Re: [Wikimedia-l] Community Engagement reorg - the official announcement

[Pine W]

I've been stewing for awhile to sort out my thoughts about the search for a
new department lead for CE. Since I might be busy on Friday, and the choice
of the new department is likely a topic of broad public interest, I'll
share some thoughts here:

1. This is a highly public community facing role. Whoever gets the job
should be comfortable with transparency by default, and with the need to
maintain privacy about some situations.
2. The department lead needs to be someone who can get up to speed with our
incredibly complex community *quickly*. For this reason, I would strongly
suggest considering an internal hire.
3. This can be is a highly political and emotional role.
4. Whoever gets the job should have demonstrated good management skills in
a public-facing role and with development and supervision of a comparable
budget, including supervision of grants budgets and staff, and preferably
staff with comparable roles to Technical Collaboration and Support &
Safety.
5. Familiarity with the many legal aspects of the department would be
helpful, such as with contracts, online safe environments, and employment
law.
6. The leader should be comfortable with processes and software tools of
similar kind and complexity to the tools that are used by WMF CE, such as
OTRS, Phabricator, and the various kinds of financial and performance
analysis software and tools that are used by the department.
7. Familiarity with hiring and supervision of international and remote
staff would be valuable.
8. Language proficiency is of great value in this role. I would suggest
that the leader should have EN-5 or native proficiency in English, and at
least basic conversational proficiency in one additional language that is
commonly used in the Wikimedia movement.
9. Experience with managing community-facing technology projects would be
valuable.
10. Experience with conducting business in environments outside of the US
and Canada world would be valuable, including management of international
contracts and maintenance of relationships with international business
partners.

I feel the need to mention an additional issue which I think should be
addressed and could negatively impact recruiting for this position, which
is the current situation with the governance of the WMF. The amount of
staff turnover and the results of the staff survey are likely to have
negative impacts on recruiting among candidates who are well qualified for
this position and are looking for a job in which they can be successful.
Also, I feel that the opacity, decisions, and errors of the WMF Board in
the past few months cast a long shadow over the senior director of
community. Finally, the continued reports that I am hearing about the
relationship between the WMF ED and the WMF staff are also significant
causes of concern. I would suggest that before looking for external
candidates who are likely to do due diligence on WMF before accepting this
position, that WMF should remedy some of these matters of concern. I have
faith in Maggie to be a good temporary lead for the department while the
governance situation is addressed.

Writing in my personal capacity only,

Pine

On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 7:15 PM, Maggie Dennis  wrote:

> Hello, all.
>
> As some of you know, Community Engagement had a small realignment last
> quarter. Now that it’s further along, we thought it was a good time to
> formally share. :)
>
> So, welcome to the reformed Community Engagement!
>
> What’s the major change?
>
> We've restructured Community Engagement, to four primary groups:
>
>-
>
>Program Capacity and Learning (integrating Learning & Evaluation,
>Education, and Library), under Rosemary Rein, tasked with supporting
> community partnerships, programs and learning.
>-
>
>Resources, under Siko Bouterse, tasked with supporting community-led
>impact through grants and other resources.
>-
>
>Support & Safety (formerly known as Community Advocacy), under me
>(Maggie Dennis), tasked with helping improve trust, safety and
> collegiality
>within our projects as well as facilitating communication and
> understanding
>broadly between the WMF and contributors,
>-
>
>Technical Collaboration (grouping Community Liaisons and Developer
>Relations), under Quim Gil, tasked with improving collaboration between
>software development teams, Wikimedia contributors, readers, and
> volunteer
>developers.
>
> Four people within Community Engagement have changed which teams they
> report to: Floor and Jake (to Program, Capacity, and Learning), Haitham (to
> Support and Safety), and Sati (to Resources). This will more closely align
> their leadership and reporting structure with the work they’re doing.
> Rachel will also be stepping back from leadership of the Liaisons team and
> supporting Quim in annual plan and strategic work.
>
> Why did we do this?
>
> For most people outside of the department, this will have very little
> 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Changes in the Board

[Pine W]

I am bumping this thread because I am very much interested in the questions
about the nature of the "new, open approach" to Board member recruiting
that led to the situation with Arnnon. Also, it is regrettably difficult to
avoid asking questions about the extent to which Boryana knew of Arnnon's
background and whether she adequately informed the governance committee of
what she knew.

Pine

On Sat, Feb 6, 2016 at 7:59 AM, Ruslan Takayev 
wrote:

> Patricio, et al
>
> Are we any closer to having public comments from the BoT on how the Arrnon
> debacle was able to occur?
>
> I am especially interested in how Boryana fits in with this. Given
> Boryana's shared history t Telsa with Arnnon, she would surely have known
> about Arnnon's past at Google, but it would appear this past was never
> mentioned in the presentation to the board by her. At best this could be
> seen as an attempt to secure "jobs for the boys"; at worst it can be seen
> as incompetence on the part of Boryana.
>
> On 11 January, Lila Tretikov posted to this very list,[1] and stated:
>
> "I would like to thank everyone involved in this search, especially Amy
> Elder and Boryana , who managed the recruiting process through a new, open
> approach."
>
> When was this "new, open approach" to recruitment introduced? It certainly
> was not prior to the appoinment of Arnnon to the Board, otherwise we
> wouldn't be where we are at now. And what is this "new, open approach"?
>
> Unfortunately for Lila, she has now publicly backed her HR team, and as she
> would certainly have been involved in the recruitment of Boryana, this
> reflects poorly on her as well. Lila already has enough issues to deal
> with, as they relate to her tenure as WMF ED, particularly if Gayle Young
> is to be believed (there is nothing to suggest she shouldn't!)[2]
>
> I look forward to a response Patricio, rather than the sound of crickets
> that the community has come to expect from the WMF, the BoT and yourself
> over the last month.
>
> Warm regards,
>
> Ruslan Takayev
>
> [1]
> https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-January/080987.html
> [2]
>
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Requests_for_comment/Vote_of_no_confidence_on_Arnnon_Geshuri/sig=prev=15276441
>
> On Thu, Jan 28, 2016 at 4:52 AM, Patricio Lorente <
> patricio.lore...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > Throughout the discussion about the appointment of Arnnon Geshuri to the
> > Board of Trustees, the Board has carefully listened to you and discussed
> > internally. Earlier today, Arnnon decided to step down from the Board. To
> > paraphrase his words, he doesn't want to be a distraction for the
> important
> > discussions that the community and the Foundation need to face in the
> times
> > to come. We want to thank Arnnon for his ongoing commitment and for
> helping
> > us to move forward.
> >
> > The Board Governance Committee is working to improve and update our
> > selection processes before we fill the vacancy left by Arnnon’s
> departure.
> > We are sorry for the distress and confusion this has caused to some in
> our
> > community, and also to Arnnon.
> >
> > Patricio and Alice
> >
> > 
> >
> > Patricio Lorente
> > Chair, Board of Trustees
> >
> > Alice Wiegand
> > Vice Chair, Board of Trustees
> > --
> > ___
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> > 
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Pine W]

My impression of this whole situation with the Knight Foundation is that
the WMF's strong tendency toward closed-door and closed-loop processes are
hurting WMF more than helping it. If WMF had been transparent with the
community about this situation in the first place and a consultation with
the community had happened as negotiations were underway with Knight, I am
wondering if a mutually agreeable solution could have been created at that
time. Now we're in the midst of a lot of skepticism, suspicion, and
political difficulties.

Perhaps after the experiences of the past few months WMF governance will
re-align itself with the value of openness.

Hope springs eternal,

Pine
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Community Engagement reorg - the official announcement

[Gerard Meijssen]

Hoi,
Thank you for writing in your personal capacity so the other things need
not have any consideration. Thank you for a profile that reads American.

Thank you for continuing with the sniping at the WMF. What is your point or
is that personal? How do you help things move in the right direction? In my
opinion you show a lack of good faith, personally speaking, and why would
that not be seen as impacting your professional/other capacity?

But that is me personally.
Thanks,
   GerardM

On 11 February 2016 at 09:05, Pine W  wrote:

> I've been stewing for awhile to sort out my thoughts about the search for a
> new department lead for CE. Since I might be busy on Friday, and the choice
> of the new department is likely a topic of broad public interest, I'll
> share some thoughts here:
>
> 1. This is a highly public community facing role. Whoever gets the job
> should be comfortable with transparency by default, and with the need to
> maintain privacy about some situations.
> 2. The department lead needs to be someone who can get up to speed with our
> incredibly complex community *quickly*. For this reason, I would strongly
> suggest considering an internal hire.
> 3. This can be is a highly political and emotional role.
> 4. Whoever gets the job should have demonstrated good management skills in
> a public-facing role and with development and supervision of a comparable
> budget, including supervision of grants budgets and staff, and preferably
> staff with comparable roles to Technical Collaboration and Support &
> Safety.
> 5. Familiarity with the many legal aspects of the department would be
> helpful, such as with contracts, online safe environments, and employment
> law.
> 6. The leader should be comfortable with processes and software tools of
> similar kind and complexity to the tools that are used by WMF CE, such as
> OTRS, Phabricator, and the various kinds of financial and performance
> analysis software and tools that are used by the department.
> 7. Familiarity with hiring and supervision of international and remote
> staff would be valuable.
> 8. Language proficiency is of great value in this role. I would suggest
> that the leader should have EN-5 or native proficiency in English, and at
> least basic conversational proficiency in one additional language that is
> commonly used in the Wikimedia movement.
> 9. Experience with managing community-facing technology projects would be
> valuable.
> 10. Experience with conducting business in environments outside of the US
> and Canada world would be valuable, including management of international
> contracts and maintenance of relationships with international business
> partners.
>
> I feel the need to mention an additional issue which I think should be
> addressed and could negatively impact recruiting for this position, which
> is the current situation with the governance of the WMF. The amount of
> staff turnover and the results of the staff survey are likely to have
> negative impacts on recruiting among candidates who are well qualified for
> this position and are looking for a job in which they can be successful.
> Also, I feel that the opacity, decisions, and errors of the WMF Board in
> the past few months cast a long shadow over the senior director of
> community. Finally, the continued reports that I am hearing about the
> relationship between the WMF ED and the WMF staff are also significant
> causes of concern. I would suggest that before looking for external
> candidates who are likely to do due diligence on WMF before accepting this
> position, that WMF should remedy some of these matters of concern. I have
> faith in Maggie to be a good temporary lead for the department while the
> governance situation is addressed.
>
> Writing in my personal capacity only,
>
> Pine
>
> On Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 7:15 PM, Maggie Dennis 
> wrote:
>
> > Hello, all.
> >
> > As some of you know, Community Engagement had a small realignment last
> > quarter. Now that it’s further along, we thought it was a good time to
> > formally share. :)
> >
> > So, welcome to the reformed Community Engagement!
> >
> > What’s the major change?
> >
> > We've restructured Community Engagement, to four primary groups:
> >
> >-
> >
> >Program Capacity and Learning (integrating Learning & Evaluation,
> >Education, and Library), under Rosemary Rein, tasked with supporting
> > community partnerships, programs and learning.
> >-
> >
> >Resources, under Siko Bouterse, tasked with supporting community-led
> >impact through grants and other resources.
> >-
> >
> >Support & Safety (formerly known as Community Advocacy), under me
> >(Maggie Dennis), tasked with helping improve trust, safety and
> > collegiality
> >within our projects as well as facilitating communication and
> > understanding
> >broadly between the WMF and contributors,
> >-
> >
> >Technical Collaboration (grouping 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Pine W]

Dariusz, thanks for continuing to engage here. Besides the good questions
that others have asked, I'll add a few:

1. If the Knowledge Engine is such an important project, why is it not
mentioned in
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2015-16?

2. I realize that as a percentage of the WMF budget, $250k is a relatively
small number. As others have said, this is not a reason for opacity about
it, nor a reason for not having a conversation with the community about
something so strategically important as a decision to explore the question
of "Would users go to Wikipedia if it were an open channel beyond an
encyclopedia?" It's one thing to have a blue-sky exercise thinking about
possibilities, and another thing to take a $250k step in that direction,
especially without consulting the community.

3. I am getting tired about seeing bad news in general about WMF
governance, planning, and turnover. I am curious how you plan to address
those issues. Like you, I would rather that we be talking about our
movement plans for the next 10 years. However, it's difficult to have those
conversations when WMF is making so many self-inflicted wounds. The recent
round of resignations is of respectable people from the WMF staff is making
the situation that much more concerning and that much more difficult to
recover from. It seems to me that WMF leadership has lost control of this
situation, and I'd like to hear what the recovery plan is. Personally, I
feel that we need leadership that can build good relationships with the
staff and community, is transparent by default, and is capable of restoring
the credibility of the organization's planning, execution, and goodwill. I
think that we may need new leadership to make that happen. I am interested
to hear your thoughts.

Pine



On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 7:32 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak 
wrote:

> 11.02.2016 10:23 PM "SarahSV"  napisał(a):
> >
>
> >>
> >>
> > ​Hi ​
> > Dariusz,
> >
> > ​T​
> > he grant application doesn't restrict the search engine to Wikimedia
> projects. It says that the "Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia [is a] system for
> discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the Internet.
>
> My understanding is that the top range could potentially be all open/public
> resources, but this is the far stretched total goal, and still not a
> general search engine of all content including commercial one.
>
> And a rrasonable realistic outcome can be just improving our searches
> across projects.
>
> I can't comment on the initial ideas or goals, as I was not on the Board
> before August 2015, but this is what I understand we build now.
>
> .
> >
> > The document says the "Search Engine by Wikipedia" budget for 2015–2016
> ($2.4 million) was approved by the ​board. Can you point us to which board
> meeting approved it and what was discussed there?
> >
>
> I dont recall this specifically, and I'm going to elude this question by
> going to sleep (and hoping someone better informed may pick).
>
> Good night!
>
> Dj
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[attolippip]

Oh, Siko... I am really sorry to see this letter of yours.
But I am truly grateful for all your support and understanding.
In wikiworld being awfully far in real life does not matter that much,
so I have always felt that you are near...

Thank you

Warm regards,
antanana
Wikimedia Ukraine

2016-02-12 3:24 GMT+02:00 Siko Bouterse :

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
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> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Sandra Rientjes - Wikimedia Nederland]

Dear Siko,

What a shame you are leaving!  It has been a real pleasure knowing you and
working with you. I wish you all the best for the future and I hope our
paths will cross again.

Hartelijke groet,

Sandra Rientjes
Directeur/Executive Director

Wikimedia Nederland
Postbus 167Mariaplaats 3
3500  AD   Utrecht  Utrecht

030  320023806 31786379

www.wikimedia.nl

Op 12 feb. 2016 02:25 schreef "Siko Bouterse" :

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
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[Wikimedia-l] Fwd: [Wmfall] CTO Search | Status

[Lila Tretikov]

Hi all,

Earlier this week Amy Elder -- our head of recruiting -- has shared a
preview of the CTO role with the staff and I would like to share it with
you early as well, before the job description is posted and the process
starts. I am very grateful to our technical staff and leaders here at the
WMF for collaborating on both the description and the process.

If you have any nominations or recommendations, which I hope you will
please email Amy directly.

Thank you all for engaging.
Lila



-- Forwarded message --
From: Amy Elder 
Date: Wed, Feb 10, 2016 at 3:53 PM
Subject: [Wmfall] CTO Search | Status
To: Staff All 


Hi Everyone,


We are excited to announce the launch of our search for a Chief Technology
Officer, and proud to confirm this search is being handled internally by
our very own WMF Recruiting Department.

As we greatly value and respect your opinion, we are contacting you for
your candidate nominations/referrals. We are also open to hearing any
related suggestions or comments in general on the job description as minor
changes can still happen (this is not a call for mass edits).

Please see the below link for a preview of the job description. The entire
technical team has been deeply focused on collaborating and contributing to
this (nearly finished) draft.


If you have nominations please let me over the next few days.

With appreciation,
Amy

-- 
Amy Elder
Director of Recruiting
Wikimedia Foundation
(415) 999-8140
Join Us: WorkWithUs 
Connect with me on LinkedIn 
Follow us on Twitter @wikimediaatwork

*Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. **That's our commitment and you can help continue to
make it a reality: *https://donate.wikimedia.org/


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Responsibilities[edit

 | edit source

]

   - Oversee development of key performance metrics such as site
   availability and responsiveness, bug response time, code review response
   time, etc., and ensure consistent improvement along these metrics.
   - Lead, transform, and grow complex technology infrastructure and high
   performance cross-functional technology teams. Foster projects and future
   product ideas that will lead to innovations in the years to come. Broker
   and drive to resolution, key architectural and technology implementation
   decisions. Foster an energetic culture and an ownership of, and commitment
   to, shared product development goals.
   - Develop, inspire, and coach the technology leadership team across
   software engineering, technical operations, research, and product
   development. Support technical managers and directors in operationalizing
   technical vision into specific objectives, products, and services, to
   deliver high quality software in support of our global mission. Regularly
   review and update organizational goals, formalize budgets, and balance
   priorities. Work cross-functionally with the rest of the executive team and
   the ED, to develop and communicate top-level goals.
   - Enable Wikimedia engineering efforts to expand its technical community
   to be comparable to the Wikimedia editing community, growing its reach and
   influence far beyond paid Wikimedia Foundation staff.
   - Design and implement an effective organizational structure, that
   supports maximum communications and effective execution of technology
   initiatives. Work closely with project management to transform priorities
   and requirements, into plans that optimize resources and set appropriate
   expectations.
   - Own and drive technical organization integrity: achieve status as a
   recognized technology leader by using proven and scalable execution
   processes (e.g. agile) in development, technical operations, and
   architecture. Work closely with product management to transform
   requirements into technical specifications and software designs.
   - In collaboration with the ED and the Technology group, own and advance
   the overall architectural roadmap, setting the vision and long-term
   strategy for technology at the Foundation.
   - Contribute to that strategy by qualifying and prioritizing
   infrastructure efforts.
   - Grow and build highly complex technology infrastructure. Anticipate
   technology scale and capability challenges, and communicate clear proactive
   plans to address these challenges. Work closely with tech leads and
   operations to resource key technology initiatives, and drive them to
   completion for existing and future technology 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Lisa Gruwell]

Hi All-

The funder has agreed to share the Knowledge Engine grant agreement.  Here
are the links to that document and other relevant communication about the
Discovery team's work:

1) Knowledge Engine Grant Agreement

2) Statement from Lila on her talk page and discussion

3) Discovery FAQ 

Thank you,
Lisa Gruwell

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 1:03 AM, Pine W  wrote:

> My impression of this whole situation with the Knight Foundation is that
> the WMF's strong tendency toward closed-door and closed-loop processes are
> hurting WMF more than helping it. If WMF had been transparent with the
> community about this situation in the first place and a consultation with
> the community had happened as negotiations were underway with Knight, I am
> wondering if a mutually agreeable solution could have been created at that
> time. Now we're in the midst of a lot of skepticism, suspicion, and
> political difficulties.
>
> Perhaps after the experiences of the past few months WMF governance will
> re-align itself with the value of openness.
>
> Hope springs eternal,
>
> Pine
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> 
>
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

hi Pine,


On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 4:03 AM, Pine W  wrote:

> My impression of this whole situation with the Knight Foundation is that
> the WMF's strong tendency toward closed-door and closed-loop processes are
> hurting WMF more than helping it. If WMF had been transparent with the
> community about this situation in the first place and a consultation with
> the community had happened as negotiations were underway with Knight, I am
> wondering if a mutually agreeable solution could have been created at that
> time. Now we're in the midst of a lot of skepticism, suspicion, and
> political difficulties.
>

I am not certain if it would even make sense for the WMF to engage the
community every time it applies for an exploratory grant in such amount
(roughly 1/300th of its budget). Also, after some consultation internally,
my understanding is that in practice it will often not be sensible to
insist on publishing grant applications, basically because many donors are
just not as progressive as we would like them to be, and we do not want to
decrease our chances for a grant in the future (donors may not be
comfortable releasing this, and in the same time they will not want to be
singled out in public as the only ones who refused).

Having stated that, I am happy to acknowledge that in this particular case
(of a great, open-minded donor, with whom we have a good and long
relationship) it is reasonable (and possible) to release this info, also to
cut the wild speculations.

Lisa - awesome job, many thanks for making this happen!

best,

dj
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] WMF Program Capacity & Learning consultation

[Pine W]

I just want to say that, from my perspective, Rosemary and her team are
doing an exemplary job with their community consultation regarding their
planning for the next fiscal year. The PC consultation is a welcome
breath of fresh air, and I would encourage other departments to think about
adapting some of PC's practices.

Thanks,
Pine
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Pine W]

Lisa, thank you.

I am getting the sense from the available information about this grant that
the Knight Foundation is well intentioned. My concerns here, and I think
that the concerns from other community members, are primarily related to
WMF's handling of this situation. I for one would be happy to see
improvements to internal search on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons that
would benefit our readers as well as our community members.

On WMF's side, since WMF is exploring the question "Would users go to
Wikipedia if it were an open channel beyond an encyclopedia?" (quote from
page 2 of the grant document), it seems to me that potential re-scoping of
Wikipedia would merit a conversation with the community. Looking at page 10
of the grant, the scope of the Knowledge Engine project appears to be
aligned with Wikimedia values, but it looks to me like the scope and
methods of implementing the Knowledge Project should have been discussed
with the community.

Dariuz, regarding your statement that

> after some consultation internally, my understanding is that in practice
it will often
> not be sensible to insist on publishing grant applications, basically
because many
> donors are just not as progressive as we would like them to be, and we do
not
> want to decrease our chances for a grant in the future (donors may not be
> comfortable releasing this, and in the same time they will not want to be
singled
> out in public as the only ones who refused).

I would respond by saying that openness is a value in the Wikimedia
movement and that our values should not be for sale at any price. Policy
and practice should be that documents for all restricted grants received by
WMF will be published on Commons and that the community will be notified of
all restricted grants that are being contemplated by WMF. If a potential
donor is uncomfortable with that, then they can donate unrestricted funds
anonymously, and those funds must be spent only on programs that are
explicitly authorized under WMF's published annual plans or sent to the
reserve or the endowment. Again I will say that I hope that our value of
openness is not for sale at any price.

Pine
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Anthony Cole]

It was obviously evolving as the project moved from initial
conceptualisation to the establishment of the Discovery team but,
nevertheless, a clear, meaningful statement of the vision for the project
(as it was imagined at the time) would have been appropriate when the team
was put together. I think Lila has recently acknowledged this.

The present focus seems to be on improving search within Wikimedia, but the
language used by both WMF and Knight leaves them open to later extending
Wikipedia's search options to include free knowledge outside our projects.
I fully support both improving internal search and later offering the
reader the option of including reliable outside sources in their search.

And I support the ED's right - obligation really - to initiate and
adequately fund projects like this.

On Friday, 12 February 2016, SarahSV  wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 3:01 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak 
> wrote:
>
> > If we are to survive the next 10 years as the top 10 website, we should
> > focus externally more, and start building more stuff that our readers
> care
> > about. I totally agree that WMF has failed on many occasions here, and
> we,
> > the community, were right (when I recall the first deployment of the VE I
> > grit my teeth). But ultimately we need to be really able to move on, to
> be
> > able to move forward.
> >
> > dj
> >
> >
> Dariuz, when I first heard about this, I understood it to mean that the
> Foundation was seeking to fix the Wikimedia search function, which is
> really very poor. But this seems to be a proposal to create an entirely new
> search engine to complement Google, which will cost many millions.
>
> Sarah
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 5:42 PM, Pete Forsyth  wrote:

> Did you notice MZMcBride's recent link, demonstrating that then-Executive
>> Director Sue Gardner asserted exactly the opposite, explicitly as policy?
>> To my knowledge, there has not been any new policy articulated to change
>> that; so even though it was 2011, I would understand this to still be WMF
>> policy.[1]
>>
>
My understanding is that it was an expression of Sue's genuine intent, that
has not been consistently followed, nor made into a policy.


>
> I am also curious about the characterization of a $250k grant as
> "smaller." While there are certainly much larger grants, it seems to me
> that it being over the $100k threshold that subjects it to the WMF Gift
> Policy would naturally classify it as "larger." Certainly, when I worked in
> grant fund-raising for WMF it was unthinkable that we would ever accept a
> restricted grant for less than $100k; this was a firmly held principle. But
> perhaps that is another policy that has been changed (or forgotten?)
>

Well, for an organization with our budget, it definitely is not a "big
picture" grant. Of course a threshold has to be put somewhere. I'm not
aware of actual WMF classifications. I only referred to "large" as
"significantly affecting strategy".



> Many professionals who are deeply involved in the Wikimedia and open
> knowledge movements have already commented on this topic in great detail.
> There is strong consensus around the value of transparency; while there may
> be an opposing view (and while there are certainly some pieces of
> information that should not be published), I have yet to hear a generally
> anti-transparency view articulated. Have you?
>

I don't think it is transparency vs. non-transparency. Rather, it is
operational effectiveness vs. good communication with the community. Both
are important and being transparent is definitely something we should do
more.



>
> I surveyed the views of the following individuals in my blog post last
> month:
> * Former WMF executive director Sue Gardner
> * Former WMF deputy director Erik Moller
> * WMF advisory board member (former?) Wayne Mackintosh
> * Mozilla executive director Mark Surman
> * Various members of the fund-raising and fund-disseminating departments
> of WMF, past and present
> http://wikistrategies.net/grant-transparency/
>
> There is a strong trend toward transparency in the philanthropy world. WMF
> has long been a guiding light in that trend in its grant-GIVING capacity,
> and in certain instances has reflected those values around the grant it
> receives as well.
>

I think this is very useful as a background, thanks for taking the time to
gather this!



>
> If there is a new, contrary policy -- or even a contrary predilection,
> beyond your own opinions as an individual trustee -- I think this is
> something that should be publicly stated.
>

I'm not aware of any policy of this sort, either way.


>
> Transparency is important, but it should not be reduced to the community
>> having access to all documents if it may impair our work.
>
>
> I agree with this, but it is a straw man. Nobody could reasonably expect
> ALL documents to be shared publicly (and if they have stated otherwise, I'm
> confident that is merely a kind of shorthand). The important conversation
> is about default positions; exceptions are always worth considering, and
> often justified.
>

My only point is that I have a feeling that perhaps there is more to do
outside of our microcosm.


>
>
> I do not believe those activities are opposed to more clearly articulating
> what has happened around the Knight grant. I believe those things overlap
> strongly; the board need not turn its attention from one to the other. The
> very core issue around the Knowledge Engine grant is that it seems to stray
> widely from the common understanding of the vision and the wider horizon.
>

I don't refer to Knight grant specifically. I refer to the general approach
- we lack the strategic vision and focus on issues that matter for this
organization's survival, and we zero in a grant that is worth 1/300 of its
budget disproportionately. The misunderstandings should be clarified, of
course.


>
>
> Desirable, but not an absolute requirement. Our vision statement doesn't
> even require us to be a web site. There are many compromises that we should
> not make in pursuit of this goal.
>

sure, but you know what I mean. Surviving is not easy when you're a fat cat
used to being fine.


>
> we should focus externally more,
>
>
> Citation needed -- it seems there is very strong consensus lately that
> there are major problems within the Wikimedia Foundation. I hope that
> Trustees will not ignore these views, coming from a wide variety of
> respectable sources, with mere counter-assertion.
>

there is no citation needed, this is my opinion that to survive the next 10
years we should focus on what we need to do. Surely, we can improve the

[Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Siko Bouterse]

Dear friends and colleagues,

I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
Wikimedia Foundation.

Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.

This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.

I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.

Much love,
Siko

-- 
Siko Bouterse
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

*Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
sum of all knowledge. *
*Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
and help us make it a reality!*
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 6:11 PM, SarahSV  wrote:

>
>>
> Dariuz, when I first heard about this, I understood it to mean that the
> Foundation was seeking to fix the Wikimedia search function, which is
> really very poor. But this seems to be a proposal to create an entirely new
> search engine to complement Google, which will cost many millions.
>
>
>
My understanding is essentially that we want to engage in a search engine
that would encompass all Wikimedia projects. I can't imagine us effectively
competing Google and I would not consider this to be a sensible direction
(not because it is not tempting, but because it is too costly and risky).

dj
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[SarahSV]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 3:01 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak 
wrote:

> If we are to survive the next 10 years as the top 10 website, we should
> focus externally more, and start building more stuff that our readers care
> about. I totally agree that WMF has failed on many occasions here, and we,
> the community, were right (when I recall the first deployment of the VE I
> grit my teeth). But ultimately we need to be really able to move on, to be
> able to move forward.
>
> dj
>
>
Dariuz, when I first heard about this, I understood it to mean that the
Foundation was seeking to fix the Wikimedia search function, which is
really very poor. But this seems to be a proposal to create an entirely new
search engine to complement Google, which will cost many millions.

Sarah
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 4:37 PM, Pine W  wrote:

>
> I would respond by saying that openness is a value in the Wikimedia
> movement and that our values should not be for sale at any price. Policy
> and practice should be that documents for all restricted grants received by
> WMF will be published on Commons and that the community will be notified of
> all restricted grants that are being contemplated by WMF. If a potential
> donor is uncomfortable with that, then they can donate unrestricted funds
> anonymously, and those funds must be spent only on programs that are
> explicitly authorized under WMF's published annual plans or sent to the
> reserve or the endowment. Again I will say that I hope that our value of
> openness is not for sale at any price.
>

You twist  my argument as I was proposing to put our values for sale. I
don't think it is even borderline close to ASG, or other norms typical for
Wikimedia space, and I don't think it is a fair reflection of what I wrote.

I believe that it may be impractical to require all grant applications,
especially of smaller amount,  to be made public, if it impacts our ability
to gather funds. It is a decision that we should make after listening to
professionals in this area (who have sat with the big donors on hundreds of
occasions, and also know our movement inside-out), not just being driven by
a natural tendency that we want to know more.

Transparency is important, but it should not be reduced to the community
having access to all documents if it may impair our work. It is also
transparency of process (understanding HOW a decision is made, not
necessarily seeing all documents), and also the reasoning (explaining WHY
either WMF or the Board believe or do something). In both areas there is a
scope for improvement and I am a full supporter of such improvements.

And yet, the bigger picture is that we have been literally flooded with
information requests and comments over the last two months, and we have
spent most of our time on that. I understand the context and I'd say it is
understandable in the circumstances and fine. But at some point the Board
also needs to focus on what it is for as well: setting the vision, thinking
about the wider horizon.

If we are to survive the next 10 years as the top 10 website, we should
focus externally more, and start building more stuff that our readers care
about. I totally agree that WMF has failed on many occasions here, and we,
the community, were right (when I recall the first deployment of the VE I
grit my teeth). But ultimately we need to be really able to move on, to be
able to move forward.

dj




>
>



*Please, note, that this email will expire at some point. Bookmark
 dariusz.jemieln...@fulbrightmail.org
 as a more permanent contact
address. *
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Pete Forsyth]

Dariusz,

Thank you for engaging on this. I believe the important thing now is to
understand what happened specifically with the Knowledge Engine grant; but
you make a claim about a more general policy that I think should be
addressed. (I will address KE issues separately.)

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 2:01 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak 
wrote:

> I believe that it may be impractical to require all grant applications,
> especially of smaller amount,  to be made public, if it impacts our ability
> to gather funds.


Did you notice MZMcBride's recent link, demonstrating that then-Executive
Director Sue Gardner asserted exactly the opposite, explicitly as policy?
To my knowledge, there has not been any new policy articulated to change
that; so even though it was 2011, I would understand this to still be WMF
policy.[1]

I am also curious about the characterization of a $250k grant as "smaller."
While there are certainly much larger grants, it seems to me that it being
over the $100k threshold that subjects it to the WMF Gift Policy would
naturally classify it as "larger." Certainly, when I worked in grant
fund-raising for WMF it was unthinkable that we would ever accept a
restricted grant for less than $100k; this was a firmly held principle. But
perhaps that is another policy that has been changed (or forgotten?)


> It is a decision that we should make after listening to
> professionals in this area (who have sat with the big donors on hundreds of
> occasions, and also know our movement inside-out), not just being driven by
> a natural tendency that we want to know more.
>

Many professionals who are deeply involved in the Wikimedia and open
knowledge movements have already commented on this topic in great detail.
There is strong consensus around the value of transparency; while there may
be an opposing view (and while there are certainly some pieces of
information that should not be published), I have yet to hear a generally
anti-transparency view articulated. Have you?

I surveyed the views of the following individuals in my blog post last
month:
* Former WMF executive director Sue Gardner
* Former WMF deputy director Erik Moller
* WMF advisory board member (former?) Wayne Mackintosh
* Mozilla executive director Mark Surman
* Various members of the fund-raising and fund-disseminating departments of
WMF, past and present
http://wikistrategies.net/grant-transparency/

There is a strong trend toward transparency in the philanthropy world. WMF
has long been a guiding light in that trend in its grant-GIVING capacity,
and in certain instances has reflected those values around the grant it
receives as well.

If there is a new, contrary policy -- or even a contrary predilection,
beyond your own opinions as an individual trustee -- I think this is
something that should be publicly stated.

Transparency is important, but it should not be reduced to the community
> having access to all documents if it may impair our work.


I agree with this, but it is a straw man. Nobody could reasonably expect
ALL documents to be shared publicly (and if they have stated otherwise, I'm
confident that is merely a kind of shorthand). The important conversation
is about default positions; exceptions are always worth considering, and
often justified.


> It is also
> transparency of process (understanding HOW a decision is made, not
> necessarily seeing all documents), and also the reasoning (explaining WHY
> either WMF or the Board believe or do something). In both areas there is a
> scope for improvement and I am a full supporter of such improvements.
>

Strongly agree, and thank you for addressing this.

And yet, the bigger picture is that we have been literally flooded with
> information requests and comments over the last two months, and we have
> spent most of our time on that. I understand the context and I'd say it is
> understandable in the circumstances and fine.


Again, thank you for acknowledging. When mistakes are made, often a
consequence is that more work needs to be done.


> But at some point the Board also needs to focus on what it is for as well:
> setting the vision, thinking about the wider horizon.


I do not believe those activities are opposed to more clearly articulating
what has happened around the Knight grant. I believe those things overlap
strongly; the board need not turn its attention from one to the other. The
very core issue around the Knowledge Engine grant is that it seems to stray
widely from the common understanding of the vision and the wider horizon.


> If we are to survive the next 10 years as the top 10 website,


Desirable, but not an absolute requirement. Our vision statement doesn't
even require us to be a web site. There are many compromises that we should
not make in pursuit of this goal.

we should focus externally more,


Citation needed -- it seems there is very strong consensus lately that
there are major problems within the Wikimedia Foundation. I hope that
Trustees will not 

Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Steven Crossin]

Wow Siko. This comes as a massive surprise. It was a pleasure working with
you on dispute resolution on my time as a Wikimedia Fellow. I'll always
remember the support you gave me and how I grew as a result. I consider you
a great friend and I'll miss you a lot. I wish you all the best in your
future endeavours. You will be sorely missed.

Steve

*Steven Crossin*
*cro0...@gmail.com *

On 12 February 2016 at 12:24, Siko Bouterse  wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Samuel Klein]

Thanks for sharing, always interesting to see these processes in detail.

On Feb 11, 2016 19:53, "Anthony Cole"
> I fully support both improving internal search and later offering the
> reader the option of including reliable outside sources in their search.
>
> And I support the ED's right - obligation really - to initiate and
> adequately fund projects like this.

Agreed on all counts.
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Philippe Beaudette]

Wow.  What a loss. I will never forget your boundless enthusiasm for this
movement, and I loved our semi-regular walking meetings, Siko. I know you
will do so much for wherever you end up.  What a tremendous asset you will
be to them!  Your gifts are tremendous - almost as big as your heart.

Best,
pb

On Thursday, February 11, 2016, Steven Crossin  wrote:

> Wow Siko. This comes as a massive surprise. It was a pleasure working with
> you on dispute resolution on my time as a Wikimedia Fellow. I'll always
> remember the support you gave me and how I grew as a result. I consider you
> a great friend and I'll miss you a lot. I wish you all the best in your
> future endeavours. You will be sorely missed.
>
> Steve
>
> *Steven Crossin*
> *cro0...@gmail.com  >*
>
> On 12 February 2016 at 12:24, Siko Bouterse  > wrote:
>
> > Dear friends and colleagues,
> >
> > I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff
> capacity
> > for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at
> the
> > Wikimedia Foundation.
> >
> > Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> > important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> > values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain
> a
> > Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> > hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
> >
> > This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m
> truly
> > honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> > to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> > experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> > Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some
> really
> > incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> > organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
> >
> > I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full
> confidence
> > in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> > and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> > needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
> >
> > Much love,
> > Siko
> >
> > --
> > Siko Bouterse
> > Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
> >
> > *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in
> the
> > sum of all knowledge. *
> > *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> > and help us make it a reality!*
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[SarahSV]

Siko, I'm very sorry to see this. You were a strong supporter of women on
Wikipedia and of improved community harmony. It was a pleasure to work with
you on the grant application that led to the Ally Skills Workshops. I wish
you all the very best.

Sarah

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 6:43 PM, Steven Crossin  wrote:

> Wow Siko. This comes as a massive surprise. It was a pleasure working with
> you on dispute resolution on my time as a Wikimedia Fellow. I'll always
> remember the support you gave me and how I grew as a result. I consider you
> a great friend and I'll miss you a lot. I wish you all the best in your
> future endeavours. You will be sorely missed.
>
> Steve
>
> *Steven Crossin*
> *cro0...@gmail.com *
>
> On 12 February 2016 at 12:24, Siko Bouterse 
> wrote:
>
> > Dear friends and colleagues,
> >
> > I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff
> capacity
> > for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at
> the
> > Wikimedia Foundation.
> >
> > Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> > important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> > values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain
> a
> > Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> > hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
> >
> > This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m
> truly
> > honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> > to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> > experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> > Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some
> really
> > incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> > organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
> >
> > I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full
> confidence
> > in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> > and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> > needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
> >
> > Much love,
> > Siko
> >
> > --
> > Siko Bouterse
> > Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
> >
> > *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in
> the
> > sum of all knowledge. *
> > *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> > and help us make it a reality!*
> > ___
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> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> > 
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>
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[Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Liam Wyatt]

Another day, another "big name" in the movement is leaving... So sad that
it is coming to this.

It has been an honour and a prividge working with you Siko. You've a pillar
of integrity, insight and good-humour through so many different projects.
As Hunter S Thomson wrote - "buy the ticket, take the ride" - and ride you
have!

- Liam/Wittylama

On Friday, 12 February 2016, Siko Bouterse  wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 



-- 
wittylama.com
Peace, love & metadata
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Sam Klein]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 9:40 PM, Liam Wyatt  wrote:

> It has been an honour and a privilege working with you Siko. You've a
> pillar
> of integrity, insight and good-humour through so many different projects.
> As Hunter S Thomson wrote - "buy the ticket, take the ride" - and ride
> you have!
>

Hear, hear.  You will always be tops in my book.  SJ
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[aude]

On Fri, Feb 12, 2016 at 2:24 AM, Siko Bouterse 
wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>

:'-(

You have done soo much great work in the past years, including
stuff like IdeaLab and supporting the grant programs.

It was alway nice to see you at Wikimania and other events like the
Diversity Conference.

(and sad that there aren't so many people left on the 6th floor that I
know. :/)

Hope you do indeed stay around as a volunteer :)

Cheers,
Katie


>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
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> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
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> 




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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[Dariusz Jemielniak]

11.02.2016 10:23 PM "SarahSV"  napisał(a):
>

>>
>>
> ​Hi ​
> Dariusz,
>
> ​T​
> he grant application doesn't restrict the search engine to Wikimedia
projects. It says that the "Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia [is a] system for
discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the Internet.

My understanding is that the top range could potentially be all open/public
resources, but this is the far stretched total goal, and still not a
general search engine of all content including commercial one.

And a rrasonable realistic outcome can be just improving our searches
across projects.

I can't comment on the initial ideas or goals, as I was not on the Board
before August 2015, but this is what I understand we build now.

.
>
> The document says the "Search Engine by Wikipedia" budget for 2015–2016
($2.4 million) was approved by the ​board. Can you point us to which board
meeting approved it and what was discussed there?
>

I dont recall this specifically, and I'm going to elude this question by
going to sleep (and hoping someone better informed may pick).

Good night!

Dj
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Risker]

We are really going to miss you, Siko.  You've done amazing things in
leading all of these various programs and developing both the programs and
a talented cadre of staff members.  You're leaving behind a great legacy,
and I for one thank you very much for that.

I know you'll be brilliant wherever you wind up - and I'm glad to hear you
plan to stick around as a volunteer. All the best!

Risker/Anne

On 11 February 2016 at 20:24, Siko Bouterse  wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at:
> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
> New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l,
> 
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Can we see the Knight grant application and grant offer?

[SarahSV]

On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 6:04 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak 
wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 6:11 PM, SarahSV  wrote:
>
>>
>>>
>> Dariuz, when I first heard about this, I understood it to mean that the
>> Foundation was seeking to fix the Wikimedia search function, which is
>> really very poor. But this seems to be a proposal to create an entirely new
>> search engine to complement Google, which will cost many millions.
>>
>>
>>
> My understanding is essentially that we want to engage in a search engine
> that would encompass all Wikimedia projects. I can't imagine us effectively
> competing Google and I would not consider this to be a sensible direction
> (not because it is not tempting, but because it is too costly and risky).
>
>
> ​Hi ​
Dariusz,

​T​
he grant application doesn't restrict the search engine to Wikimedia
projects. It says that the "Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia [is a] system for
discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the Internet."
And that it will "democratize the discovery of media, news and information
– it will make the Internet's most relevant information more accessible and
openly curated ... It will be the Internet's first transparent search
engine ..."

It also says that one of the challenges that could "disrupt the project" is
​"Third-party influence or interference. Google, Yahoo or another big
commercial search engine could suddenly devote resources to a similar
project, which would reduce the success of the project. This is the biggest
challenge, and an external one."

It's hard to see how Google developing a new search engine would disrupt
the Foundation improving search within Wikimedia projects.

The document says the "Search Engine by Wikipedia" budget for 2015–2016
($2.4 million) was approved by the ​board. Can you point us to which board
meeting approved it and what was discussed there?

Sarah
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Another goodbye

[Sydney Poore]

Dear Siko,

Thank you for your enthusiasm and for being brave and bold in the way you
support the community and staff.

You will be missed.

Warm regards,
Sydney
On Feb 11, 2016 8:25 PM, "Siko Bouterse"  wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> I’ve had the amazing privilege of serving this movement in a staff capacity
> for the past 4 ½ years, but I’ve now decided to move on from my role at the
> Wikimedia Foundation.
>
> Transparency, integrity, community and free knowledge remain deeply
> important to me, and I believe I will be better placed to represent those
> values in a volunteer capacity at this time. I am and will always remain a
> Wikimedian, so you'll still see me around the projects (User:Seeeko),
> hopefully with renewed energy and joy in volunteering.
>
> This movement has become my home in so many unexpected ways, and I’m truly
> honored to have learned from so many of you. It was an amazing experience
> to have partnered with smart, bold, and dedicated community folks to
> experiment with projects like Teahouse, IdeaLab, Inspire, Individual
> Engagement Grants, and Reimagining Grants. I’ve seen you create some really
> incredible content, ideas, tools, programs, processes, committees and
> organizations, all in the service of free knowledge.
>
> I expect my last day to be Thursday, February 25th. I have full confidence
> in Maggie Dennis's abilities to lead the Community Engagement Department,
> and I trust that my team will remain available to support the community’s
> needs for grants and other resources throughout this time of transition.
>
> Much love,
> Siko
>
> --
> Siko Bouterse
> Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
>
> *Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the
> sum of all knowledge. *
> *Donate  or click the "edit" button today,
> and help us make it a reality!*
> ___
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> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines
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[Wikimedia-l] Wiki Loves Africa 2015 community picture vote

[Florence Devouard]

Hello

Wiki Loves Africa 2015 will celebrate 4 winning pictures. 3 have already 
been selected by the jury. The 4th is to be selected by the community at 
large.



Please help us decide and vote here : 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Africa_2015/Community_Prize_Selection


Thanks

Anthere

***

About Wiki Loves Africa

Wiki Loves Africa (http://www.wikilovesafrica.org) is a public annual 
contest where people across Africa can contribute media (photographs, 
video and audio) about their environment to Wikimedia Commons for use on 
Wikipedia and other project websites of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Wiki Loves Africa particularly encourages participants to contribute 
media that illustrate a specific theme for that year. Each year the 
theme changes and could include any universal, visually rich and 
culturally specific topic (for example, markets, rites of passage, 
festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, 
notable persons, etc).


The 2015 theme is: Cultural Fashion and Adornment
The competition scope is: media that shows representations of cultural 
dress and fashion; specifically fashion that is defined by local 
cultural influences and determines cloth, styles, ways of wrapping and 
hanging, etc. Adornment is also part of the theme, which means that 
media of culturally defined jewellery, make-up, hairstyles and 
headdresses, cloths, scarification and tattoos, woven materials, etc. 
can also be entered.


https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Africa_2015


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