3 ms·

Does Wikimedia need "best of the best" execs, or simply competent and stable leadership? Most of their value and lifeblood (content) comes from volunteers who

Does Wikimedia need "best of the best" execs, or simply competent and stable leadership? Most of their value and lifeblood (content) comes from volunteers who would probably keep doing it even if a likeable monkey were on top.

bawolff 4y ago
Honestly, i feel that the dysfunctional c-levels at WMF has cost the org much more in wasted time than what the higher salary would have cost. [Note, i used to work there many years ago. My opinions might not apply to the current leadership]
- akolbe 4y ago
  The question is whether throwing money at the problem is the way to solve it. I remember Damon Sicore's stint at the WMF. He'd been VPE for six years at Mozilla and then came to the WMF. He ended up working all of eleven months for Wikimedia. When he left he was given $100,000 in severance pay, for a total compensation of $292,258 for less than a year's work. https://www.theregister.com/2017/06/07/golden_handshakes_at_wikipedia/ https://www.theregister.com/2017/06/07/golden_handshakes_at_... He was subsequently blamed for the Knowledge Engine fiasco that led to Lila Tretikov's demise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Engine_(search_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Engine_(search_engin... Lila herself came in and was paid 1.75 times as much as Sue Gardner had been getting. That did not turn out so well either. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_salaries https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_salarie...
  - bawolff 4y ago
    Yes Lila and Damon was a shitshow. I think everyone is aware, its all very public. More money does not neccesarily equal better people, just better options. We would still have to chose the right one. As far as Damon goes, he writes in his blog about his time at wikimedia... its "interesting"
    - akolbe 4y ago
      Thanks for the tip. Reading. https://damon.sicore.com/wikipedia-search/ https://damon.sicore.com/wikipedia-search/ I see he links to one of my old Signpost pieces ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-04-24/Op-ed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2...

bawolff 4y ago

Honestly, i feel that the dysfunctional c-levels at WMF has cost the org much more in wasted time than what the higher salary would have cost. [Note, i used to work there many years ago. My opinions might not apply to the current leadership]

akolbe 4y ago
The question is whether throwing money at the problem is the way to solve it. I remember Damon Sicore's stint at the WMF. He'd been VPE for six years at Mozilla and then came to the WMF. He ended up working all of eleven months for Wikimedia. When he left he was given $100,000 in severance pay, for a total compensation of $292,258 for less than a year's work. https://www.theregister.com/2017/06/07/golden_handshakes_at_wikipedia/ https://www.theregister.com/2017/06/07/golden_handshakes_at_... He was subsequently blamed for the Knowledge Engine fiasco that led to Lila Tretikov's demise. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Engine_(search_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Engine_(search_engin... Lila herself came in and was paid 1.75 times as much as Sue Gardner had been getting. That did not turn out so well either. https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_salaries https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_salarie...
- bawolff 4y ago
  Yes Lila and Damon was a shitshow. I think everyone is aware, its all very public. More money does not neccesarily equal better people, just better options. We would still have to chose the right one. As far as Damon goes, he writes in his blog about his time at wikimedia... its "interesting"
  - akolbe 4y ago
    Thanks for the tip. Reading. https://damon.sicore.com/wikipedia-search/ https://damon.sicore.com/wikipedia-search/ I see he links to one of my old Signpost pieces ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-04-24/Op-ed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2...