I can very well understand why people are careful about commenting. Most people who have the insight to make sensible comments on the con located matter have a stake in it. They are active in the wmf, want to run for a committee in which process they might be deemed too opinionated or they fear that it might harm the future applications of their chapter or project. I'm afraid that to a very large extent there are too many interdependencies for a proper public discussion on many issues.
That said, while I disagree with several things in the advice, such as the somewhat childish and symbolic cut of 2000 USD against wmar, overall I also see various improvements in the level of detail and arguments that ought to be applauded. Lodewijk On Nov 23, 2014 9:35 AM, "Thomas Goldammer" <[email protected]> wrote: > Gerard, > > this is called "narrowing focus" by WMF, you see. > > But you wanted a comment on the FDC. The only thing I can say is: To base > such a decision on things like "the FDC feels" and "to appear" and "it is > likely" (all quotes from their text within a single paragraph) makes me > think that they get very poor information and instead of trying to get it > richer (for example by talking to *all* relevant people), they make a very > poor decision out of it. > > Th. > > 2014-11-23 8:27 GMT+01:00 Gerard Meijssen <[email protected]>: > > > Hoi, > > I am really surprised how little attention this is getting. > > > > I have a few questions, observations. When I read the arguments for > cutting > > the request of the German chapter, I get the impression that the Germans > > are punished. I also find no considerations to the consequences of NOT > > providing the requested funding. There are many people employed by the > > German chapter, are they to be dismissed or is there to be less money for > > activities? When I read about the Dutch request, they are praised for > being > > prudent and careful planners but they are punished for not being actively > > involved in fundraising. > > > > The WIkimedia Foundation deliberately excluded the chapters from the > > fundraising efforts. Enough comments have been made about this recently; > it > > is obvious to many that the WMF seems not to care too much about what > funds > > are raised outside the USA. There is also no relation between fundraising > > in a country and activities in a country. I am annoyed that the WMF is so > > two faced in this. > > > > The process of handing out gifts makes beggars of the chapters. They have > > to comply with the vagaries of what committee members think at a given > > time. The process of handing out is very much solidified in time and from > > the impression I get this is true for the chapters but not for the WMF > > itself. When it finds a need to do whatever, it can. When a chapter > finds > > the same need it cannot. > > > > In my opinion by making chapters second class citizens, the WMF will > remain > > USA and English centred. That does not help our goal of "sharing in the > sum > > of all available knowledge". > > Thanks, > > GerardM > > > > PS there are more chapters where I am not happy about the granting of > gifts > > either. > > > > On 21 November 2014 at 17:34, Dariusz Jemielniak <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > > Greetings, friends, > > > > > > As you all know, the Funds Dissemination Committee (FDC) meets twice a > > year > > > to help make decisions about how to effectively allocate movement funds > > to > > > achieve the Wikimedia movement's mission, vision, and strategy. [1] We > > > recently met in San Francisco to deliberate on the 11 annual plan grant > > > proposals submitted for this round of review. [2] We thank these > > > organizations for their hard work on their annual plans and proposals. > > > > > > The FDC has now posted our Round 1 2014-2015 recommendations on the > > annual > > > plan grants to the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees: > > > http://goo.gl/Ea7d4I . [3] > > > > > > > > > > > > With the support of the FDC’s two Board Representatives (Bishakha Datta > > and > > > Frieda Brioschi), the WMF Board will review the recommendations and > then > > > make their decision on them by 1 January 2015. > > > > > > This round, proposals came from ten chapters and one thematic > > organization, > > > totaling requests of roughly $4.7 million USD. Before our face-to-face > > > deliberations, which were held from 15-18 November, the FDC reviewed > the > > > proposals in careful detail, aided by staff assessments and analysis on > > > impact, finances, and programs, as well as community comments on the > > > proposals. Our conversations were intense and the decisions were not > > easy; > > > each proposal was carefully considered both in its own context and > > > environment, and strengths and concerned were discussed. We are > > > recommending grants totaling roughly $3.8 million USD. > > > > > > Now that the recommendations have been published, there is a formal > > process > > > to submit complaints or appeals to the Board. Here are the steps for > > both: > > > > > > Any organization that would like to submit an appeal on the FDC’s > Round 1 > > > recommendation should submit it to the Board representatives to the > > > FDC by 23:59 > > > UTC on 8 December 2014 in accordance with the appeal process outlined > in > > > the FDC Framework. A formal appeal to challenge the FDC’s > recommendation > > > should be in the form of a 500-or-fewer word summary directed to the > two > > > non-voting WMF Board representatives to the FDC (Frieda Brioschi and > > > Bishakha Datta). The appeal should be submitted on-wiki, [4] and must > be > > > submitted by the Board Chair of a funding-seeking applicant. The Board > > will > > > publish its decision on this and all recommendations by 1 Jan 2015. > > > > > > Complaints to the ombudsperson about the FDC process can be filed by > > anyone > > > with the Ombudsperson and can be made any time. The complaint should be > > > submitted on wiki, as well. [5] The ombudsperson will publicly document > > the > > > complaint, and investigate as needed. > > > > > > Please have a look at the calendar [6] to see other upcoming milestones > > in > > > the annual plan grants / FDC process. > > > > > > Again, we offer our sincere thanks to the 11 organizations who > submitted > > > annual plan grant proposals to the FDC. > > > > > > On behalf of the FDC, > > > > > > Dariusz Jemielniak ("pundit", FDC Chair) > > > > > > > > > > > > [1] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG > > > > > > [2] > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Proposals/2014-2015_round1 > > > > > > [3] > > > > > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/FDC_portal/FDC_recommendations/2014-2015_round1 > > > > > > [4] > > > > > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Appeals_to_the_Board_on_the_recommendations_of_the_FDC > > > > > > [5] > > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Complaints_about_the_FDC_process > > > > > > [6] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:APG/Calendar > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > [email protected] > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > [email protected] > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
