Not... quite. I've been advising on both, as a volunteer, but I can't bring myself to openly support either (as a volunteer or a staff member). It's simply too tricky. Steve Virgin (Bristol) is a fantastic person and a board member with a great bid, and Ed Saperia (London) is a fantastic person and a personal friend with a great bid. It's further complicated by the fact that my wife was involved in the London bid before she was hospitalised, and that Steve is a board member. I honestly believe that Wikimania is best served by coming to the UK, but whether it hits the south-east or south-west is not something I can make a decision on.

I have been doing small 'wikifying' edits on each bid, and explained the process to each side (when they've asked) but nothing more.

To cut a long story short, I - and the chapter - will throw our support behind whichever UK bid gets the support of the judges or the wider community. I don't see it as rivalry - I don't think any of the four office employees do - but as an open process that gives us two chances to win the bid for our nation, rather than just one.
Richard Symonds
Office & Development Manager
Wikimedia UK
+44 (0)207 065 0991

On 01/04/2012 01:11, Thomas Dalton wrote: 
On 1 April 2012 00:42, Anthony (AGK) <wikiagk@gmail.com> wrote:

On 1 April 2012 00:38, James Farrar <james.farrar@gmail.com> wrote:

You make the assumption that the people who had worked on the rejected bid
would have shaken that rejection off to give their wholehearted support to
the chosen bid.

If the deadline for bids has passed then the practical issue is moot,
but so far as paid employees of WMUK are concerned I would hope they
are above such rivalry.

Paid employees of WMUK haven't been involved in either bid, that's
part of what I'm complaining about. (Richard has been working on the
London one in his spare time, but not as a WMUK employee).

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