Mailing List Archive

Marc Riddell wrote:
> on 11/25/08 5:35 PM, Jimmy Wales at jwales@wikia-inc.com wrote:
>
> lots of independent
>> action loosely coordinated... the wiki way).
>>
> Jimmy,
>
> In this type of "loosely coordinated" situation, how do you prevent the more
> aggressive persons from dominating a project?

I am unaware of any chapters having a problem with aggressive people
dominating. Normally, though, I would say that lots of independent
action loosely coordinated is a really good way to route around
aggressive people. If we are worried about aggressive people
dominating, then we want to avoid structures and social customs that
allow for top-down authoritarianism as the primary mode of operation.



--Jimbo

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2008/11/25 Jimmy Wales <jwales@wikia-inc.com>:
> Marc Riddell wrote:
>> on 11/25/08 5:35 PM, Jimmy Wales at jwales@wikia-inc.com wrote:
>>
>> lots of independent
>>> action loosely coordinated... the wiki way).
>>>
>> Jimmy,
>>
>> In this type of "loosely coordinated" situation, how do you prevent the more
>> aggressive persons from dominating a project?
>
> I am unaware of any chapters having a problem with aggressive people
> dominating. Normally, though, I would say that lots of independent
> action loosely coordinated is a really good way to route around
> aggressive people. If we are worried about aggressive people
> dominating, then we want to avoid structures and social customs that
> allow for top-down authoritarianism as the primary mode of operation.

Aren't most (all?) chapters democratically run? That should prevent
individuals from dominating things - just elect someone else to be in
charge.

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Democracy is still the enemy of autocracy. Also if a chapter gets really bad, people will vote with their dues and chapter will soon find itself in the red.




________________________________
From: Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton@gmail.com>
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:22:10 PM
Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] The Wkii Way

2008/11/25 Jimmy Wales <jwales@wikia-inc.com>:
> Marc Riddell wrote:
>> on 11/25/08 5:35 PM, Jimmy Wales at jwales@wikia-inc.com wrote:
>>
>> lots of independent
>>> action loosely coordinated... the wiki way).
>>>
>> Jimmy,
>>
>> In this type of "loosely coordinated" situation, how do you prevent the more
>> aggressive persons from dominating a project?
>
> I am unaware of any chapters having a problem with aggressive people
> dominating. Normally, though, I would say that lots of independent
> action loosely coordinated is a really good way to route around
> aggressive people. If we are worried about aggressive people
> dominating, then we want to avoid structures and social customs that
> allow for top-down authoritarianism as the primary mode of operation.

Aren't most (all?) chapters democratically run? That should prevent
individuals from dominating things - just elect someone else to be in
charge.

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Best question...

Maybe the [[ w:Invisible hand ]] (ouch)

-- Porantim



2008/11/25 Marc Riddell <michaeldavid86@comcast.net>

>
> on 11/25/08 5:35 PM, Jimmy Wales at jwales@wikia-inc.com wrote:
>
> lots of independent
> > action loosely coordinated... the wiki way).
> >
> Jimmy,
>
> In this type of "loosely coordinated" situation, how do you prevent the
> more
> aggressive persons from dominating a project?
>
> Marc Riddell
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
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>
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2008/11/26 Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com>:
> Democracy is still the enemy of autocracy. Also if a chapter gets really bad, people will vote with their dues and chapter will soon find itself in the red.

That depends on the chapter - I think different chapters rely on
membership fees to different extents. If a chapter gets its funding
primarily from donations (and perhaps grants) from non-members it
would be theoretically able to function effectively without a large
membership (although a lack of manpower may harm the quality of its
outreach programs, etc.).

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People tend not to fund paper nonprofits. If someone pokes the grant funders hard enough, they will reconsider their grants.


________________________________
From: Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton@gmail.com>
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 9:07:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] The Wkii Way

2008/11/26 Geoffrey Plourde <geo.plrd@yahoo.com>:
> Democracy is still the enemy of autocracy. Also if a chapter gets really bad, people will vote with their dues and chapter will soon find itself in the red.

That depends on the chapter - I think different chapters rely on
membership fees to different extents. If a chapter gets its funding
primarily from donations (and perhaps grants) from non-members it
would be theoretically able to function effectively without a large
membership (although a lack of manpower may harm the quality of its
outreach programs, etc.).

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