On Friday 21 January 2011 07:26 AM, MZMcBride wrote: > Achal Prabhala wrote: >> Greetings, >> >> I'm happy to tell you a little more about myself and the scope of this >> short-term research project I'm undertaking, and I'm as happy to assume >> that you fully intended for your messages to come across as decorous and >> rational. > Hi. I appreciate you taking the time to reply to my post. However, you seem > to have only replied, not responded. > >> I am, however, involved on a daily basis with all kinds of work that is >> related to the movement, and I'm delighted to be of use to you. > What kind of daily involvement? Is this work in your capacity as a > volunteer, as a member of the Advisory Board, or as a Wikimedia Fellow? > In all these capacities and more. >> Now to the project. I see that neither of you gentlemen has any thoughts >> on it, and I welcome your engagement. > I'll admit that I don't particularly care what you're working on. That's > approximately my attitude toward what the other Wikimedia Fellows are > working on as well. That's the spirit. And I've always felt that a waste is a terrible thing to mind. > I do care if you received the Fellowship for different > reasons than the other Fellows, though. I do care if there's the appearance > of impropriety or a conflict of interest (or worse, actual impropriety or > conflicts of interest). > > I'll repeat the questions I feel you haven't answered. You're obviously free > to not answer them ever, but I do want to make sure that your reply to the > opening thread isn't viewed as a response to most of the questions asked > about/to you. > > MZMcBride wrote: >> More importantly, is there a concern about an Advisory Board member being >> chosen as a Wikimedia Fellow? Is there a conflict of interest there? Is >> there a concern about the appearance of impropriety? >> >> Achal has a growing influence on Wikimedia, particularly its new operations >> in India. This has included being part of the hiring decisions, etc. This is >> more of a consultant role, making his selection as a Wikimedia Fellow even >> stranger. And his growing influence and power in such a big part of >> Wikimedia's five-year strategy is making people wary. > If you could answer some of these questions, particularly about what your > specific role has been in hiring in India, I'd really appreciate it (as > would many members of this list, I imagine). In your reply, you say that > you're involved "on a daily basis with all kinds of work that is related to > the movement," but also "that reports of my influence are greatly > exaggerated" [in the context of the strategy report]. These statements don't > seem to reconcile with me currently. And I never meant to suggest that you > were deeply involved with the strategy _report_, but with the strategy > _implementation_. There's a world of difference. > > If you've been involved with the hiring process in India, you should say so > outright as someone who's committed to openness and transparency. You're right. I should. But somehow, I assumed it was perfectly clear - not to mention open and transparent - after this report (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Report,_November_2010#India_planning) and this one (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Report,_December_2010#India_planning), as well as countless other conversations that were had on the subject. > If you've > been involved with site selection in India or whatever else, you should say > so. These are the things I'm hearing, but I've no idea what level of truth > there is to them. That's why I started this thread and that's why I'm glad > you've replied (though I'd be more glad if you responded). As E. Forrester > noted, there is a wariness among some Wikimedia participants that an inner > circle exists, but I think you might be able dispel some of this notion with > more candid responses. Settle down, my friend...going around in circles will make us all dizzy. Personally, I recommend half an hour of Pranayama (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pranayama) every morning: it makes one feel calm and loving. > MZMcBride > > > > _______________________________________________ > foundation-l mailing list > foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l >
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