensive. Either a sponsor is needed or advertising is required. 

Now we know the response to advertising. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Perennial_proposals#Advertising

We also knows it goes on all the time E.g http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Microsystems

which amazes me when I consider how happy companies would probably be to pay/donate around $1000/year for a (shall we call it) “corporate listing”, or sponsor the forum.

Now I’d better stop as my eyes are bleeding again, regards simon

>>> You're confusing Cary and I. :-)

* I am [[m:User:Cborwn1023]]

* Cary is [[m:User:Bastique]] and [[m:User:Cary Bass]].

I understand the confusion, Cary and Casey are very similar names and

both of our last names start with B. :-)