Call for nominations: chapter-appointed seats on the WMF Board of Trustees Options

[carbuncle]

Announced on Foundation-L:

The Wikimedia chapters are seeking to appoint two candidates to sit on the
Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees for two years, starting 1 July
2012. The two new members of the board will help to decide the future
direction of the world’s leading non-profit website. Wikimedia project are
constructed by hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide, supported by
a growing number of staff and an international network of chapters. Board
membership is unpaid.

The chapters wish to appoint two excellent board members and believe this
can best be achieved by selecting from a large number of varied and skilled
candidates. Therefore, the chapters call for nominations by everyone who
believes they or someone they know would be suitable. The chapters ask that
this call for candidates be distributed as widely as possible through such
forums as mailing lists, village pumps, and blogs. ...

The discussion following the announcement is uncharacteristically interesting. I know it is popular here to say nasty things about Risker, but I think she's asking the right questions here.

Why is the discussion happening on chapterswiki, instead of in an open
place where all Wikimedians can at least read the discussion?

Will the names of the candidates be published for the entire Wikimedia
community to see? Will opinions from non-chapter members (who make up 97%
of Wikimedians) be considered?

The reply from Béria Lima (emphasis mine, of course):

> * Will the names of the candidates be published for the entire Wikimedia
> community to see? *
The real names, obviously not. The usernames may be published - IF the
candidate has no problem with that.
> *Will opinions from non-chapter members (who make up 97% of Wikimedians)
> be considered?*
>
With questions and suggestions, of course will. But with votes, No.

[Selina]

The reply from Béria Lima (emphasis mine, of course):

> *Will opinions from non-chapter members (who make up 97% of Wikimedians)
> be considered?*
>
With questions and suggestions, of course will. But with votes, No.

Of course, otherwise commoners could get in!

also, comments about the appearance of people don't really add much to the discussion, it makes you look tacky, think about how you would feel if someone who was criticising you was making creeper comments about liking your appearance...

[thekohser]

also, comments about the appearance of people don't really add much to the discussion, it makes you look tacky, think about how you would feel if someone who was criticising you was making creeper comments about liking your appearance...

Oh, come off it, Selina. Is Béria asking us here to evaluate the words on her display screen, and not notice her?

[Abd]

also, comments about the appearance of people don't really add much to the discussion, it makes you look tacky, think about how you would feel if someone who was criticising you was making creeper comments about liking your appearance...

Oh, come off it, Selina. Is Béria asking us here to evaluate the words on her display screen, and not notice her?

I see Selina's point. However, this is also the Wikipedia Review Bar and Girrl. I found this from a bio intended for WikiWomenCamp

The community has been supportive of Beria's work, demonstrating this by giving her barn stars and other forms of recognition.[18][19][20] Sadly, not all of Beria's experiences have been positive. As a result of her involvement, she been subjected to death threats, threats of rape, bullying and other harassment from men who represent a wide spectrum of the leadership inside WMF projects.

Notice: " from men who represent a wide spectrum of the leadership inside WMF projects" That's a remarkable statement.

She's not complaining about a few odd comments from users on Wikipedia Review....

Selina, I wonder if you were talking about me, since I did write about Beria, here,

Béria Lima is smart, drop-dead beautiful, and, on occasion, bat-shit crazy and vindictive.

I hope that "drop-dead beautiful isn't "creepy," but, right now, I want to retract the "vindictive." That may have been unfair, I was recalling a certain process that she participated in, and I don't want to go back and really review it, so my comment was, as to what I clearly know, out of place, inappropriate.

As to "bat-shit crazy," though, I realize that it may not seem so, but it could be a compliment. If it's a criticism, it is one that invites no response, because it's not stated as something verifiable, it's obviously a "story." Remember, I shouldn't have to remind you of all people, this is the Wikipedia Review Bar and Girrl. The place has its standards. I.e., if you make substantiated charges, you are boring. I fall into that one a lot.

Horse, I hate to break it to you, but there was an image of Beria on-line, as I recall, what looked to be of professional quality, showing her topless, facing away from the camera. I couldn't find it today, she may have had it taken down. Maybe that's better, if the rather tame photos you've seen had you hopping. On the other hand, here is an article she may have written that could be of interest to you. If you have medication to keep yourself from getting too excited, be sure to have some ready, maybe take it before you look at the page. We'd hate to lose you.

Beria did run for steward last year. I'd already been blocked on meta, I'm not sure how I'd have voted. Conflict of interest, eh? Seems that some of the substantial minority who opposed had some impression similar to my casual comment.

The WMF wikis are weird. Majority rule doesn't count. What that means in practice is that there is a form of minority rule, not what people mostly think, that if they don't allow majority rule, they will get consensus rule. That's naive, and anyone with substantial experience (like, decades) with consensus organizations knows it. Unless they happen to be in a controlling cabal, they may then imagine that, hey, we make decisions by consensus. Not noticing that much of what might have been a much larger -- and more powerful -- organization has walked away out of frustration.... or been banned.

It's really unfair to assume that Beria is using her beauty to gain some unfair advantage. It might have that effect under some circumstances, but in others, her beauty might work against her. Most Wikipedia problems are due to poor structure, not to Bad Actors; the structure brings out the worst in people, beautiful or otherwise. However, the structure also seems to collect some flotsam and jetsam in the center of the whirlpool. She's not that, I'd say. She's just a volunteer who has put in a lot of time and effort, that's obvious.

[Selina]

this is also the Wikipedia Review Bar and Girrl.

this is the Wikipedia Review Bar and Girrl. The place has its standards. I.e., if you make substantiated charges, you are boring. I fall into that one a lot.

You're either trolling or need to get some spine, god. If people say you are "boring" for trying to engage in intelligent discussion then they're the boring ones. In your giving in you've became just as bad as any lolwikipedian in the chat channels... Believe it or not this place has always been intended for serious criticism and debate, just because some people don't want to do that you don't have to cave in to peer pressure.

I found this from a bio intended for WikiWomenCamp

The community has been supportive of Beria's work, demonstrating this by giving her barn stars and other forms of recognition.[18][19][20] Sadly, not all of Beria's experiences have been positive. As a result of her involvement, she been subjected to death threats, threats of rape, bullying and other harassment from men who represent a wide spectrum of the leadership inside WMF projects.

Notice: " from men who represent a wide spectrum of the leadership inside WMF projects" That's a remarkable statement.

You find it remarkable that people who are made to feel inferior want to bring someone else down, to hurt them out of spite or bitter burning jealousy? Really?

She's not complaining about a few odd comments from users on Wikipedia Review....

Because these posts have only been up a day? I'm bi and don't even find her attractive but god it's just seems like so many people associated with Wikipedia are just totally out of touch with real life issues and how pervasive and corrosive they are, desensitised from seeing trolling so much...

Selina, I wonder if you were talking about me

No that was not some personal post directed at anyone - just a point that "is so and so hot or not" isn't really helping criticise Wikipedia anyway and just makes people look bad and get taken less seriously... It's all over the internet though I know..

, since I did write about Beria, here,

Béria Lima is smart, drop-dead beautiful, and, on occasion, bat-shit crazy and vindictive.

I hope that "drop-dead beautiful isn't "creepy," but, right now, I want to retract the "vindictive." That may have been unfair, I was recalling a certain process that she participated in, and I don't want to go back and really review it, so my comment was, as to what I clearly know, out of place, inappropriate.

As to "bat-shit crazy," though, I realize that it may not seem so, but it could be a compliment. If it's a criticism, it is one that invites no response, because it's not stated as something verifiable, it's obviously a "story."

I don't understand how you can come to these kind of conclusions, criticism is not bad at all? It wouldn't be if she was a male editor obviously, no one is saying in the least that criticism is wrong, just why should it be based around how "hot" you think she is, try I don't know, act a bit more like a grown up is all I'm saying?

It's really unfair to assume that Beria is using her beauty to gain some unfair advantage. It might have that effect under some circumstances, but in others, her beauty might work against her.

Well that is just it, just ask any schoolgirl what they think of the popular girls - often they aren't as good looking but just try bring down the people who are, the people who are threats to their own social status (and sense of self-worth!) to make themselves look better (and in Wikipedia, like in workplace politics, the older see the younger as a threat, thinking of people like Slimvirgin) and surround themselves with even uglier people - and then there's the anal retentive librarian wonk types that are more common on Wikipedia though because Wikipedia rates people on how wonk and manipulative they are - thinking of people like Durova etc - than niceness they then become the popular "in" crew and abused turns into the abusers

The WMF wikis are weird. Majority rule doesn't count. What that means in practice is that there is a form of minority rule, not what people mostly think, that if they don't allow majority rule, they will get consensus rule. That's naive, and anyone with substantial experience (like, decades) with consensus organizations knows it. Unless they happen to be in a controlling cabal, they may then imagine that, hey, we make decisions by consensus. Not noticing that much of what might have been a much larger -- and more powerful -- organization has walked away out of frustration.... or been banned.

[..] Most Wikipedia problems are due to poor structure, not to Bad Actors; the structure brings out the worst in people, beautiful or otherwise. However, the structure also seems to collect some flotsam and jetsam in the center of the whirlpool. She's not that, I'd say. She's just a volunteer who has put in a lot of time and effort, that's obvious.

That is actually quality comment, that is cool. The Wikipedia structure's been commented on a lot - and the psychology of "evil structures" is a long long thing that no one seems to have come up with a genuine answer on how to solve, something that is a serious serious question for Wikipedia and world/national politics too - and there seems to be no way to change it other than to open it up a lot more and do away with the cliques and mailing lists really - If you look at my unbanning discussion, all the inner crew, Raul654's cabal showed up along with MONGO, but they weren't able to get what they want anymore - more admins, more openness in power means things even themselves out:



That is why WP:CANVASS was created - At it's heart it's about keeping control on the majority so the minority can get along with their private discussions through their alreay established social networks. Ironically, it could also be their downfall if enough good people actually cared about changing Wikipedia, since it specifically says discussions should be kept on talk pages where possible and discourages "off-wiki" discussion. But there's no one with teeth to do anything about it.