+1
Thank you.
Best,
Gautam
(handheld)
On Nov 15, 2011 9:53 AM, "Hisham" <hmun...@wikimedia.org> wrote:
> Hi Folks
>
> I'm deliberately opening a new mail chain on this. This is at the risk of
> me being told off for doing so - but I believe that email protocol is one
> thing - but communication philosophy is (arguably) even more critical.
>
> I (and personally upsetting to me, others at India Programs - namely
> Nitika & the Campus Ambassadors) have taken some beating over the past few
> days. Some has been personal and not been circumspect or constructive;
> not pretty. I have been touched by the offlist messages of comfort and
> support that I and the others have got.
>
> I am exceedingly worried about the impact it has had on team morale. To
> all those who have criticised the India Education Program, spare a thought
> for the volunteers who have helped out on this. I want to tell the Campus
> Ambassadors to be strong and keep your chins up. You guys have been
> incredible. Hand on heart, you have given your hearts and souls and have
> conducted probably the single biggest Wikipedia outreach program in the
> world. (btw, I really don't care if someone wants to tag this as {citation
> required.}) You have taken time out of your working lives and college
> days. I know how tough it's been - conducting more than 100 in-class
> sessions, working with so many students and faculty, reaching out on email
> and talk pages and SMS and mobile calls and social networks and in
> canteens, poring over student entries, learning Wikipedia policies,
> figuring out new tools to help your work, building relationships with
> other editors across the globe, doing the back-breaking documentation
> that's been required on project & course pages, and I can go on and on and
> on. I know that sustaining this level of motivation and energy over months
> has been hard on you. I also know some of you faltered. I know some of
> you wanted to scream and kick someone some times, maybe even many people
> many times! Keep the faith, guys.
>
> I am sorry for the personal attack on Nitika. To her, I want to publicly
> apologise. I know her to be hard-working, diligent, honest, competent and
> an all-round professional. She's new and she's learning and has and will
> make mistakes - like all of us do. It is fantastic to have her on the
> team. Period.
>
> The program is a pilot - and we made a ton of mistakes. Sorry, let me
> rephrase that. I led the initiative so all responsibility should be mine.
> I made a ton of mistakes. I promise the following. We will have a
> thorough, honest and fact based evaluation. We will be open to make all
> the changes that are required. We will not let the events of the past few
> days force us into a bunker mentality. We will be open and we will be
> intellectually rigorous. We will learn and we will improve. The India
> opportunity is massive - and our ambitions are huge. It is also fraught
> with challenges. Unless we try and do things - new and tough and complex
> things - we will never be able to realise our true potential.
>
> I know that some who have participated in these exchanges are driven by an
> awe-inspiring love and passion for Wikipedia. I urge you to continue to
> come forward and work with others and us. Come forward early though - and
> stay engaged through the journey. It will have ups and downs.
>
> On communication, I urge everyone to maintain WP:CIVILITY and WP:NPOV in
> all our interactions. On this - and to be fair - quite a few other
> interactions recently on totally unrelated topics (and involving a whole
> host of others), I daresay we have drifted from core Wikipedia principles.
> These should apply to us to all our community's interactions as
> religiously as we apply them to our projects.
>
> I would urge folks who agree with me to write back. Even a +1 will do.
> Let's hear the voices of the quieter folks. Let's hear from the folks who
> don't always get involved in mailing list exchanges out of either
> apprehension or apathy. Let's move forward.
>
> Warm Regards,
>
> hisham
>
>
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