[Foundation-l] A question to all board candidates...

Sat May 29 19:34:24 UTC 2004

--- Anthere <anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Say, you are on the board of Wikimedia Foundation.
> 
> A user from a rather minor wikipedia contact the
> foundation mailing list, to ask for help on setting a
> local association. This user is currently working on
> the status of the future association with her peers,
> and naturally should set status that are in coherence
> with the Foundation principles themselves.
> 
> Now, it so happens that when you were a candidate a
> while ago, and while candidating, you indicated as
> PART of your platform, that indeed helping smaller
> wikipedias were an issue to you, and that you would
> HELP set local chapters.
> 
> Indeed, the user of the minor wikipedia is VERY
> encouraged by the fact you put local chapter
> considerations in your plateform, so that she knows it
> is IMPORTANT to you, so of course, she is confident
> you will answer and bring help.
> 
> So, here she is, bringing the issue on the mailing
> list, and asking help...
> 
> ------
> 
> Question : what do you do ?

We need to first look at the formation of the German chapter/association in
order to develop rules and procedures for setting up chapters. Once that is
done we could refer the person to that documentation and provide assistance as
needed. There would, at the least, have to be enough dues-paying Wikimedia
members in that person's area in order to make it possible to have a viable
chapter. Once that is the case, and enough of those members indicate a
willingness to actually participate in a chapter, then the foundation could
provide some seed money to set-up the legal framework. Then to stay a Wikimedia
chapter a *minimal* set of guidelines must be adhered to (such as keeping a
certain set number of active chapter members and reporting chapter-specific
finances and activities to the foundation). I would also like to see each
chapter president have at least a honorary role in the foundation itself
(perhaps even as honoray trustees). 

-- Daniel Mayer (aka mav)

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