I hoped that after the discussions on the wiki loves monuments mailing list, someone of the grant team would have proactively informed the wider community in an earlier stage. I hope that the fact they did not do this, means they are reconsidering the way this campaign is shaped.
As indicated before, this 'shutdown' (or focus) of Individual Engagement Grants as well as Project and Event Grants was confirmed <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikilovesmonuments/2014-December/007600.html>by Alex Wang. She referred in that email to this onwiki description <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:IdeaLab/Inspire_Grants_%E2%80%93_Gender_gap_campaign>. I should also emphasize that Alex indicated that they don't expect this to impact WLM-related grants (because they expect teams to request funding much later in the process <https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikilovesmonuments/2014-December/007603.html> - not before june/july, an assumption I disagree with), and she also suggested the closing was not as hard as it sounds, as she's willing to discuss problems (she emphasized this in her email). I don't want to reiterate all discussions about whether gendergap is the problem or a symptom (we have many gaps in our community, of which the gender gap is the most visible and easiest to measure), but I do feel uncomfortable with this campaign. I have asked around a bit in the past week and only received negative feedback on the campaign - with people confirming my fear that this will likely undermine the community support (or at least support by the 'organizing community') for gendergap-related projects in general - be it out of frustration, compensation or jealousy. I called it a 'negative campaign' in my emails because the focus is not about actively boosting one type of requests (which is the claim), but rather about making it harder to do something unrelated to it in the hope that people instead will choose for the easy way, and organize a gendergap related event. What I also fear, is that people will just give their request a tiny bit of 'gendergap'-paint, make up some way how they help reduce it (which is basically true for almost any outreach event aiming at a group with less than 90% men - i.e. almost any group aside from Wikipedia or catholic priests). I'm confident that most of our outreach projects, including Wiki Loves Monuments, could claim to reach relatively more women than the editor population contains. But I am very unhappy if we start distributing grants on such shaky grounds - those projects often are much stronger in general editor retention, which happens to be relatively more women. The focus of the projects would be unnaturally shifted in the grant request compared to the actual activities. Again, I hope that the decision makers involved here will reconsider the way this has been shaped, and frame it more in a positive way, focusing on supporting efforts in a thematic direction, rather than discouraging other thematic directions. And as I have said elsewhere: I would be similarly against this, with any other theme - I wouldn't be able to stand the idea to focus entirely on photo-events only for three months... Best, Lodewijk On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 3:59 PM, Jens Best <jens.b...@wikimedia.de> wrote: > Hi all, > > I think some clarification is needed by people who are in charge for the > grantmaking process. There is a difference between "shutting down the > grantmaking process (PEG) and (IEG) for three full months" and adding a > voluntary gendergap "theme" to a project to get better funding chances. > > So I really would like to see some clarifications about these leaked plans > before having a propably heated debate about it. > > Needless to say that adding ideologically driven must-haves to a general > grantmaking process which only purpose is to serve the voluntary work on a > supposed-to-be-free encyclopedia would leave a disturbing impression on > many people. > > best regards > > Jens Best > > > > 2015-01-03 15:46 GMT+01:00 Romaine Wiki <romaine.w...@gmail.com>: > > > There are multiple ways in how to define the Gendergap, in this case it > is > > about female participation. > > > > I do think it is a problem that the number of female participants is > > dramatically lower than those of male contributors, but still this does > not > > give any good reason to exclude good projects who are not particular > aiming > > for female contributors. > > > > WMF wants to solve the Gendergap by excluding good other projects. That > is > > a very bad situation. > > > > Trying to solve the Gendergap by enlarging the Community Gap. > > > > Bad idea. > > > > Romaine > > > > > > > > 2015-01-03 15:33 GMT+01:00 Jane Darnell <jane...@gmail.com>: > > > > > Nope. Gendergap is about the gap in female participation, not in > > > female-related topics. The Dutch Wikipedia has a severe gap with only > 6% > > > female participation. I would say this is a pretty urgent problem for > the > > > Dutch and Flemish community, so I was very glad to see this as a main > > theme > > > for the coming three months. > > > > > > On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 3:17 PM, Romaine Wiki <romaine.w...@gmail.com> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > Hello Jane, > > > > > > > > Sorry, but I think you miss the problem here. > > > > > > > > As I said before, I am fine with more projects that improve the > > coverage > > > of > > > > so-called female topics, but not if this is damaging the projects > which > > > do > > > > not aim for such. > > > > > > > > I hope this campaign in this form is cancelled and witdrawn and that > > > never > > > > ever such situation appears again. This way of working is damaging > the > > > > trust in WMF, discouraging many volunteers, worsening projects, etc. > > > > > > > > Having a Gendergap campaign in this form is NOT in line with the > vision > > > the > > > > Wikimedia movement has. > > > > > > > > > The current campaign is scheduled to be one of hopefully many, > > targeted > > > > at the community in order to generate themed proposals. > > > > > > > > If it was really targeted at the Wikimedia community, it would not > have > > > > excluded other projects. > > > > > > > > I propose everyone to refuse to take part in this as this is a move > in > > > the > > > > wrong direction. > > > > > > > > And how WLM to attract more female particpation? By having a special > > > > category for pink buildings. > > > > Under this condition, a question as such can't be taken seriously. > > > > > > > > Romaine > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 2015-01-03 14:58 GMT+01:00 Jane Darnell <jane...@gmail.com>: > > > > > > > > > As a member of the IEG committee I am happy to say that there is no > > > need > > > > to > > > > > panic. WLM is highly successful project and no one is talking about > > > > > shutting it down, or any other project for that matter. The current > > > > > campaign is scheduled to be one of hopefully many, targeted at the > > > > > community in order to generate themed proposals. The current growth > > of > > > > > highly diverse and inspirational proposals takes increasingly more > > > energy > > > > > to manage, judge, and maintain. By introducing a three-month long > > > theme, > > > > it > > > > > is hoped that the following will occur: > > > > > 1) Grant committee members in their voluntary role as proposal > > > reviewers > > > > > and community sponsors will experience less burn-out in managing > > > > proposals > > > > > as their will be more cross pollination per cohort of proposers and > > > their > > > > > proposals. > > > > > 2) A targeted campaign to attract proposals will enable easier > > > > translation > > > > > across projects if the target audience can be identified in advance > > > > > 3) A targeted campaign will attract more volunteer committee > members > > to > > > > > manage proposals, hopefully attracting local experts in various > > > Wikimedia > > > > > projects. > > > > > > > > > > The Gendergap will be the first theme. I think it's a great idea! > How > > > can > > > > > WLM attract more female participation? Any ideas? > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Jan 3, 2015 at 11:26 AM, Romaine Wiki < > > romaine.w...@gmail.com> > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > > > > > > > Some disturbing news entered my mailbox the past days. The grant > > > making > > > > > > team is going to shut down the grantmaking process for Project > and > > > > Event > > > > > > Grants (PEG) and Individual Engagement Grants (IEG) for three > full > > > > > months! > > > > > > > > > > > > They have decided that they want to focus only on a specific > > > strategic > > > > > > priority: the gender gap, and that all other good projects are > > > refused > > > > > for > > > > > > 3 months (February-April). > > > > > > > > > > > > Having more attention to a strategic priority is fine to me. > Having > > > > more > > > > > > attention to the problem of the gender gap, sounds good to me as > > > such, > > > > we > > > > > > can use much more projects and content in those areas. But that > > does > > > > not > > > > > > mean that many many volunteers who are organizing other projects > > > should > > > > > > become the victim of other projects. > > > > > > > > > > > > This is a negative signal to all those volunteers who are > currently > > > > > working > > > > > > on project plans to be submitted in February, March and April. > Good > > > > > > projects to be ignored, just because the WMF think those are less > > > > > > important. They say this is a positive campaign, but this sounds > > as a > > > > > > negative campaign to me. This discourages many volunteers in > doing > > > > > > projects. > > > > > > > > > > > > And even worse: this is only to be generally announced 2 weeks > > before > > > > > that > > > > > > period of shutting down starts! (this sounds like a joke, sadly > it > > > > isn't) > > > > > > > > > > > > To organize a good project volunteers (yes, we are still unpaid! > > and > > > > > > organize these projects in our spare time!) we need the time to > > > > > communicate > > > > > > well with all our partners and sponsors, and need the time to > come > > up > > > > > with > > > > > > a good project plan with a stable basis. Rushing a project in > just > > a > > > > > couple > > > > > > of weeks time is very unpleasant and does not help in getting a > > good > > > > > > quality project. And announcing it two weeks before the period > > > > indicates > > > > > > that organizers aren't taken seriously (enough). > > > > > > > > > > > > For example, we are currently planning to organize Wiki Loves > > > Monuments > > > > > in > > > > > > 2015 again, the world wide contest to have a better documentation > > and > > > > > > better display of all the cultural monuments worldwide, > recognised > > as > > > > > > largest photo contest in the world by Guinness World Records. We > > are > > > > > > currently working on forming a team and want to have a good > stable > > > plan > > > > > to > > > > > > be submitted within some weeks, but now we need to rush. And yes > we > > > > need > > > > > to > > > > > > start in January/February or it will be too late to organize it > > > > properly. > > > > > > > > > > > > Also all the national teams of Wiki Loves Monuments, the > > > international > > > > > team > > > > > > recommend all the national teams to start in January/February, to > > > have > > > > a > > > > > > proper organisation together with various local partners and > > > sponsors, > > > > > but > > > > > > now all these teams are delayed for three months. > > > > > > > > > > > > And a personal project of mine in Belgium, I am planning to > > organize > > > > Wiki > > > > > > Loves Art in Belgium, together with various partners and > sponsors. > > We > > > > > > intent to start in February, but now have to rush to get such > done. > > > > > > > > > > > > By the way: did you know there is a Belgium Gap? Belgian subjects > > are > > > > > > relatively less and worse described on the various Wikipedias. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This shutting down results in: > > > > > > * Discouraging many volunteers who are planning to submit good > > > project > > > > > > proposals. > > > > > > * Having volunteers rushed with project plans, which lowers the > > > quality > > > > > of > > > > > > the plans. > > > > > > * Having volunteers being late and delayed with projects, for no > > good > > > > > > reason. > > > > > > > > > > > > Grantmaking is intented to support the communities, not > frustrating > > > > them. > > > > > > WMF: stop this negative campaign! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And for all project teams who want to organize a gender gap > > project: > > > > > great > > > > > > you organize this, it is very very welcome! But I like to make a > > > > > > suggestion: submit the proposal on the first day after the > shutting > > > > down > > > > > > period to give a strong signal to WMF that shutting down is a bad > > > idea. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > It is time for a new strategic priority: closing the Community > Gap. > > > > That > > > > > is > > > > > > the gap between WMF and the local communities worldwide. It is > not > > > new, > > > > > it > > > > > > exists for many years already. (It resulted also in the drama of > > the > > > > > > situation around the Mediaviewer in 2014, the drama with the > Visual > > > > > Editor > > > > > > in 2013, etc. in what WMF didn't sense well the community.) > (Maybe > > > the > > > > > gap > > > > > > is less between WMF and the English speaking part of the world, > but > > > the > > > > > > world is larger. We have many people around the world who are > > speak a > > > > > > different language. WMF is not sensing the worldwide community > well > > > > > > enough.) > > > > > > Finally we should do more about this Community Gap. > > > > > > > > > > > > For those celebrating: I wish you a happy new year with great > > > projects > > > > > that > > > > > > make every single human being freely share in the sum of all > human > > > > > > knowledge!! > > > > > > > > > > > > Romaine > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > > > Unsubscribe: > > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org > > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > > Unsubscribe: > > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > > Unsubscribe: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
