https://bugzilla.wikimedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=42794
--- Comment #11 from varnent <ad...@wikiqueer.org> --- Thank you for reaching out to AffCom for input. We have not discussed this as a group, so this is my own reaction. However, I am confident that it is not a minority opinion. :) Our goal is to help make the creation and organization of user groups as easy as possible, and to make sure they are provided with as much support from WM and WMF as reasonably possible. I agree that the geography question will need to be resolved before they are recognized as a user group or eventually chapter. However, I do not think that needs to impede the group getting a mailing list. They have enough folks to justify a user group, and it seems premature to discuss their chapter viability considering the November resolution on recognition from the WMF Board. Which in case you are not following, says that with as yet undefined exceptions, chapters and thematic organizations must exist for two years as a user group before they can be recognized by the board. There are indications that may change, but at this time, that is the process. My recommendation would be to go ahead with a mailing list utilizing the Cascadia naming scheme (they will likely be Cascadia Wikimedians or something like that while they are a user group). I say that considering that they are likely to become a user group (obviously they will have to request that status and get AffCom approval first - but my hunch is that will eventually happen), that the title is unlikely to be an issue with the geography question, and knowing that the geography question will need to be resolved before their recognition as a user group (while technically user groups are permitted to overlap with chapters, this group's stated desire to become a chapter may require more thought and discussion on that topic). Typically, any already recognized affiliates involved - in this case Wikimedia Canada - are given a chance to weigh-in. I also am mindful that they essentially already have a mailing list, and are basically requesting that WMF support that list rather than Google. For a variety of reasons, I can appreciate that desire. I also believe that the mailing lists are incredibly useful tool for organizing WM efforts, and also appreciate why they would like one to help get their group officially going. I do not personally have a strong feeling about what acronym to use (US-CA, CAS, WM-WC, WM-CA, etc. all seem like possibilities off the top of my head), so will leave that all to the experts already looped into this thread. -- You are receiving this mail because: You are the assignee for the bug. You are on the CC list for the bug. _______________________________________________ Wikibugs-l mailing list Wikibugs-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikibugs-l
