[WikiEN-l] Wikimedia Board Elections

Sat Sep 16 23:09:25 UTC 2006

On 9/16/06, David Mestel <david.mestel at gmail.com> wrote:
> If I may add my personal opinion, I do not think that it was
> appropriate for Jimmy to declare public support for any candidate.
> Here's why: In some sense, Jimmy's role is to be an impartial
> adjudicator, facilitating to a great extent the views of the
> community, although obviously also keeping the greater good of
> Wikipedia in mind.  In some ways, indeed, one might draw an analogy
> between this and a hypothetical situation where the monarch encouraged
> the electorate to vote one way or the other.  Just my $0.02.

I think people are better informed hearing what he has to say on the
subject, just as people are better informed hearing the opinions of
any respected and experienced user.  Granted, he has a bigger pulpit
than most, but I don't see anything inappropriate here.  I don't see
any pressing need for him to appear, or actually be, neutral here and
I'm not sure what would be served by it.