Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 143, Issue 141

[George Herbert]

Ido -

That was misattributed to Pine.  That's a quote from my 2am Pacific time mail 
on this thread.  The overly long one without a TLDR section at the top.

An approximate TLDR of the mail is that Lila's public statement articulates a 
vision and execution in progress of an intentionally destructive (to rebuild in 
another form) organizational shift, not an overly unusual change mechanism for 
tech organizations.  The term of art is "breaking a few eggs".

My core argument was that a change was possibly or probably needed, and it is 
not clearly wrong to have done that here, but that doing so in the Wikimedia 
Foundation without communicating clearly what was being done and why is 
probably the worst possible organization to do it in.  If the Board asked Lila 
to do that (not the change, but the destructive change without communications) 
it would have been a horrible error in the wider movement, a grave breach of 
trust. 

If they did not intend that or did not understand what was happening it's a 
very serious communications or governance issue.

That does not mean "fire the board" but it may mean we need a board change to 
gain the experience, skills, and perspective to avoid doing that again.

Board and ex board hints so far are that they did not mean to do that, so it 
appears to be the latter case.


George William Herbert
Sent from my iPhone

On Feb 22, 2016, at 2:18 PM, ido ivri  wrote:

>> 
>> I can only speak for myself here, but I'm really not tied to my position :)
>> If there is a clear signal from the wider community that I should step
>> down, I will.
> 
> There aren't such signals, and FWIW I think there shouldn't be: while quite
> a few people (myself included) expressed disappointment with the BoT as a
> governing body, you are the only member to have frequently and openly
> shared thoughts and information with the community. FWIW, I do hope you
> stick around - there are turbulent times ahead.
> 
> I do suggest, however, that for us to emerge better from all this, an
> honest, independent and *transparent* inspection of the BoT should take
> place. Such an inspection needs to offer suggestions to improve Board
> formation and size, communication, transparency, and, well, accountability
> towards the Foundation *and* the community. Dariusz, I hope you stay
> onboard (...) and push for something like that.
> 
> One side note, directed at Pine:
> It's irresponsible (and *deeply* disrespectful) for anyone on this list to
> be calling for resignations publicly - either those of Trustees, WMF
> Executives or anyone else. Yes, many of us agree that change needs to
> happen but let's not lose sight of how a good change process needs to
> occur: with civility and humility, with transparency and honesty and while
> preserving the good values[1] that already exist in our Movement and in the
> Foundation.
> 
> Ido
> 
> [1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Values
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Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia-l Digest, Vol 143, Issue 141

[ido ivri]

>
> I can only speak for myself here, but I'm really not tied to my position :)
> If there is a clear signal from the wider community that I should step
> down, I will.
>

There aren't such signals, and FWIW I think there shouldn't be: while quite
a few people (myself included) expressed disappointment with the BoT as a
governing body, you are the only member to have frequently and openly
shared thoughts and information with the community. FWIW, I do hope you
stick around - there are turbulent times ahead.

I do suggest, however, that for us to emerge better from all this, an
honest, independent and *transparent* inspection of the BoT should take
place. Such an inspection needs to offer suggestions to improve Board
formation and size, communication, transparency, and, well, accountability
towards the Foundation *and* the community. Dariusz, I hope you stay
onboard (...) and push for something like that.

One side note, directed at Pine:
It's irresponsible (and *deeply* disrespectful) for anyone on this list to
be calling for resignations publicly - either those of Trustees, WMF
Executives or anyone else. Yes, many of us agree that change needs to
happen but let's not lose sight of how a good change process needs to
occur: with civility and humility, with transparency and honesty and while
preserving the good values[1] that already exist in our Movement and in the
Foundation.

Ido

[1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Values
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