Thanks for the summary. I look forward to an open consultation process when
the elections committee sorts itself out.

Until that time discussion here, and that over the past year, is not a good
use of volunteer time, as it cannot change anything. This could have been a
useful reply up front.

Fae
On 29 Apr 2015 14:36, "Gregory Varnum" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Fae,
>
> I should be clearer - I do not expect the community to address these issues
> before the topic of a standing elections committee is addressed first. I
> think that is my main point here. These issues are not as simple as some
> are presenting, and that does not mean the ultimate answers are not easy,
> but there should be more time allotted to discussion by a group tasked with
> reviewing these things than is available to the temporary committees. I
> would not support the idea of a public RFC with no clear plan on how to
> implement any of the proposed changes. Much of this discussion feels like
> we are putting the cart before the horse - so to speak.
>
> -greg
>
> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 8:56 AM, Fæ <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Hi Greg,
> >
> > Yes these are questions.
> >
> > I suggest that if you expect the community to address them, that a
> > meaningful open process of consultation is run. As discussion of this
> > proposal has already taken a year, and may take months rather than
> > weeks going forward, it would be great if someone who has taken a
> > leadership role by becoming a Elections Committee member were to take
> > responsibility for leading the process.
> >
> > This email discussion is already TLDR level, and so it is more
> > frustrating than edifying, it would be neat to move over to a managed
> > set of wiki pages for clear proposals for change, feedback and votes.
> > This to be implemented well in advance of the 2016 election.
> >
> > PS my viewpoint of "people without interest in contributing to any
> > Wikimedia projects even at a newbie level, should not have an
> > automatic vote in an election for a board to govern Wikimedia" is
> > unlikely to change much, but I have not read a solid proposal yet.
> >
> > Fae
> >
> > On 29 April 2015 at 12:30, Gregory Varnum <[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> > > Some questions though - if WMUK staff are included, should WUG staff
> also
> > > be included? If they are included, why not include the people doing
> > > staff-level volunteer work for non-staffed affiliates? If those
> > volunteers
> > > are included, what about user group leaders who are not active editors?
> > > User groups are not currently a part of the affiliation seat elections,
> > so
> > > what should be done about their leaders? Are we punishing affiliates
> that
> > > are being more creative in finding ways to accomplish tasks without
> staff
> > > support? I see a lot of flaws with leaving this conversation at "staff"
> > and
> > > not extending it beyond that, and as I said previously, doing so is
> > rather
> > > complex.
> > >
> > > To keep the election "fair" - these questions would need to be answered
> > > first. It is not as simple as saying "okay - affiliate staff are now
> in"
> > -
> > > as even the term "affiliate staff" is not universally agreed upon yet.
> > Does
> > > staff mean they are on a payroll of some sort? This conversation is
> easy
> > if
> > > we are talking about 5-6 of the larger chapters, it is more complex if
> we
> > > are talking about nearly 75 affiliates.
> > >
> > > The assumption that WMF impacts the affiliates so much they are paying
> as
> > > close attention as WMF staff does not hold up in my opinion. People ask
> > why
> > > treat them differently, and I think there are relatively clear reasons.
> > WMF
> > > staff are arguably just as impacted by WMUK business, but are not
> > eligible
> > > to vote in their board elections, and I think with good reason. I
> > recognize
> > > that WMF is very different as it is the "hub" - but most of the
> > arguments I
> > > have seen are about "impact" and based on unproven assumptions based on
> > > experience with 1-2 affiliates rather than thinking about all 70 of
> > them. I
> > > recognize allowing someone to vote does not require them to, but in
> some
> > > cultures and work environments, that might play out differently.
> > >
> > > As KTC pointed out - each affiliate handles their voting in the
> affiliate
> > > seats differently. So even some of our assumptions about involvement in
> > > affiliate election are broad and not fully researched yet. Which is the
> > > "norm" - is there a norm? In short, we need to do more research on this
> > > topic, and that will take time we do not have (as a committee anyway)
> > right
> > > now.
> > >
> > > -greg
> > >
> > > On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 5:57 AM, Dariusz Jemielniak <[email protected]
> >
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > >> hi James,
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 11:06 AM, James Alexander <
> > >> [email protected]>
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >> > *Staff: *I have always thought that the Staff need to be considered
> > part
> > >> of
> > >> > the community.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> I think the main thing is why should WMF staff be treated any
> > differently
> > >> than WMDE, WMFR, or WMUK staff. All are engaged (although through
> > >> employment) in the community. I understand that the argument is that
> the
> > >> chapters have their seats secured from a separate poll, while WMF does
> > not.
> > >>
> > >> I'm inclined to agree with your previous view: since most of the
> > staffers
> > >> satisfy other requirements anyway, and since there are many
> > >> chapters/affiliate groups of different levels of involvement, and also
> > >> since these groups have their seats secured from a separate poll
> (unlike
> > >> WMF), the easiest way would probably be to introduce low, uniform
> > >> editing/involvement requirements, well ahead of time, and stop
> > >> distinguishing employment status.
> > >>
> > >> In fact, one could experiment with adding WMF as an organization equal
> > to
> > >> chapters to elections of "chapter seats", and banning WMF/chapters
> > >> employees from "community seats" elections altogether ;) But
> seriously,
> > I
> > >> think the practical thing to do would be to start working on the rules
> > of
> > >> next elections right after the current ones are over, and introduce
> > >> eligibility based on actual activity only (with possible lower
> > >> requirements).
> > >>
> > >> best,
> > >>
> > >> dj "pundit"
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >>
> > >> __________________________
> > >> prof. dr hab. Dariusz Jemielniak
> > >> kierownik katedry Zarządzania Międzynarodowego
> > >> i centrum badawczego CROW
> > >> Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego
> > >> http://www.crow.alk.edu.pl
> > >>
> > >> członek Akademii Młodych Uczonych Polskiej Akademii Nauk
> > >> członek Komitetu Polityki Naukowej MNiSW
> > >>
> > >> Wyszła pierwsza na świecie etnografia Wikipedii "Common Knowledge? An
> > >> Ethnography of Wikipedia" (2014, Stanford University Press) mojego
> > >> autorstwa http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?id=24010
> > >>
> > >> Recenzje
> > >> Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
> > >> Pacific Standard:
> > >>
> >
> http://www.psmag.com/navigation/books-and-culture/killed-wikipedia-93777/
> > >> Motherboard:
> > http://motherboard.vice.com/read/an-ethnography-of-wikipedia
> > >> The Wikipedian:
> > >>
> http://thewikipedian.net/2014/10/10/dariusz-jemielniak-common-knowledge
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > --
> > [email protected] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fae
> >
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