Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Samuel, Recriminations haven't been without reason. As repulsive as they are, they've actually been fueled by anarchy of the way things have been taken forward in India by WMF right from the multi-million Rupee "India Programs" - much of it worked out in a very hush-hush manner. Questions asked b

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

" Talking about bad precedents, the CIS partnership is itself one such bad precedent which is evident from the fact that WMF won't be repeating this model of partnerships in future. " +1+1+1+1000 "The only way to gain the trust of the community is to make an exeption and share this contract with t

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Vishnu, //Other than the 2 year Grant Agreement CIS has not signed any other separate MoU with WMF.// I checked with the WMF Grants team if the grant agreement I have signed with them is confidential. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants_talk:PEG/Ravidreams_-_Tamil_Wikimedians/TamilWiki_10_yea

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

SJ, //There is a far larger amount of communication and interaction between both groups and the community: but with more recriminations and less focus.// Please see https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Proposals/2013-2014_round2/Wikimedia_Foundation/Proposal_form#Reflection_on_past_program

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Just to clarify if anyone's confused, CIS is an independent organization which has submitted this grant request for its A2K program which is again funded by WMF just like Wikimedia India. To further elaborate, Wikimedia India (WMIN) is a volunteer organization while CIS-A2K is a paid organization

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Vishnu, There was nothing personal in my email and neither I demanded any justification. What I expressed was my feeling regarding the trust in the 2 entities. Re-reading the quote of Asaf has not changed and I don't think reading it over and over again is ever going to change my perception.

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

On Thu, May 15, 2014 at 3:16 AM, Ravishankar wrote: > Both WMF and CIS want to build trust with each other forgetting that the > community is the invisible / invincible third partner and stakeholder . Actually, I think both WMF and CIS are primarily interested in building trust with the communit

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

On Wednesday 14 May 2014 10:11 PM, Hari Prasad Nadig wrote: We do not have the property ownership documents (no. 4) as CIS does not own the building. These are with the owners and we cannot provide them. In that case, you could perhaps provide the rental agreement ma

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

On Wednesday 14 May 2014 08:17 PM, Ravishankar wrote: So, I would like to know if you have signed a separate MoU or some sort of lgeal contract that defines the terms and conditions of working relationship with WMF apart from the grant agreement. Dear Ravi, Hari and Dhaval, Other than the 2 y

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Hello Everyone! This mail was an eye opener. Does the A2K team have separate account to show personal contribution and CIS contribution? People like Vishnu withdraw salary worth Rs. 24 Lakhs per annum excluding perks! That's huge amount for doing nothing and then you get the work done from voluntee

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dhaval, I agree with your preception. Both WMF and CIS want to build trust with each other forgetting that the community is the invisible / invincible third partner and stakeholder . The discussion on CIS's grant proposal has been going on for a month and I have nothing more to add. I will post

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Indian Wikimedians, Why are we making so much noise on the same issues again and again? We all know the culprits are at WMF who are completely non-transparent. Even if CIS opens up all their documents and community raises voice, WMF is not going to change their stand. There is clear discrim

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Hi Ravi, Will you consider rephrasing below? " By keeping things confidential like this, both you and WMF risk losing the trust of the community without which you cannot guarantee successful completion of your goals. " Especially "risk losing"... I have ALREADY LOST trust in the later at least

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Vishnu, http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/India_Program/India_Program_Announcement_and_FAQ_-_30_July_2012#Did_the_grant_go_through_the_Wikimedia_Grants_Program_process.3F asks //Did the grant go through the Wikimedia Grants Program process?// and answers as folows: "No, *this first one* did not.

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

On 14 May 2014 16:20, Vishnu wrote: > We do not have the property ownership documents (no. 4) as CIS does not >> own the building. These are with the owners and we cannot provide them. >> > In that case, you could perhaps provide the rental agreement made and signed by CIS with the owner? And pe

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Hari, On Wednesday 14 May 2014 02:11 PM, Hari Prasad Nadig wrote: [..snip..] On 14 May 2014 12:53, Vishnu > wrote: I'm afraid that just the explanations may not suffice here as the concerns are serious in nature. I sincerely hope that you shall

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Ravi, On Wednesday 14 May 2014 01:02 PM, Ravishankar wrote: Vishnu, //Please note that CIS has never kept its documents closed to open them again. // //We had also thrown open all our document to the general public for scrutiny during May 2013. I have written to members on this list an

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Vishnu, //Please note that CIS has never kept its documents closed to open them again. // //We had also thrown open all our document to the general public for scrutiny during May 2013. I have written to members on this list and other Wikimedia lists, inviting them to come and scrutinize all our d

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

[..snip..] On 14 May 2014 12:53, Vishnu wrote: > > I'm afraid that just the explanations may not suffice here as the > concerns are serious in nature. I sincerely hope that you shall open up the > documents for at least the sake of transparency. > > > Please note that CIS has never kept its doc

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

I feel that the salaries are ok according to Indian standards. Even they can be considered less from some Indians seeing the kind of contribution they are doing. And again in the end the purpose and work is more important than salary issue. I have a feeling that my time is being wasted by these ki

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Hari, Please see my replies in-line. On Wednesday 14 May 2014 12:51 AM, Hari Prasad Nadig wrote: Vishnu, There have been detailed discussion on how the salaries seem to overshadow everything else in CIS's proposal of *1.8 Crore*. And it is not just me, many other community members who h

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Vishnu, There have been detailed discussion on how the salaries seem to overshadow everything else in CIS's proposal of *1.8 Crore*. And it is not just me, many other community members who have logged their comment there have felt that the salaries are quite extravagant to Indian standards. Even t

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Vishnu, All your proposed plans can be done and have been done by community for years with ZERO staff cost. Please don't justify your program budget by including inflated staff salary as a part of it. Ravi ___ Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaind

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Hi all, Please find my reply inline. On Tue, May 13, 2014 at 6:43 PM, Vishnu wrote: > Dear Wikimedians, > > Some responses here on Meta [1] on behalf of CIS. I have also commented in > my individual capacity on the statutory aspects to the best of my > knowledge. Also see some in-line replies.

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Dear Wikimedians, Some responses here on Meta [1] on behalf of CIS. I have also commented in my individual capacity on the statutory aspects to the best of my knowledge. Also see some in-line replies. On Monday 12 May 2014 05:45 PM, Hari Prasad Nadig wrote: Fellow Wikimedians, As you all kn

Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Hi all, I have one important question here. The Foreign Contribution Regulatory Act prohibits money received from abroad to be used as payments or salaries to anyone employed with the press or media. I believe Dr. Pavanaja is a columnist for Prajavani. How does this work out? It's just a preemptive

[Wikimediaindia-l] On CIS's grants request from Wikimedia Foundation

Fellow Wikimedians, As you all know, Center for Internet and Society, Bangalore has sought funding of about *1.8 Crores* through the FDC process from Wikimedia Foundation to carry out work on seven local language projects in India that includes Kannada, Telugu among others. [1] The funds primarily