[Foundation-l] VC - alternative resolution

Tue Apr 8 06:39:28 UTC 2008

dex2000 wrote:
> As a contributor for several years, I have followed discussions on
> foundation-l with increasing scepticism. Mostly it seems to be a small group
> discussing matters between themselves and not seeking any involvement from
> the communities.
>
> It is very difficult for me to see, why the board should approve to
> establish a PVC as suggested. Setting up a VC without knowing which problems
> it should address, and within which framework, and without involving the
> communities at all seems quite out of the line. Why has the wish for such a
> group not been presented to the communities on their village pumps, for
> instance?
>
> Instead, I would suggest to the board to encourage a much broader
> investigation, forming different groups from different communities to
> investigate and report on the tasks, which they feel a VC could take over.
> Only after such broad activities can any conclusion be drawn about the need
> for a VC and its "incorporation" in the formal structure of the foundation.
> Such a major step should not be directed by a small group of
> foundation-l-contributors that has already concluded the need for such a new
> body.
>
> What needs fixing should be determined after agreement on what the
> communities consider broken.
Why should the question be based on "fixing" smething that is "broken"?  
I want to take a far more constructive approach by stressing what is 
right about Wikimedia and its projects.

The idea of a Wikicouncil under various names is nothing new.  The 
current round of discussions has been on Meta since the beginning of the 
year, and it is on the Foundation list which is essentially for those 
who are interested in Wikimedia as a whole.  If we were to go onto the 
Village Pums, which ones?  Are you offering to arrange translation for 
all these languages?  If you just mean the English Wikipedia, how do you 
plan to counter the bias that it would be an English project?  Some 
people have already expressed that concern.

Ec