[Wikipedia-l] Re: Wikimedia Foundation : le ver dans le fruit ?

Mon Jan 24 21:29:53 UTC 2005

Andy Rabagliati a écrit:
> On Mon, 24 Jan 2005, Daniel Mayer wrote:
> 
> 
>>--- Traroth <traroth at yahoo.fr> wrote:
>>
>>(Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Wktionary, Wikibooks...)
> 
> 
>>Jimmy Wales imposed 3 seats out of 5, by reserving the seat of
>>president, the 2 seats remaining being provided by election (what led
>>to 4 anglophone members out of 5).
> 
> 
> Hmm - the benevolent dictatorship.
> 
> 
>>*  For what are used these foundations?
>>*  Don't the givers have a right of glance on the use which is made
>>   money that they gave?
> 
> 
> [ ... ]
> 
> 
>>* What will make the community if Jimmy Wales makes decisions opposite
>>  with the opinion of the majority, as it could be that that is the case
>>  on the subject of publicity (Jimbo never decided clearly against)?
> 
> 
>>Personally, I intended to rather strongly imply me in the activity of
>>French association, but now, I am with two fingers all to send p?ter.
> 
> 
> I think it is reasonable to request, or at least allow, a majority of
> French on the French wikipedia board. Personally, I see wikipedia as the
> runaway success - the other marks as also-rans.
> 
> I have no reason to believe that Jimbo will be anything other than a
> benevolent dictator, but I can understand the concern of les
> francophones.
> 
> There is a very real concern that commercial interests may do a land
> grab of mediawiki content - and maybe that is the Strong Hand on the
> Wheel that you are seeing.
> 
> Wikipedia is verging on a phenomenon. However, its strength is the soft
> touch. French people must feel they own their own encyclopedia - the
> problem is in the direction and management. Maybe Jimbo is saying he has
> that, on all mediawiki sites.
> 
> Cheers,    Andy!
> 
> [en:User:Wikiwizzy]

Hi Andy.

Before this goes in the wrong direction, I would like to only mention 
that Traroth opinion is very much the opinion of a minority (basically 
the strong opinion of 3-4 editors and each time the topic is raised, the 
opinion of a couple of newbies who do not know much yet about the way 
Wikipedia is managed).

Traroth raises this topic every now and then. Usually, it is restricted 
to our pump, so it may be interesting that this gets more public view.

What surprises me is that he seems to imply in his diatribe that Jimbo 
recently announced he would keep his position as the president of 
Wikimedia Foundation and would probably now use his right of veto.

While the first point has always be obvious to me (so I see not what is 
new), the second is just a discovery to me. I am not aware Jimbo ever 
said he would use his right of veto. I am not even aware he had a veto 
right...

Anyway, I just want to insist on the fact this is Traroth (and a few 
users opinions) and absolutely does not reflect the view of the largest 
number of french editors. So, please do not make any wrong conclusion by 
concluding french people are *again* making fools of themselves.

The second point is that though I think most of Traroth comments here 
are just without basis, I can only recognise that this is the opinion of 
a few people, and these people are real editors, not vandals, nor 
trolls, nor jerks. So, I suppose these opinions are important to listen to.

As for myself, I do not really feel like answering them, simply because 
I already tried to answer Traroth several times on the topic. If he is 
posting here, it means he does not recognise my answers sufficient. So, 
it would be useless to repeat my answers again. So perhaps someone else 
could help.

Anthere