[Foundation-l] Update of Foundation organization

Mon Mar 5 23:50:01 UTC 2007

On 3/5/07, Delirium <delirium at hackish.org> wrote:
> If it's a job that *has* to be done every single week
> reliably, then an unpaid volunteer is not necessarily the best choice.

Not necessarily, but possibly.  I used to be an unpaid volunteer
firefighter, and there were lots of things we did that *had* to be
done every single week reliably.

One difference with Wikimedia projects is that the job is not as
important - lives don't literally hang in the balance.  But another
difference which could more easily be made a similarity is that
Wikimedia volunteers aren't as effectively organized.  Volunteer
firefighters were unpaid, but we still had a boss, we still had rules,
we still had to submit applications, and go to meetings, etc.  When it
came time to send out fundraising letters, we were expected to put in
our time and do it, even though few of us would have volunteered to do
*that* job.  Our boss (the fire chief), was paid, but not as a
full-time salary, and he had a full time job too.

For most Wikimedia volunteers, none of this formality is necessary, of
course.  But for some other things it might work.  If a competent
person is hired as volunteer coordinator I'm sure this will become
much more clear.

Anthony