I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way, Gerard. I personally would like
to feel more assured that the WMF is looking into the longer future and
actively plannning for the day that donations no longer support a large
staff doing lots of things.

I am concerned today that the team specifically tasked to work closely with
so many elements of the community has lost 7% of its staff, and 30% of its
leaders, in a single week. This should be a concern in any organization.

With respect to the Knight grant - I know that many times grant
applications are made for considerably more than is given, and I am
interested to know how much the WMF requested in the first place.  I would
also like to know whether or not the Board was formally advised of the
request before it was submitted.  Since the Board must approve acceptance
of any donations over $100,000 USD, it seems to be obvious that they should
be consulted and possibly should actively approve any grant applications
where the dollar value sought is higher than that amount.  I don't believe
the current policies require advance approval or even advance notification,
though.

Risker/Anne

On 12 February 2016 at 03:54, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijs...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hoi,
> I am not complaining. I point out that all this huha does not get us
> anywhere. I am not afraid to give an opinion and I am not afraid to be a
> contrarian when I think it makes sense. Yes, things happened that were not
> beautiful. They are not what upset me. What upsets me is that people like
> Siko and Anna are leaving. Because they are part of "my" Wikimedia
> Foundation. What upsets me is that I routinely use Magnus's tool and
> process hundreds of thousands of records and am to understand that official
> query is stunted and does not allow for this "because it was not in the
> design" and it is then pointed out that it takes money to solve this...
>
> My point is that baying for blood is not what helps us forward. What I do
> know is that when sheer negativity is not coupled with an ability to stop
> and move forward, we will get in a downward spiral. I fault Pine for not
> being able to stop. What I wish for is for people like Anna and Siko and
> money for our environment and not for an endowment.
> Thanks,
>       GerardM
>
> On 12 February 2016 at 09:35, Michel Vuijlsteke <wikipe...@zog.org> wrote:
>
> > Gerard,
> >
> > I was waiting for this mail. For me personally, your complaining is
> > achieving exactly the opposite of what you think.
> >
> > It sounds as if you'd much rather prefer to stick your head in the sand
> and
> > hope things will blow over. "Move along, nothing to see here -- oh look!
> > something positive over there!" is not going to solve anything.
> >
> > Michel
> >
> > On 12 February 2016 at 09:24, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijs...@gmail.com
> >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Hoi,
> > > Pine as you are talking about "self inflicting wounds" I take it you
> are
> > > not talking in your personal capacity. When is it enough for you? When
> > are
> > > you going to talk about positive things, things that will move us
> > forward.
> > > Why ask for blood and more blood? What is it that you hope to achieve?
> > >
> > > Who do you represent in this unending litany of negativity and what
> have
> > > you achieved in this way? When Lila was engaged in her role, she was to
> > > direct in a different direction and she is doing that. You may not like
> > it
> > > and that is ok.
> > > Thanks,
> > >        GerardM
> > >
> > > On 12 February 2016 at 08:43, Pine W <wiki.p...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > > Dariusz, thanks for continuing to engage here. Besides the good
> > questions
> > > > that others have asked, I'll add a few:
> > > >
> > > > 1. If the Knowledge Engine is such an important project, why is it
> not
> > > > mentioned in
> > > >
> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Annual_Plan/2015-16
> > > ?
> > > >
> > > > 2. I realize that as a percentage of the WMF budget, $250k is a
> > > relatively
> > > > small number. As others have said, this is not a reason for opacity
> > about
> > > > it, nor a reason for not having a conversation with the community
> about
> > > > something so strategically important as a decision to explore the
> > > question
> > > > of "Would users go to Wikipedia if it were an open channel beyond an
> > > > encyclopedia?" It's one thing to have a blue-sky exercise thinking
> > about
> > > > possibilities, and another thing to take a $250k step in that
> > direction,
> > > > especially without consulting the community.
> > > >
> > > > 3. I am getting tired about seeing bad news in general about WMF
> > > > governance, planning, and turnover. I am curious how you plan to
> > address
> > > > those issues. Like you, I would rather that we be talking about our
> > > > movement plans for the next 10 years. However, it's difficult to have
> > > those
> > > > conversations when WMF is making so many self-inflicted wounds. The
> > > recent
> > > > round of resignations is of respectable people from the WMF staff is
> > > making
> > > > the situation that much more concerning and that much more difficult
> to
> > > > recover from. It seems to me that WMF leadership has lost control of
> > this
> > > > situation, and I'd like to hear what the recovery plan is.
> Personally,
> > I
> > > > feel that we need leadership that can build good relationships with
> the
> > > > staff and community, is transparent by default, and is capable of
> > > restoring
> > > > the credibility of the organization's planning, execution, and
> > goodwill.
> > > I
> > > > think that we may need new leadership to make that happen. I am
> > > interested
> > > > to hear your thoughts.
> > > >
> > > > Pine
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Thu, Feb 11, 2016 at 7:32 PM, Dariusz Jemielniak <
> dar...@alk.edu.pl
> > >
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > 11.02.2016 10:23 PM "SarahSV" <sarahsv.w...@gmail.com> napisał(a):
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > > ​Hi ​
> > > > > > Dariusz,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ​T​
> > > > > > he grant application doesn't restrict the search engine to
> > Wikimedia
> > > > > projects. It says that the "Knowledge Engine by Wikipedia [is a]
> > system
> > > > for
> > > > > discovering reliable and trustworthy public information on the
> > > Internet.
> > > > >
> > > > > My understanding is that the top range could potentially be all
> > > > open/public
> > > > > resources, but this is the far stretched total goal, and still not
> a
> > > > > general search engine of all content including commercial one.
> > > > >
> > > > > And a rrasonable realistic outcome can be just improving our
> searches
> > > > > across projects.
> > > > >
> > > > > I can't comment on the initial ideas or goals, as I was not on the
> > > Board
> > > > > before August 2015, but this is what I understand we build now.
> > > > >
> > > > > .
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The document says the "Search Engine by Wikipedia" budget for
> > > 2015–2016
> > > > > ($2.4 million) was approved by the ​board. Can you point us to
> which
> > > > board
> > > > > meeting approved it and what was discussed there?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > I dont recall this specifically, and I'm going to elude this
> question
> > > by
> > > > > going to sleep (and hoping someone better informed may pick).
> > > > >
> > > > > Good night!
> > > > >
> > > > > Dj
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