James, We’ve never spoken. I don’t know you personally, but I do know your reputation throughout the movement. It is stellar. You are reported to be a man of coherent and consistent principles.
I am writing to thank you for your years of service and your amazing contributions to the projects thus far. I was so impressed with the work that you've done on "ebola content" and translating it for the languages in the geographies most impacted. I don’t know what happened, but this has to be difficult for you. My thoughts are with you. Warmly, /a On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 3:48 PM, Kevin Gorman <kgor...@gmail.com> wrote: > "For cause" can mean a lot of things - everything from getting drunk and > plowing in to a crowd to embezzling money, to simply holding consistently > different opinions than the rest of the board and continually voicing them. > We won't know much more until the board statement (although, again, I'm > surprised comms weren't pre-prepped,) but this is a really surprising > situation, and I really hope the board makes a clear statement that > justifies the removal beyond a shadow of a doubt. > > On Wednesday, December 30, 2015, Robert Rohde <raro...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Jimbo, on his talk page, says this was a removal "for cause", and that he > > expects the whole Board will provide a further statement. > > > > -Robert Rohde > > > > On Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 12:03 AM, Kevin Gorman <kgor...@gmail.com > > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > > > As far as I can tell, no one alleges Doc James did anything wrong - if > > > there were serious allegations of wrongdoing then, for one thing, I > have > > > trouble seeing Dariusz as having supported James staying on the board. > > The > > > board *can* remove members for any reason, but if you're removing one > > > member elected - and generally quite trusted - from the board, and that > > > removal is opposed by *another* community elected board member, there > > > better be a damned good reason behind it - board *can* ignore the will > of > > > two of the three directly elected trustees, but doing so without a damn > > > good reason is a significant error. To be honest, since the motion to > > > remove James was clearly prepared in advance, I'm pretty surprising > that > > > board didn't ask WMF comms for help preparig to deal with the fall-out. > > > I've been told by multiple sets of people that this doesn't involve > > > allegations of wrongdoing against James - but if it does, that needs to > > be > > > quickly communicated, as James holds multiple other positions of trust > in > > > the Wikimedia movement. And if doesn't involve allegations of > wrongdoing > > > by James... well to be honest, I have a hard time seeing a situation > > where > > > the removal of James (a community elected trustee) which was opposed by > > > Dariusz (another community elected trustee) is reasonably justifiable. > > > Without more details about the situation, it really reads like a board > > out > > > of touch with the community it is intended to serve. > > > > > > Unless an extraordinarily good reason is produced (like James regularly > > > shouting things Cluebot would censor in the middle of meetings,) I > would > > > hope that the board would consider reinstating James... and spending > the > > > time to learn how to work with with a respected and accomplished > > > Wikipedian. Doc James is one of the most active contributors to > > > Wikiproject Medicine, is a long time former president of Wikimedia > Canada > > > and the Wiki Project Med Foundation, and has done a ton of other > > > wiki-stuff. It's hard to see him as a detriment to the WMF board, and > > it's > > > concerning that the first time the WMF board has ever felt the need to > > > remove a member it was a member as awesome a human being and Wikimedian > > as > > > James. > > > > > > Best, > > > KG > > > -sent from mobile. > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 2:23 PM, Nathan <nawr...@gmail.com > > <javascript:;>> wrote: > > > > > > > On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 3:25 PM, olatunde isaac < > > > reachout2is...@gmail.com <javascript:;>> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > I'm very disappointed to know that the board meeting was still > > ongoing > > > as > > > > > at the time James revealed that he was ejected from the board. It > is > > a > > > > > silly idea! Perhaps he felt the community can stop the meeting or > > > > override > > > > > the decision of the board of trustee. The WMF BoT is not a > parliament > > > > where > > > > > the house do not have the veto power to remove an elected member. > > > > > Section 7 (remover) of the WMF's bylaws clearly stipulated that > > > > > “Any Trustee may be removed, with or without cause, by a majority > > vote > > > of > > > > > the Trustees then in office in accordance with the procedures set > > forth > > > > in > > > > > Section 617.0808(1), or other relevant provisions of the Act”. > Based > > on > > > > > this bylaw, James remover is justified! > > > > > I understand that majority of the community members who elected > James > > > are > > > > > likely not to be aware of this provisions but James is aware of it > > and > > > > will > > > > > probably have an answer to (1) the reason for his remover (2) why > his > > > > > remover was supported by eight members and (3) why the third > > > > > community-elected trustee, Denny Vrandečić, lost confidence > supported > > > his > > > > > removal. > > > > > The fact that James never stated the reasons why he was ejected > from > > > the > > > > > board as at the time he disclosed his remover is worrisome. > > > > > James, I'm sorry if I'm too factual here. > > > > > > > > > > Best, > > > > > > > > > > Olatunde Isaac. > > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN > > > > > > > > > > > > > > He didn't use his phone to mail to the list while sitting in a > > meeting... > > > > He was dismissed from the board and then ejected from the board > > meeting. > > > > After he left the room as ordered, he posted the notification. We > don't > > > > know all the precise circumstances, but I couldn't guarantee I > wouldn't > > > > have done the same in his place. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > > > Unsubscribe: > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > ?subject=unsubscribe> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org <javascript:;> > > ?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe> > -- Anna Stillwell Major Gifts Officer Wikimedia Foundation 415.806.1536 *www.wikimediafoundation.org <http://www.wikimediafoundation.org>* _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines New messages to: Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:wikimedia-l-requ...@lists.wikimedia.org?subject=unsubscribe>
