Patricio, thanks for the update.
I appreciate you and Lila informing the wikimedia movement now, before all
of the details of the transition plan are complete.
As the BoT works on a transition strategy and plans for hiring a new ED,
perhaps a member of the Board can take on the role of Chief Communicator.
Understandably, it is not always easy to know when to make announcements
and updates to the wikimedia movement especially when plans are incomplete.
At this moment in time, a good communication strategy that keeps everyone
regularly informed will help build a stronger bond between the WMF Board
and the rest of wikimedia movement.
My thoughts are with you and the rest of the Board as you work through this
situation.
Warm regards,
Sydney
Sydney Poore
User:FloNight
Wikipedian in Residence
at Cochrane Collaboration
On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 1:50 PM, Patricio Lorente <
patricio.lorente(a)gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> This week, the Board of Trustees accepted Lila’s resignation. Her last day
> will be March 31, 2016.
>
> I would like to thank Lila for her efforts over these past two years, and
> her passion for our shared mission. Together, we wish her the best in her
> future endeavors and accomplishments.
>
> The Board of Trustees is meeting regularly to determine next steps. Our
> top priority is to develop a clear transition plan that seeks to build
> confidence with community and staff, appoint interim leadership, and begin
> the search for a new Executive Director. We will continue working closely
> together over the coming days, and will share an update next week.
>
> This work will require extensive collaboration by the Board over the next
> few weeks. Although we know you’ll have questions, it is likely we’ll be
> very focused on planning the next steps. We appreciate your patience and
> understanding during this time.
>
> Patricio
>
> TRANSLATION NOTE: This message is also posted on Meta at the Board
> Noticeboard for for translation. You can find it here:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/25_F…
> --
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately
> directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia
> community. For more information about Wikimedia-l:
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
> _______________________________________________
> WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list
> WikimediaAnnounce-l(a)lists.wikimedia.org
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l
>
>
Dear all,
Today the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees voted to remove one of the
Trustees, Dr. James Heilman, from the Board. His term ended effective
immediately.
This was not a decision the Board took lightly. The Board has a
responsibility to the Wikimedia movement and the Wikimedia Foundation to
ensure that the Board functions with mutual confidence to ensure effective
governance. Following serious consideration, the Board felt this removal
decision was a necessary step at this time. The resolution will be
published shortly.
This decision creates an open seat for a community-selected Trustee. The
Board is committed to filling this open community seat as quickly as
possible. We will reach out to the 2015 election committee
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_elections_2015/Committ…>
to discuss our options, and will keep you informed as we determine next
steps.
Patricio Lorente
Chair, Board of Trustees
Wikimedia Foundation
--
Hi everyone,
I am pleased to announce the launch of the second Inspire Campaign for
IdeaLab.[1] The theme of this campaign is focused on improving tasks
related to content curation & review in our projects:
<https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire>
Reviewing and organizing tasks are fundamental to all WIkimedia projects,
and these efforts maintain and directly improve the quality of our projects
in addition to increasing the visibility of their content. We invite
everyone to participate by sharing your ideas and proposals on how to
enhance these efforts. Constructive feedback and collaboration on ideas is
encouraged - your skills and advice can elevate a project into action. The
campaign runs until 29 March.
All proposals are welcome - research projects, technical solutions,
community organizing and outreach, or something completely new! Grants are
available from the Wikimedia Foundation for projects developed during this
campaign that need financial support.[2] Google Hangout sessions are
available in March if you'd like to have a conversation about your ideas.[3]
Join the Inspire Campaign and let’s work together to improve review and
curation tasks so that we can make our content more meaningful and
accessible.
With thanks,
Jethro
[1] You can learn more about the results of the first Inspire Campaign
here: <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:Spring_2015_Inspire_campaign
>
[2] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Start>
[3] <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Events> (Note: If
another time would work better for you, feel free to e-mail me or ping me
on-wiki).
---
Chris "Jethro" Schilling
I JethroBT (WMF) <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:I_JethroBT_(WMF)>
Community Organizer, Wikimedia Foundation
<https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Home>
Hello, all.
I am delighted to announce that Katy Love has agreed to step into the role
of Director of Resources in the Community Engagement department, picking up
the baton so ably carried by Siko Bouterse before her. Katy has been with
the Wikimedia Foundation since January 2013, beginning as the first program
officer to work with the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC). I’m grateful
to her for moving into this role and am looking forward to collaborating
with her closely in WMF’s Community Engagement department.
We will be hiring her replacement to oversee the FDC/full annual plan
grants program in the weeks ahead.
Best regards,
Maggie
P.S. Their page! https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Community_Resources
--
Maggie Dennis
Interim Sr. Director of Community Engagement
Director, Support and Safety
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
Dear fellow Wikimedians,
I have been closely following the developments of the previous weeks. A lot
of things have been said, concerns and frustration have been raised, hope
has been voiced, and many many questions have been brought up. It’s hard to
keep up with all the voices on all the different digital channels these
days, and hard to find solutions and agreement in an unfacilitated stream.
The first chance for many of us to personally meet, vent, and look ahead
will be the the Wikimedia Conference in Berlin. Wikimedia Deutschland is
hosting the event, and welcoming movement affiliates, committees and board
and staff of the Wikimedia Foundation from April 20-24.
The movement is standing at a crossroad, but I am confident we can find the
best path if we work together. Wikimedia Deutschland has gone through
turbulent times in the past as well, and we would like to offer our
experience and full support as host and facilitator of an essential part of
this process. With your participation and contribution, Wikimedia
Conference can be a platform for exchange and progress.
Let us use this opportunity to jointly figure out how we want to move
forward as a network of partners. The conference is the ideal platform to
discuss and define next steps to find answers to questions like: How do we
imagine a movement striving for free knowledge and what structure and
framework best serve these needs? How do the WMF and affiliates define
their role and responsibilities on a global and local level? How shall an
revamped search process for a new executive leadership of the WMF look
like, and what are the main qualifications new candidates should bring? How
will the strategy process for the WMF evolve and how can affiliates
contribute? How do we involve our stakeholders from within and outside of
the movement in this process? How do we manage to look ahead rather than
repeating the old narratives? How do we create consensus on all these
questions?
In light of the current situation, we would like to dedicate a whole
conference track to these issues. Of course, the initial conference topics
of impact and capacity building are still important and will be covered as
well.
We have set up a page on meta and encourage you to share your questions,
ideas, and concerns[1]. We intend to work closely with WMF and affiliate
representatives in the coming eight weeks and create the program along
their input.
Looking forward to seeing you in Berlin in April,
Tim Moritz Hector
[1]
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Conference_2016/Program_Design_Pr…:
How to move forward
--
Tim Moritz Hector
Chair of the Board
Wikimedia Deutschland e. V.
Tempelhofer Ufer 23-24 | D-10963 Berlin
http://www.wikimedia.de
With respect to paid promotional editing, I have done a bit work trying to
address it. For example I reached out to Upworks the company behind Elance
and Fiverr and they are interested in working together on this. Have been a
little distracted and not sure if there is sufficient community or
foundation support to move forwards.
With respect to using AI to detect paid editing, I spoke with Aaron
Halfaker about the possibility in Nov 2015. What he needed was datasets of
confirmed paid promotional editors. I have sent him some details. If others
have details that would likely be useful. Things are in the very very early
stages from what I understand.
--
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
The Wikipedia Open Textbook of Medicine
www.opentextbookofmedicine.com
Per these questions:
1. When James was made to leave, then did anyone tell him that there was
going to be a joint or prepared statement from the WMF?
No one before I left the meeting suggested we come out with a joint
statement or that we prepare a joint statement.
2. If so, did anyone ask James not to email the mailing list? And why did
you feel that was so inappropriate?
No one requested I not announce my removal. Let me repost my removal
message here "On Dec 28th 2015 I was removed from the board of the
Wikimedia Foundation. Many thanks to all those who gave me their support
during the last election. I have worked in the last six month to honor the
trust placed in me by advocating for our values, communities, and
projects."
https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-December/080472.html
I find it strange that this message is deemed controversial. I would
consider that me pretending that I was still on the board of the WMF for a
few weeks until the board could come out with a statement even when I was
not on the board to be dishonest. I am not sure if that is what Jimmy Wales
wanted but it was not an option.
Finally facts are not determined by a vote. That you got unanimity for "The
board.. has offered no objections to any board member discussing long term
strategy with the community at any time" should make all of us worry. I
have provided evidence that refutes this claim here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-02-03/In_fo…
--
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
The Wikipedia Open Textbook of Medicine
www.opentextbookofmedicine.com
One of the things that someone asked me privately to discuss is what I
think of the possibility of James running for the board again.
First, I have no opinion about whether or not he will be eligible at the
next election. That's a matter for people other than me to decide. I
don't know.
Second, if he is eligible, and if he runs, and if he wins, then I will
support his joining the board. Because I've been willing to be vocal
about what I view as his failures, people have sometimes gotten the
mistaken impression that this is primarily a personal conflict between
him and me. That's not true. Before the board vote to remove him, I
told him that I would vote with the majority - because it is my feeling
that on matters of trust, if he was unable to command the trust of at
least the majority of other trustees, his position would be untenable.
Third, it may interest you all to know that I did not and would not have
instigated the meeting in which he was removed from the board. Indeed,
I missed an online board meeting where things happened apparently that
brought this to a head, and in the final meeting with James, I mainly
inquired "What brought this up now?" as I thought things were settling down.
Fourth, having said all of that, I remain very disappointed in James and
the way he has spun this without coming forward with the community about
what happened. He claimed reasons for his dismissal that everyone else
on the board agrees unanimously are not the reasons. I haven't seen him
acknowledge that he was wrong about that, and I haven't seen him own up
to the things that actually upset people.
There are many narratives being spun by people who weren't there, who
have made all kinds of assumption that aren't true.
I'm switching to this email address for posting, because apparently
there is some kind of weird problem between yahoo and google such that
gmail users see all or most of my messages in their SPAM folder.
If you've asked me something and think that I didn't respond, I
recommend looking there.
Regarding to Oliver's comment: "My concern is that when staff reached out
the Board replied with a letter indicating they had full and unanimous
confidence in our
leadership."
This statement is not really true. We had a formal vote regarding the ED in
November and it was not unanimous. The vote unfortunately has not yet been
made public.
--
James Heilman
MD, CCFP-EM, Wikipedian
The Wikipedia Open Textbook of Medicine
www.opentextbookofmedicine.com