On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 1:26 AM, Achal Prabhala <aprabh...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > 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 >> >>
Oh, I like it. Glad to see you're one of us, Achal ;-) _______________________________________________ foundation-l mailing list foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
