[Foundation-l] Corporate Social Responsibility

Fri Nov 19 23:37:04 UTC 2010

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On 19/11/2010 18:48, Fred Bauder wrote:
> I suspect it is more to avoid embarrassing him by disclosing he worked
> for so little than to hide Wikimedia business.
By "I suspect" do you mean that you are speculating? I think we should
stick to facts, since speculations about confidential deals could
quickly lead to unwanted controversies.

> The terms of hiring
> professional help are usually kept confidential as are personnel issues.
But the Foundation's money and resources are not, are they? Isn't the
WMF linked to the WM community as if each editor was a moral
shareholder, with a moral right to know, a moral right to have a say and
a moral right to decide? Sorry if my question seems naive, but shouldn't
it be that way?

> We're in a bad place; only a highly skilled and well-experienced person
> could do such work and we don't have the money to begin to pay for such
> services at market rate.
Though I understand your reasoning which is a valid one, I'd like to
pinpoint that it doesn't flow in the same direction than the volunteer
spirit which has been the main engine of the wikimedian projects. Payed
persons should be the exception because we couldn't find a volunteer to
do it as well.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that orienting the Foundation model
towards money-based jobs, more paid jobs, better paid jobs and more
fundraising would shift the current universal goals of WM towards
monetary and possibly less universal concerns.

> It will be helpful in hiring replacements if we don't trash the
> professionals who work for us.
I didn't suggest trashing anyone, so I don't know where this comes from.

>Anyone who works for us should depart with
> our good wishes, not a barrage of criticism.
I'm sorry that you read my words as bad-willed criticism. All my good
wishes go to Mike Godwin, to the Foundation and to the WM mission. I
thank everybody, Mike included, for all the good work they've done and
will keep doing.

My inquiry is not about a person or another, though. It's about the way
things are done. I want to learn, understand and be informed.
I'd just like to know if some extra money or reward were given (or
promised), in this current case to Mike Godwin. It's healthy to know
what the Foundation is doing with our donations and volunteering
efforts, because it creates trust.

The phrasing of Sue Gardner about the severance [1] agreement were vague
and left doubts about what it may be.

[1]: "The Wikimedia Foundation and Mike have figured out severance that
> we all hope will protect Mike and give him time to think about what he
> wants to do next. "
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