Sam Johnston wrote: > Gerard Meijssen wrote: > >> If you are of the opinion that things can be done differently, please >> explain how. A printer makes money, that is how he earns his crust. So how >> would non-profit printing work. Does it exist ? You are also under the >> impression that "we" are meeting our targets.. What do you know of the >> financial position of the French chapter and what do you know of its >> ambitions ? >> > However you cut it this is advertising pure and simple. Yes it's buried > behind a convenience function and I have no doubt the French chapter are > doing all manner of interesting and constructive things, but who's to decide > what is and what is not appropriate? If it's such a good idea, why is it not > deployed centrally (with appropriate policies) so all chapters can take > advantage of it (safely)? >
Obviously, it's up to the French chapter to make it's own decisions in accordance with French law. ExpectinSpecial:Booksourceswg some kind of central decision about this kind of thing is a good way to make sure that nothing ever gets done. If they make a little money while they're at it so much the better; there is no need for an ultra-ideological stance about advertising in this. > Anyway how WMF interacts with its chapters is not the conversation I joined > the list to contribute to so I'll leave it to you guys to nut it out between > yourselves. Just bear in mind that the reputation of the organisation as a > whole is easily tarnished by the wrong well-intended initiative and the > proceeds are a drop in the ocean compared to what is raised by donation and > that a fraction of what is theoretically possible. Just how much control do you expect from the Central Committee? Sure, it's a given that some will-intentioned initiatives will go dreadfully awry. Bad things have happened in the past, and bad things will happen in the future; None of it will be prevented by imposing strict central control. Wikimedia is a resilient organisation, and it didn't get that way through paranoid musings about a tarnished reputation. It's not that fragile. Ec _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
