[Foundation-l] Vote to create Wikiversity Vote

Fri Nov 11 07:58:54 UTC 2005

Anthony DiPierro wrote:

>As far as the people who donated to Wikimedia hoping that it would be
>  
>
>>used only for Wikipedia, I think that is both shortsighted on your part
>>with regards to the donors as well as something the donors should be in
>>general better informed about when they give money to the Foundation.
>>    
>>
>You misquoted me. I never said donations should only be used for Wikipedia.
>But instead of repeating myself I'll be precise: "The specific purpose for
>which [Wikimedia] is organized is: to create and freely distribute freely
>licensed encyclopedias, textbooks, reference works, and other literary,
>scientific, and educational information in all languages of the world."
>That's straight from the amended articles of incorporation. To spend any
>significant portion of donations on anything else is at best unethical.
>
I don't see a Wikiversity as going beyond the quoted mandate.  Teaching 
is a way of distributing information..  Trying to impute restrictions 
into donors' minds is pointless.  How many donors have actually stated 
such restrictions?

>>Most of what Wikiversity is going to be doing on the website anyway is
>>writing curriculum standards, course syllibi, instructional examples,
>>and testing materials. How is that any different from writing books or
>>encyclopedia articles. Besides, all of these tasks have been happening
>>on Wikibooks anyway. The only real debate is if these tasks should
>>happen as a seperate project or if it is something that belongs within
>>Wikibooks.
>>    
>>
>I already said I have no problem as long as the purpose of Wikiversity is
>limited to creating and distributing learning materials, and doesn't include
>actually using those materials to teach.
>
If that were all it did it would be pointless to have the project.  My 
own resistance is based in part on on the concern that it might be 
limited to the kind of sterile role that you imagine.

>In any case, I think the project should stay within Wikibooks. 
>
There is certainly no urgency for moving it out of Wikibooks

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