Jimbo & Rachel Marsden : Scandalous, can you say WP:COItus? Options

[Lar]

OTRS is a joke. Window dressing, like the legendary Customer Complaint Department that never actually resolves anyone's complaints.

It may not be 100% effective, (what is?) but I don't think I'd agree with "never" as a characterization of its effectiveness level. It often does work and work well. I'm certain specific counterexamples can be brought up, but I think it's better that WMF has it than if it didn't.

Disclaimer, I have an OTRS ID and I (very occasionally) work tickets.

[WhispersOfWisdom]

Wikipedia creator Jimmy Wales dumps girlfriend on Wikipedia

http://web.archive.org/web/20060526202300/.../Rachel_Marsden

The article is here, but not on Wikipedia? I am confused.

[anthony]

And as Danny Wool notes all this gallivanting meant that "At one point he owed the Foundation some $30,000 in receipts, and this while we were preparing for the audit." Meaning a...

MISUSE OF FOUNDATION FUNDS?

Danny best be careful and back this up with evidence. It's borderline libel territory, if untrue. If true... well, shit. Bye-bye contributions, bye-bye Wikipedia.

It's absolutely true. I don't have direct evidence, but I've known this for a long time through multiple independent sources, two of whom are or have been board members. Jimbo has also basically admitted it himself in an email conversation with me (though of course you have to read between the lines):

Yeah, well, I have no idea. We have up to date audited financials. In the past several months, basically since the audit, I don't even have a foundation credit card nor turn in receipts for reimbursement anymore, because my travel is nearly all being paid by third parties.

The only financial transactions of any substance (I want to say the ONLY but can't remember right now) between me and the foundation have been about reimbursements for travel. In the old days, I would use the foundation credit card to purchase tickets and cover travel expenses, and then submit receipts. Then every few months we would go through all this stuff and settle up...

In the time period between the expenses and the submission of receipts, there would be an accounting category for outstanding expenses by me which had not yet been accounted for.

ALL receipts have been submitted, and the account in the books for that account is exactly zero. There have never been any allegations by anyone of embezzlement.

The books have been audited by a third party firm, and ALL the transactions were examined in detail, including an examination of receipts, any and all payments back and forth.

If I have to think about what sort of thing might have been at some point twisted, the only thing I can think of is that at times Michael was grumpy with me for being very slow about turning in receipts. Everything was cleared up about that, without incident of any kind.

[jorge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jim...rch_1st%2C_2008

Statement of Jimmy Wales

March 1, 2008

Over the last few days, a few gossip websites have decided that my personal life is somehow of interest to people and, against my wishes, are publicizing details about a brief relationship I had with Rachel Marsden. While, typically, this would not warrant a response, because my role with Wikipedia is being dragged into it, I felt the need to set the record straight on a couple of issues.

First, while I find it hard to imagine that anyone really cares about my sex life, the facts are: I am separated from my wife. I considered myself single at the time of my one meeting with Rachel Marsden on February 9th, 2008. I am no longer involved with Rachel Marsden. Gossipy stories suggesting that I have been in a relationship with her "since last fall" are completely false.

The second, and far more important, issue is this false notion which is being peddled that I intervened inappropriately to redraft her Wikipedia biography. The facts are that, in Wikipedia, I work closely with a team called "OTRS," which handles email complaints and works hard to address concerns relating to the biographies of living persons. Rachel Marsden first approached me via email two years ago with complaints about her bio. We had never met. I subsequently reviewed her bio and I found it not to be up to our standards. My involvement in cases like this is completely routine, and I am proud of it.

I decided to meet Rachel Marsden in person for the first time in early February of this year. Accordingly, three days before that meeting, to avoid any appearance of a potential conflict of interest, I disclosed my plans to OTRS and further disclosed that it was a personal matter. I recused myself from any further official action with respect to her biography.

I care deeply about the integrity of Wikipedia, and take very seriously my responsibilities as a Member of the Board and as a member of the Wikipedia community. I would never knowingly do anything to compromise that trust.

I think his lawyer wrote that....

[Heat]

In the name of accuracy can someone change this thread's subtitle to "Can you say COItus?"

[No one of consequence]

In the name of accuracy can someone change this thread's subtitle to "Can you say COItus?"

We don't know if they actually consummated their relationship though. Apparently they have exchanged steamy messages but this was their first and only physical meeting. That by itself is pretty interesting to contemplate.

[Daniel Brandt]

http://web.archive.org/web/20060526202300/.../Rachel_Marsden

The article is here, but not on Wikipedia? I am confused.

Allow me to explain. The Wikimedia Foundation has employed in the past, and continues to employ to this day, irresponsible and/or incompetent software developers.

1. All it would take is a simple robots.txt line in a single Wikipedia file to remove the Wayback Machine (www.archive.org) from Wikipedia. I have experience with this on my sites. By failing to implement this simple precaution, the Wikimedia Foundation may be liable for the damage caused by its employees.

2. These same software developers do not install a "redirect" when the Wikipedia community decides on a redirect. Instead their software does a 100 percent substitution. This instantly transfers the Google juice from the redirected URL to the targeted URL, because the automated search engines have no way of knowing that it is a redirect. In this case too, the Wikimedia Foundation may be liable for the damage caused by its employees.

There are about nine copies of my old bio in the Wayback Machine also. Perhaps a lawsuit is in order. Just like a hospital is liable for a technician employee who, through lack of training or competence, causes injury or death to a patient, the Foundation itself is liable for the nonfeasance or incompetence of its employees.

[dtobias]

Daniel Brandt's arrogance threatens to rival that of Jimbo Himself if he really thinks he has the right to declare for the Wikimedia Foundation what software settings their developers should properly use, and that it's malfeasance to do it any other way. Who put him in charge of their sites?

[WordBomb]

We don't know if they actually consummated their relationship though.

Ummmm...did you miss this post-game wrap-up chat?



I'm guessing from this that they sealed the deal in the DC Doubletree.

[thekohser]

Perhaps a lawsuit is in order. Just like a hospital is liable for a technician employee who, through lack of training or competence, causes injury or death to a patient, the Foundation itself is liable for the nonfeasance or incompetence of its employees.

Please, Daniel -- just sue the Foundation already. If money is the problem, I imagine that Alex Roshuk would help you pro bono, and I would gladly contribute monetarily to your legal fund and promote it far and wide. But, if you're not going to actually sue, then these mentions of lawsuits just diminish your reputation.

[Somey]

Well, I'm totally bidding on Jimbo's black sweater, which (according to the page on eBay Canada) he apparently left with Ms. Marsden at some point ot other. Thankfully, they've been "washed, twice, with Tide extra-strength liquid detergent"...

Currently the bidding is at $0.99 CN, which used to be about $0.03 USD, but is now probably more like $50.00 USD at current exchange rates. (Still, sometimes you just have to open up that wallet!)

At first I felt rather unsympathetic towards Ms. Marsden, whom I believed had unfairly benefited from some sort of "extra-special" relationship with one or more WP'ers in getting her bio article "fixed." But now that she's in "breakup mode," it's hard not to feel just a little bit sorry for her! I'd suggest that she get in touch with me personally, since I'm actually legally single, but of course she'd have to agree in advance to avoid the use of IM, e-mail, or IRC to carry on any substantive conversations.

[msharma]

Well, I'm totally bidding on Jimbo's black sweater, which (according to the page on eBay Canada) he apparently left with Ms. Marsden at some point ot other. Thankfully, they've been "washed, twice, with Tide extra-strength liquid detergent"...

Currently the bidding is at $0.99 CN, which used to be about $0.03 USD, but is now probably more like $50.00 USD at current exchange rates. (Still, sometimes you just have to open up that wallet!)

At first I felt rather unsympathetic towards Ms. Marsden, whom I believed had unfairly benefited from some sort of "extra-special" relationship with one or more WP'ers in getting her bio article "fixed." But now that she's in "breakup mode," it's hard not to feel just a little bit sorry for her! I'd suggest that she get in touch with me personally, since I'm actually legally single, but of course she'd have to agree in advance to avoid the use of IM, e-mail, or IRC to carry on any substantive conversations.

Heh, was just coming here with this link. What was Jimmy thinking? His pain has just begun, judging by this lady's past actions. (She gets extra points for the gratuitous Gitmo and terrorism references, though. Fox News commentators are never off duty!)

This post has been edited by msharma: Sun 2nd March 2008, 6:56pm

[BobbyBombastic]

Well, I'm totally bidding on Jimbo's black sweater, which (according to the page on eBay Canada) he apparently left with Ms. Marsden at some point ot other. Thankfully, they've been "washed, twice, with Tide extra-strength liquid detergent"...

Would the t-shirt be worth more to a collector, since it is stained with some mysterious goo? (salad dressing, maybe??)

I think that would make a fine avatar, btw!

[Daniel Brandt]

Daniel Brandt's arrogance threatens to rival that of Jimbo Himself if he really thinks he has the right to declare for the Wikimedia Foundation what software settings their developers should properly use, and that it's malfeasance to do it any other way. Who put him in charge of their sites?

Tobias, your comments on this Board are more pathetic than the comments of almost any other member. You run your own little tabloid web page on Wikipedia's BLP victims, making fun of all of them. At the same time, you have no personal stake in these issues, so you go around inciting people without taking any substantive stands on the issues yourself.

The only stand you've taken that I'm aware of is that you oppose BADSITES. But even that is self-serving — you want to be able to flitter between WP and WR, poking people here and there, because you find it amusing.

Your avatar says it all.

Some of us are trying to deal with real issues, and you get in the way. Speaking of arrogance, Mr. Mensa Member, I've been putting up with it from you for more than two years now:

2005-12-20: "We should basically ignore all his sniveling..."
2005-12-30: makes false allegations about the legality of NameBase on Philipp Lenssen's pro-Google forum
2006-04-07: incorrectly claims that Brandt edited Wikipedia under a look-alike misspelling of his user name
2006-09-08: on Brandt's notability: "...our bar for inclusion is generally lower than most of the mainstream media."
2006-09-09: "I'd like to see his whacked-out ideas tested and defeated in court."

You are 44 years old, Tobias. Isn't it time to grow up?

[dtobias]

It's a bit humorous that I'm being accused of "poking people for my own amusement" and told to "grow up" in a thread where a whole bunch of people are snickering back and forth about Jimbo's ex-girlfriend and how she's selling his stuff on Ebay.... but whatever....

[AB]

OTRS is a joke. Window dressing, like the legendary Customer Complaint Department that never actually resolves anyone's complaints.

It may not be 100% effective, (what is?) but I don't think I'd agree with "never" as a characterization of its effectiveness level. It often does work and work well. I'm certain specific counterexamples can be brought up, but I think it's better that WMF has it than if it didn't.

Disclaimer, I have an OTRS ID and I (very occasionally) work tickets.

Yeah, well, I asked an OTRS member to blank something
that outed me, then an arbitrator publicly attacked me
for doing so, which drew even more attention to the
matter, someone else mildly blackmailed me from asking
anything else to be blanked/deleted/oversighted (though
that's stopped with apologies), and now some jack-booted
violent thug claiming to be acting on behalf of WP is
threatening to cut my fingers off!

In other words, even if the OTRS member one talks to is
the sweetest person in the world, they don't actually have
the power to do anything. And I've heard some people
haven't even gotten responses from OTRS.

[Aloft]

Has it been picked up by the mainstream press yet? I need some reliable sources for my new [[Jimbo Wales T-Shirt Controversy]] article.

Here's something I'm unclear on: Jimbo said in his statement that there was one meeting. How did he meet her at the hotel in D.C. yet leave his clothing at her apartment in New York?

This post has been edited by Aloft: Sun 2nd March 2008, 7:22pm

[AB]

Perhaps a lawsuit is in order. Just like a hospital is liable for a technician employee who, through lack of training or competence, causes injury or death to a patient, the Foundation itself is liable for the nonfeasance or incompetence of its employees.

Please, Daniel -- just sue the Foundation already. If money is the problem, I imagine that Alex Roshuk would help you pro bono, and I would gladly contribute monetarily to your legal fund and promote it far and wide. But, if you're not going to actually sue, then these mentions of lawsuits just diminish your reputation.

As much as I'd love to see the WMF get successfully sued
already, I don't have the stomach for court battles.

Who put him in charge of their sites?

This isn't about being 'in charge'. It's about wanting
them to stop hurting him and others.

[WhispersOfWisdom]

Has it been picked up by the mainstream press yet? I need some reliable sources for my new [[Jimbo Wales T-Shirt Controversy]] article.

Here's something I'm unclear on: Jimbo said in his statement that there was one meeting. How did he meet her at the hotel in D.C. yet leave his clothing at her apartment in New York?

[Aloft]

High bidder: wordbomb( 0 )

If only it were a kimono...

This post has been edited by Aloft: Sun 2nd March 2008, 7:51pm