[Foundation-l] board candidacies

Fri Aug 11 14:07:40 UTC 2006

The issue of board reimbursements for legitimate expenses is being 
discussed.  There is a difference between asking people to be reimbursed 
for costs and being paid a salary for being a board member.  If your 
life circumstances are such that you can make ends meet, the most 
demanding issue for your involvement in Wikimedia issues is time, not 
money.  Moving forward, based on the board's improving financial 
stability, the issue raised by Anthere will not be as significant a 
problem, if not eradicated completely.

Erik Zachte wrote:
> Walter van Kalken:
>   
>> I personally feel that one of the big issues is that people are required
>> to spend their own money for things. This means that if you life outside
>> of the US, even outside of Florida that your costs will be prohibitively
>> high. I personally find that one of the most prohibitive requirements.
>> Many people whom would have the time and the enthousiasm do not have a
>> bankaccount for that. And that is one of the reasons I have a lot of
>> respect for Angela and Anthere. They are willing to spend their personal
>> savings for the betterment of the projects. People should realize that
>> the next time they start complaining with them.
>>     
>
> I concur with this entirely. We have enough dot com millionaires on the
> Board, and the Advisory Board might add some.
> This is not personal to anyone, those concerned probably just got their
> priorities right.
>
> What 'saddens' me however is the way Anthere was treated during the Board
> session last Sunday when the issue of paying board members was brought up.
> Jimbo made a casual remark to the effect of "(I'm not sure) we want to pay
> board members, besides it is not allowed by the bylaws" (paraphrasing here).
> Easy to say in his position. Then someone made a witty but badly timed joke
> about the situation, the chairman of the Board might have intervened at that
> moment. I feel it was humiliating for Anthere. Maybe the bylaws allow other
> board members than Jimmy to accept well paid invitations for keynote
> speeches?
>
> Erik Zachte
>
>
>
>
>
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>   