User:AlecMeta/Christmas Eve 2011- Commendation on WMF taking a stand

Background

tl;dr: En.Wp is great, but there's still so much to do. We are the ones who should do it, we are the ones who should take the lead. Lots of people have ideas, lots of people have time. What's missing is leadership. WMF should take the lead, because our leaders are very, very good at what they do.

Extended content

Recently, I've been "getting old" as a member of En.WP .

I gradually began editing En.WP less and less, demonstrating a pretty typical pattern of burnout. None of my problems were new or unforseen. There are rude admins, there always have been. There are overly sensitive editors, there always have been. Eventually they meet at the wrong place at the wrong time and demoralization occurs. I always wanted an inclusionist En.WP, but the people and processes of En.WP have evolved towards the deletionist approach, and that's a needed thing too, so that's fine. Both approachs are valid.

In short, "getting old" at en.wp just happens-- circle of life. I'm not all _that_ old, but I'm already growing into little bit of a curmudgeon at this phase in my life cycle.

I'm past the point where I can be useful to Wikipedia like I used to be-- it knows too damn much now, for one thing! After all these years, I've told it all the things I know best. And I don't think the consensus process for WP should be subverted just because it landed on a vision that's a little narrow (and more focused) than the vision I had. It's okay-- En.WP is what it is.

Hope: WMF and WMM

But, let's look bigger picture.

Wikipedia worked, and now is working all over the world. Wikipedia is a success. We need MORE successes, but let's not skip over what a huge success Wikipedia is and continues to be.
WMF is successfully protecting and stabilizing and funding the Wikipedias.
The Wikimedia Movement is becoming mainstream. Our values aren't just the values of a hippy-looking Richard Stallman and AynRand-Marxist Jimmy Wales anymore-- Wikimedia values are winning. It's not just us in a mailing list anymore-- kids in the streets are talking about things like "right to access information" as a human right. The values I had in 1994 aren't 'crazy' anymore-- they're orthodox among today's 'raised-with-internet-access' youth.

Who Leads? WMF or unaffiliated WMM?

WMF is still deciding whether it's the right organization to take the wider movement forward into bold new endeavors. An alternative and very valid point of view is that WMF should focus nearly-exclusively its mission to protect Wikipedia.
By default, the Wikimedia Movement is taking uncoordinated actions to do new things-- they're just not using the Wikimedia name, but they share our basic values, if not our prominence.
Eventually, the Wikimedia Movement will get organized to pick up the slack if WMF decided to devote exclusively to WP.

Why WMF should lead the Movement-- A early Christmas Present

Today we announced that we would no longer work with GoDaddy because of their stance on SOPA. We stood for something-- we stood for our values, and I'm proud to be connected or associated with an organization.

Wikimedia isn't just a mere webhost, we're a movement that draws upon shared values and a shared dream to create a better world. We're not your mother's webhost, we're special.

And the leaders at WMF, while sometimes slow to learn to walk, and despite the occasional stumble like that of a toddler's first steps, WMF is doing great. Today exemplifies that.

We are not "just" Wikipedia. We have courage to stand up for something. The WMF, its values, and its leaders what set us apart.

A better world is possible. A better Wikimedia is possible

Wikimedia is trusted-- for profit webhosts are not.
WMF has a proven track record of proficiency-- new startups do not.
WMF has a strong reputation for "doing the right thing"-- a reputation lacked by new startups and virtually all for-profits, with some notable exceptions.

Given the same exact task, I believe WMF-led volunteers can out-perform for-profit entities on almost anything that enough of us put our minds to. Even if we only _match_ the services provided by for-profits, we can offer our readers something that other places lack-- Trust.

Nobody trusts Microsoft, nobody trusts Facebook. But everybody trusts WMF-- we trust you enough to give you our money and lots of it. We trust you!

We trust you to deliver on your word, we trust you to be competent. But most importantly of all, we trust you to "stand" for something. Today we stand for a free internet. Only we could do something like that. It makes us special, it makes us unique, and I think it makes us better.

Christmas Wishes

Leaders of WMF-- you have a higher calling than just Wikipedia. If you need to create a separate foundation for PR reasons, go for it. The people and their values and their leadership are what matter. Wikimedia is one-of-a-kind: its leaders don't have the luxury of being just protectors of Wikipedia. The movement marches on, and it still needs leaders. Some of you may want to stay behind and focus just on protecting Wikipedia, and that's okay too. But those of you who want to take the movement to new places need to start forming your own organization-- ideally within WMF but if necessary, independent-yet-allied.

Good work

I know coming out on a limb in a big way takes a lot of courage. WMF came out on a limb, and the rest of the movement is cheering wildly. Thank you...