[Foundation-l] Wikimedia UK

Thu Aug 28 20:11:26 UTC 2008

On Thu, August 28, 2008 18:44, Thomas Dalton wrote:
> 2008/8/28 Michael Bimmler <mbimmler at gmail.com>:
>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2008 at 5:26 PM, Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd at yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>> It would appear that the company is facing bankruptcy and has been
>>> having problems with >the authorities.
>>
>> Exactly how do you come to this conclusions? It is a huge step from
>> "some debts" (which the directors of the company will cover, as I
>> understand) to "facing bankruptcy".

There is **NO** likelihood of this whatsoever, and I would sincerely hope
people immediately stop spreading such false rumours. The debts are *very*
minor and relate to travel and filing expenses and all the creditors are
current or past Directors. It may be that some see mileage in disparaging
those involved, but there really isn't.

>> Further, I have not heard of any "problems with the authorities",
>> could you expand?
>
> There have been some administrative problems with keeping the
> authorities (Companies House) up to date with the status of board
> members, and things. I don't know the details.

Again, please do not profess to state that there are problems with any
authorities. There are, again, **NONE** whatsoever. Please do not spread
lies.

>>> Does she have the authority to dissolve it?

I am not dissolving the Company but I am proposing that course of action
to the Board and members.

The UK Chapter was founded at The Tabard pub in Borough following a number
of meetings about three years ago. Fewer than a dozen people, from memory,
chose to be involved in those meetings and when it came to the meeting to
elect people to actually *do* things the number shrank even further.

Subsequently people have fallen by the wayside as would be expected and
whilst a few new people have got involved and we posted on various lists
and sites that we'd love it for people interested and qualified (and
involved with the WMF projects) to come and get involved, it really didn't
happen; some people seem more keen on sniping from the sidelines
demonstrating that they had no actual skills or knowledge except an
ability to type a lot. Oh, and an ability to keep digging as to the
on-wiki identity of someone contrary to their privacy.

It is because the number of people who are capable of being involved has
today dropped to just three (and I announced some months ago that I would
not be seeking re-election) and that there are, as I write this, no
capable and experienced hands to pass this on to, that I have concluded
*for myself* that it is in the best interests of WMUK and of the Company
of which I am a Director (and would, like the other Directors over the
years, continue to retain a liability for the actions of for a period
after retiring/resigning) that WER is dissolved rather than 'handed over'
to a bunch of people who have not demonstrated any possibility of being
suitably qualified.

As it happens, there is not a complete agreement between the Directors as
to this suggested process, and that discussion will proceed over the next
days, possibly weeks. This, indeed, is why the proposed step was only
noted on the UK mailing list and not this one. but be that as it may it is
here now.

I really and truly hope that a new WMUK will rise like a phoenix from the
ashes, but that will require someone with knowledge, sense and experience
to come forward. As I have not seen any such candidates - of which at
least two or three would be needed for me to feel comfortable keeping WMUK
in existence given the risks to the current Board and former members of
the Board during the last 12 months that such replacement of Board members
would create and, as the responsible person, I cannot endorse taking that
risk.

Alison Wheeler