Out with Godwin, In with the new sycophant Options Rating

[Cock-up-over-conspiracy]

I would imagine he knows too much. They don't want the world know know how much they're paying him, to go away and never talk.

Ja, that was my thought as well.

> I like Mike, and I know that it’s a tough economy. Can I ask what the
> Wikimedia Foundation is doing to ensure that Mike is okay while he
> figures out his next steps?
>
> Yes. The Wikimedia Foundation and Mike have figured out severance that
> we all hope will protect Mike and give him time to think about what he
> wants to do next. The terms of the severance are confidential: we
> won’t talk about them now, or in the future. But you can rest assured
> that the Wikimedia Foundation wants to see Mike continue working to
> advance people’s online freedoms: everybody would like to see him
> continue making an important contribution.

Meaning, we paid him enough to shut up.

[anthony]

It'll be interesting whether Erik gets shoved next. He's pretty much the last of "Jimmy's people" (defined as people who were part of the Foundation before Sue came along). Jimmy himself better be watching his back; it's a matter of time before Sue and Company decide that he, too, is redundant.

Quite a change from your previous position that Jimbo has the ultimate power to do whatever he wants. When did your opinion on this change, around the time of the departure of Cary Bass?

In any case, I think Erik would be far too happy to finally "vote Jimmy off the island" to call him one of "Jimmy's people".

[Milton Roe]

I would imagine he knows too much. They don't want the world to know how much they're paying him to go away and never talk.

Ja, that was my thought as well.

Wonder if he was partly perverted by reading WR?

If so:

[TungstenCarbide]

It'll be interesting whether Erik gets shoved next. He's pretty much the last of "Jimmy's people" (defined as people who were part of the Foundation before Sue came along). Jimmy himself better be watching his back; it's a matter of time before Sue and Company decide that he, too, is redundant.

Quite a change from your previous position that Jimbo has the ultimate power to do whatever he wants. When did your opinion on this change, around the time of the departure of Cary Bass?

In any case, I think Erik would be far too happy to finally "vote Jimmy off the island" to call him one of "Jimmy's people".

Jimbo once violated the security of a WMF board election in progress, and based on what he found tried to derail Erik's candidacy. The subsequent election had to be held on an outside server operated by another foundation.

Jimbo used to have the ultimate power at Wikipedia. What he said happened. That's all changed. The only real power he has now is what can be derived from WMF board politics. All his "GodKing" power is slowly but surely slipping away. Other than that, he just gets to hang around, collect speaking fees, and promise people "I'll look into it".

This post has been edited by TungstenCarbide: Wed 20th October 2010, 3:25pm

[Somey]

The facts are a little sketchy, but as best I can determine, it looks like Mike simply refused to take the "standard offer."

I guess it's possible that they had to oust him because after all this time, he finally got around to reading a legal textbook and realized that what the WMF does has been utterly illegal all along...

It'll be interesting whether Erik gets shoved next.

Maybe. It's just a hunch, but my guess is that Mr. Moeller was the "prime mover" in ousting Mr. Godwin. (He's a sneaky guy, that Erik!)

[GlassBeadGame]

Mod Note: Moved OT tax stuff to the lounge.

[thekohser]

And wouldn't you know it, the Examiner is the first to break this news story.

[anthony]

Mod Note: Moved OT tax stuff to the lounge.

You missed one, the first one.

[GlassBeadGame]

Mod Note: Moved OT tax stuff to the lounge.

You missed one, the first one.

This one? I thought Milton hadn't completely went off the OT rails just yet. Also left one by CW that was "mixed." Moving is bad enough but splitting a post gets the locals all upset.

[Ottava]

Godwin leaves.

This follows Mike Snow leaving.

Both were very "liberal" (libertine, free no matter what, copy left, however you want to explain their internet lawless views).

Coincidence?

Seems like all of those idiots are being pushed out.

Good riddance to the horse shit.

[GlassBeadGame]

The facts are a little sketchy, but as best I can determine, it looks like Mike simply refused to take the "standard offer."

I guess it's possible that they had to oust him because after all this time, he finally got around to reading a legal textbook and realized that what the WMF does has been utterly illegal all along...

It'll be interesting whether Erik gets shoved next.

Maybe. It's just a hunch, but my guess is that Mr. Moeller was the "prime mover" in ousting Mr. Godwin. (He's a sneaky guy, that Erik!)

I'm intrigued but not seeing it. What might be the nature of the Godwin/Moeller rift?

[anthony]

What might be the nature of the Godwin/Moeller rift?

To put it in Erik's own words, "I feel that the project can only tolerate one person with an ego the size of a planet"

(Note that I'm not saying that Somey is right. I'd rather not publicly speculate on the reason for Godwin's departure.)

This post has been edited by anthony: Wed 20th October 2010, 2:15am

[CharlotteWebb]

This one? I thought Milton hadn't completely went off the OT rails just yet. Also left one by CW that was "mixed." Moving is bad enough but splitting a post gets the locals all upset.

I should start keeping track of how many thread splits I'm blamed for.

How does a non-profit 501-c-3 that files a Form 990 intend to keep secret, forever, a severance package for one of the top paid employees of the organization?

Don't quote me on this one, as I haven't researched it, but I believe that only "normal" compensation is required to be included on a 990. It could be that they have interpreted a termination "settlement" as something other than that. Also, if he was neither an officer or one of the five most highly paid employees, then he won't be there either.

I'm surprised they don't pose as a "faith-based organization" and claim exemption from filing that.

[Jon Awbrey]

I'm surprised they don't pose as a "faith-based organization" and claim exemption from filing that.

All In The Fullness Of Slime …

Jon

[EricBarbour]

You all missed a little item in that announcement:

Once a candidate pool is developed, interviews will be held. The
interviewing process will likely include at a minimum Sue Gardner,
Erik Moeller, Cyn Skyberg, Kat Walsh, Arne Klempert, and Barry
Newstead. There will probably also be others involved (e.g., possibly
additional board members, and possibly additional members of the
senior staff), but that’s the skeleton plan we have right now.

That's likely to be a list of WMF's highest holy epopts. Cross one of them, and kiss your ass goodbye.

And no doubt the politics between them are getting quite toxic right now. I would not be surprised
to see either Moeller or Newstead pushed out next.

Ms. Gardner is a toxic, evil woman--or so the scuttlebutt has been claiming.
Dunno myself, but she is clearly a manipulative creature.

[EricBarbour]

I just checked in on this thread, and was amazed to discover that an old familiar name,
one Samuel Klein, was reading it.
(He has a WR account but has never said anything.)

Well, Master Klein? Would you care to comment?

[Milton Roe]

I just checked in on this thread, and was amazed to discover that an old familiar name,
one Samuel Klein, was reading it.
(He has a WR account but has never said anything.)

Well, Master Klein? Would you care to comment?

Is that Sj the good admin of the North, as opposed to Essjay the bad admin of the East? Now that somebody has accidently dropped a house on SV, the Wicked Witch of the West?

I want to know about the bubble around Sj that keeps him from seeing that his WP policy is actually controlled by a bunch of flying monkeys and assorted munchkins.

[sjk]

I just checked in on this thread, and was amazed to discover that an old familiar name,
one Samuel Klein, was reading it.
(He has a WR account but has never said anything.)

Well, Master Klein? Would you care to comment?

Hello Eric & all. I'm just up late on a maté kick, avoiding both sleep and work by browsing WR. I don't have much to add here, though this seems to be one of the first places where Mike's departure was discussed at any length.

Quite interesting that they wrote up a Q&A summary that anticipated most of the usual questions. Have they done that before?

The Foundation has started releasing Q&As alongside many announcements, including major arrivals and departures. See for instance:
http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_..._and_CGDO_QandA

SJ

(Milton: you mean flying monkeys with typewriters, right?)

[Emperor]

If nothing else, Mr. Godwin will be remembered as the genius who somehow finagled the switch from GFDL to CC-by-SA.

[thekohser]

If nothing else, Mr. Godwin will be remembered as the genius who somehow finagled the switch from GFDL to CC-by-SA.

I don't consider him the agent of change on that item. I believe Moeller was the perpetrator of that sham.