Re: [Wikimedia-l] Updates from Wikimedia Foundation Board

[Risker]

Nataliia, thank you very much for this update.

I'd suggest it is essential for the community and its members to recognize
that the situation in which the WMF, tens of thousands of other similar
organizations, entire nations, and each of us as individuals is
unprecedented in modern life; the closest parallel occurred more than a
century ago. Flexibility in action and thought is essential in order to
obtain the best long-range outcome.  Everyone, almost without exception,
has had to make changes in their lives, their interactions, and their
processes in order to survive, let alone thrive.

Speaking as someone who has been heavily invested in the strategic planning
process, I view the expansion of the board in a very positive light.  The
Covid-19 pandemic has thrown a lot of the ambitious (and in some cases,
potentially very costly) recommendations in the draft strategy into sharp
relief due to the sudden and unplanned instability of the global financial
situation, which will impact us as a movement just as it affects
individuals, countries, industries, and other charitable organizations
around the world.We should be honest about this, and also recall that
the strategy is intended to be a set of long-term goals, so taking a first
step toward expanded and broader representation is entirely in keeping with
movement toward those goals without drawing excessively on our uncertain
financial resources.

I think it's reasonable, due to the exceptional global circumstances as
well as the planned changes in Board composition, to extend the terms of
currently community-selected representatives.  It's likely that there will
be more certainty in the situation in 4-8 months, and the WMF and the
Wikimedia community will be better placed to identify and attract excellent
candidates for community-selected, affiliate-selected, and appointed
seats.  Right now, many who might ordinarily be willing candidates are not
in a position to make such a multi-year commitment; thousands of members of
our communities have had their lives suddenly disrupted in a multitude of
ways, without certainty of employment, financial stability, health, or
family circumstances. The delay will also permit a richer discussion on how
to implement the changes to board structure.

This same degree of uncertainty also makes it not just reasonable, but
probably quite wise, to extend the timeline for the Annual Plan.  Many
activities that have become routine over the years must be reconsidered in
light of changing circumstances.  For example, many of the international
in-person meetings may need to be rethought, and there may need to be
research and development to find alternate ways to carry out these
educational, decision-making, and communal activities.  I will be very
interested to see how the next Annual Plan will address financial
uncertainty:  our organization's reputation has been enhanced by the
community's actions in relation to the Covid-19 crisis (which could have a
positive effect on donations and grants), but many potential
donors/grant-makers may find themselves unable to maintain even their
current level of donations, let alone enhance them.

It is entirely within the scope of the Board to change bylaws and implement
all of the changes that have been discussed in Nataliia's message on behalf
of the Board.

Risker/Anne



On Sat, 2 May 2020 at 19:21, Pine W  wrote:

> Andy, I was going off of this statement: "In order to ensure sustained
> community representation on the Board, we are extending the terms of
> the three community-selected trustees currently occupying those seats
> (María, Dariusz, and James) for up to a year until we are all ready to
> run the postponed process"
>
> That is different from saying that the Board will ask the community if
> the community wants to postpone elections. I would understand and
> support the latter, but not the former. I don't want the WMF Board to
> start down the path of deciding if and when the community will hold
> elections for community-nominated seats. This should be a decision for
> the community, and the community alone, to decide.
>
> By the way, has the Elections Committee been consulted regarding any of
> this?
>
> Pine
> ( https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pine )
>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Is the Wikimedia-movement apolitical?

[Dan Szymborski]

On Sat, May 2, 2020 at 4:18 PM James Salsman  wrote:

> > "Wikipedia should support any political movement that makes
> > people's lives better because they will then have more time to edit
> > Wikipedia," is an incredibly dubious line of reasoning. It would
> literally
> > cover anything in politics
>
> On the contrary, by definition, it would be restricted to the subset
> of ways to make people's lives better which also allow them more time
> to edit. The contrapositive of 'because' is 'is caused by.'
>
> If campaign finance reform makes people's lives better and allows them
> more time to edit, then there would seem to be five categories:
> 'active opposition,' 'inactive opposition,' 'silence,' 'inactive
> support,' 'active support.' Obviously the Board wants to do what
> supports the community, employees, donors, and readership, not
> necessarily in that order.
>
>

Nah, of course all these things do.

Tax cuts? Well, I don't have to work as hard at work, leaving me more
editing time!
Tax increases? With more services, I won't have to work as hard to make
money, leaving me more editing time!
Free blueberry pancake deliveries? Ever make blueberry pancakes? Takes
forever, freeing up more editing time!
My family turned into delicious sausages? Between holidays, birthdays, and
random errands mom calls me for help with, it's taking up valuable editing
time!

And so on. You can make a tortured case for *anything* someone wants to see
as increasing editing time.
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