[Foundation-l] Wikimedia chapters in the United States

Wed Aug 1 14:10:34 UTC 2007

Thanks for the update.

This sounds like a reasonable approach.

Sydney

On 8/1/07, Austin Hair <adhair at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The topic of a Wikimedia chapter in the United States has been
> discussed and debated for a few years, during which time the role of
> Wikimedia chapters and the Wikimedia Foundation itself has grown and
> evolved.  The unique geopolitical circumstance of the U.S. poses
> several interesting questions regarding the form a chapter or chapters
> there will take, and this discussion has been renewed with the recent
> announcement of fledgling chapter Wikimedia Pennsylvania.
>
> There is not yet any firm policy specifically concerning U.S.
> chapters, but it's clear that the conditions and challenges they face
> will involve a different approach from that we've established over the
> last few years working to build chapters in Europe and elsewhere.
>
> It is the consensus of the Chapters Committee that this approach
> should be a practical one, governed by the needs of chapters as they
> develop, and that any contrived policies made now would be of little
> use, even detrimental.  Our view of chapter policy is that it should
> not be prescriptive, but rather reflective of the relationship
> chapters have with the Foundation and with the community.
>
> We therefore intend to continue working with groups forming chapters
> in the U.S. to help identify their role, and to define sensible
> policies to allow us to work together toward our common goals.
>
> Austin Hair
> Wikimedia Chapters Committee
>
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