[Textbook-l] Power to dictate policy (Was: Game Guides)

Tue Jun 13 17:37:09 UTC 2006

On 6/13/06, Kernigh <xkernigh at netscape.net> wrote:
> Cormac Lawler wrote:
> > As far as I see it: the community has control over the content, and
> > the board bears the legal liability for the content. Jimbo's unique
> > part in this is that he retains the power to dictate policy where he
> > deems necessary, and when he thinks a project has veered off course
> > significantly from its goals or the goals of the foundation. I'm not
> > sure of what other times he has exercised this power, apart from the
> > recent debate about the content of Wikibooks - maybe someone else,
> > perhaps Jimbo himself, can clarify this.
>
> Excuse me, can you clarify?
>
> How does [[User:Jimbo Wales]] "retain the power to dictate policy"?
> Retention requires that you already have the power. When did [[User:Jimbo
> Wales]] obtain the power to dictate policy "where he deems necessary"?
>
> I understand that someone in the Wikimedia Foundation can dictate policy in
> exceptional cases where that is required, but I do not understand how the
> Wikimedia Foundation is organised.
>
> -- [[User:Kernigh]]
>    http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/User:Kernigh
>

To clarify, I meant that the setting (or "dictation") of policy by
Jimbo is limited to extreme circumstances - ie., as I said, in cases
where he sees that projects are veering significantly from their
mandate or that of the Wikimedia Foundation. This has always been the
case - but I don't seem to be able to give you a good reference - the
best I can do is this page:
<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Governance>, in which he
says: "Final policy decisions are up to me, as always" (10th April,
2002) - ie., Jimbo is Wikipedia's equivalent of a 'benevolent
dictator' or 'GodKing' (both of which terms he doesn't like, as far as
I know). As I said, though, I don't know how many times he has
actually stepped in to set policy on any project.

The power structure of the Foundation was changed drastically by the
creation of a non-profit organisation and a board, and is continuing
to change with the formation of committees - see:
<http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_organigram>.
Individual projects make their own policies, as always - but it has
always been (to my knowledge) that Jimbo retains the *right* to step
in on policy, where he deems necessary. But this is *not* to suggest
that Jimbo decrees policy - that would be false - Jimbo generally
places fundamental emphasis on the community (see:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jimbo_Wales/Statement_of_principles>).

Does that clarify?

Cormac