Gautam, all the more reason to move forth steadily - one step on the ground.
On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 10:44 PM, Gautam John <gau...@akshara.org.in> wrote: > The functional assumption being that what the WMF/WMIN are solving are > technical challenges for which outcomes are immediately apparent. I believe > that what they are both doing is engaging with an eco-system and that is an > adaptive challenge for which outcomes are not always know immediately. > There is much complexity in the model and solutions emerge - not > necessarily are known at the outset. > > > Thank you. > > Best, > > Gautam > ________ > http://www.akshara.org.in/ > > > On 20 October 2013 22:40, Pradeep Mohandas <prad2...@yahoo.com> wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> IIRC a call was put out on the list for discussion on the budget by the >> Chapter EC. >> >> I however agree that something like an exit budget to see how programmes >> funded have worked out and the impact they had on Wikipedia would be a >> helpful exercise to help the Chapter in future fundraising and budget >> exercises. >> >> Pradeep >> >> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone <http://overview.mail.yahoo.com?.src=iOS> >> >> ------------------------------ >> * From: * Ashwin Baindur <ashwin.bain...@gmail.com>; >> * To: * Wikimedia India Community list < >> wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>; >> * Subject: * Re: [Wikimediaindia-l] Mashable: Where Do Wikipedia >> Donations Go? Outgoing Chief Warns of Corruption >> * Sent: * Sun, Oct 20, 2013 12:36:16 PM >> >> Keeping this post in mind, the idea of Rs 110 Lakh budget for the >> Chapter really raises a lot of disquiet in my mind. >> >> Frankly, imho budget growth should be organic, not catastrophic. The >> items proposed for expenditure should be discussed amongst the >> community and explicit support got for this. Plus last year's budget >> details & what they were planned for & how many objectives were met >> needs to be clear to the public. >> >> Ashwin >> >> On Sun, Oct 20, 2013 at 4:20 PM, Anirudh Bhati <anirudh...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > Mashable: Where Do Wikipedia Donations Go? Outgoing Chief Warns of >> > Corruption >> > >> > http://mashable.com/2013/10/17/wikipedia-donation-corruption/ >> > >> > When Wikipedia decided to roll out an aggressive fundraising effort a >> few >> > years ago, the free encyclopedia came with a remarkably effective battle >> > plan. For the entirety of the campaign, co-founder Jimmy Wales stared >> > visitors down from the top of every page, making you feel guilty every >> time >> > you viewed an article without paying a dime. >> > >> > It worked. From 2011 to 2012, Wikipedia's fundraising arm, the Wikimedia >> > Foundation, pulled in $38.4 million. It was a major increase from the $5 >> > million raised from 2007 to 2008, one that occurred even as editorial >> > involvement with Wikipedia was on the decline. >> > >> > But where does all this money go? >> > >> > In an unusually candid statement last month, outgoing Wikimedia >> Foundation >> > Chair Sue Gardner criticized the way her organization has doled out >> funds. >> > Too much is being spent on groups that do too little to enhance the >> value of >> > the encyclopedia itself, she argued. What's worse, many of those being >> > awarded grants are the same people responsible for giving them out, >> which >> > Gardner warned could lead to "log-rolling, self-dealing and other >> corrupt >> > practices." >> > >> > Though not in charge of Wikipedia's content, the Wikimedia Foundation, >> or >> > WMF, is the most powerful promoter of the open-source encyclopedia. It >> > manages the technical infrastructure and day-to-day business operations >> of >> > Wikipedia — one of the most-visited sites in the world. >> > >> > WMF is based in San Francisco, but more than 40 independent-chapter >> > Wikimedia organizations exist around the world, ostensibly advancing the >> > foundation's agenda in their native regions. These chapters are the >> biggest >> > recipients of Wikimedia grant funding. But according to Gardner, it's >> not >> > clear how filling the coffers of the chapter organizations benefits the >> site >> > as a whole. >> > >> > Last year, the Funds Dissemination Committee gave out $5.65 million in >> > grants, the lion's share of which — 89% — went to affiliate chapters. >> And 12 >> > chapters in particular received 83% of the total grants. >> > >> > "I believe that currently, too large a proportion of the movement's >> money is >> > being spent by the chapters," Gardner, who has largely been responsible >> for >> > the foundation's transition into a fundraising behemoth, wrote in >> response >> > to the FDC's latest report. >> > >> > "The value in the Wikimedia projects is primarily created by individual >> > editors: individuals create the value for readers, which results in >> those >> > readers donating money to the movement." >> > >> > In an email to the Daily Dot, Gardner noted that these opinions were >> "not >> > new, nor are they unique to" her. >> > >> > Indeed, Gardner's statement echoed the criticism of a number of >> prominent >> > Wikipedia editors and critics in recent years. The concern is that all >> this >> > funding has done less to help the site than it has to create a >> "professional >> > bureaucratic class” surrounding the Wikipedia project,” as the >> Register’s >> > Andrew Orlowski put it. Orlowski points out that the foundation’s staff >> grew >> > from three full-timers in 2006 to 174 in 2012-13. >> > >> > Gardner herself notes that there are very few members on the FDC who >> aren't >> > also chapter members. In fact, the majority of the committee's members >> are >> > either former or current chapter board members. >> > >> > The coziness that exists between the FDC and chapter board members >> calls up >> > memories of past chapter improprieties. In 2012, a former chapter board >> > member was accused of using his position within the organization to >> promote >> > Gibraltar on the site. At the same time, he served on the Gibraltar >> > government payroll as a PR consultant. >> > >> > Though Gardner believes the FDC is uniquely transparent and that its >> members >> > are capable of acting without self-interest, others aren't quite so >> > convinced. >> > >> > One critic, Gregory Kohs, co-founder of the muckraking site >> Wikipediocracy, >> > describes the foundation’s appetite for expansion as “empire building.” >> He >> > argues that the work of a nearly 200-member Wikimedia staff could >> easily be >> > done by a workforce a fraction of the size. >> > >> > But it's not just the longtime critics. Many everyday Wikipedians are >> > concerned about whether WMF still exists to serve Wikipedia, or vice >> versa. >> > >> > Conflicts of interest are a major area of concern throughout Wikipedia >> > culture, and editors like Tango say they are unavoidable with so much >> money >> > involved. >> > >> > "'Assume Good Faith' is a great policy when writing an collaborative >> > encyclopaedia," Tango writes, referring to a fundamental principle on >> > Wikipedia whereby editors are encouraged to assume all contributions to >> the >> > encyclopedia are done with good intent. "It's not so simple when you are >> > dealing with [$11 million]." >> > >> > But others are less concerned about corruption and more worried about >> how >> > chapters actually spend all that money. Andreas Kolbe, an active >> Wikipedian >> > and Wikipediocracy moderator, says many of the chapters have a >> propensity >> > for spending on projects intended to bring publicity rather than >> genuinely >> > enhancing the site. >> > >> > "I see little evidence of a customer (i.e. reader) focus in chapters' >> > spending decisions," Kolbe wrote. >> > >> > Despite those frank statements on Wikimedia and the FDC, Gardner heaps >> lots >> > of praise on the organization she's leaving. She insists the WMF is >> > adaptable and that, with the right changes, it can shift funding >> priorities. >> > One way to do that is to make the FDC more diverse. And Grant seekers, >> > Gardner said, "should need to be able to say clearly how their plan will >> > make an important contribution to helping Wikimedia movement achieve its >> > mission." >> > >> > At any rate, Gardner plans to step down soon. Will her successor heed >> her >> > advice? >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >> > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >> > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> Warm regards, >> >> Ashwin Baindur >> >> ------------------------------------------------------ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimediaindia-l mailing list >> Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org >> To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit >> https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > > -- Warm regards, Ashwin Baindur ------------------------------------------------------
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