+1 for recruiting more Wikipedian members. I am one of those Wikipedians who hasn't become a member of the chapter because i am hesitant to get involved in chapter politics and fear of being forced to follow the agenda set by people who know nothing about Wikipedia (except perhaps talking about it). I am sure there are more wikipedians like me who are just observing what goes on from the sidelines. It is people like us who need to be prodded and dragged to become chapter members.(I will send in my membership application soon).
Getting non-wikipedians to sign up and increasing the numbers will eventually lead to an organisation completely out of tune with the Wikimedia movement. Numbers for numbers sake is not the road we should take. As Srikanth R pointed out, there are a lot of people who would love to take control. I believe such a thing did happen once before and the chapter was forced to send legal notices to dissuade it. Recruiting numbers for numbers sake might well lead to such a situation again. And when that happens chapter will become yet another talk only organisation completely irrelevant to what Wikipedia actually is. So lets not put up any barriers for membership but at the same time, lets not advertise chapter membership to completely new people by going on membership drives in outreach events. - Bala On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 7:19 PM, Srikanth Lakshmanan <srik....@gmail.com>wrote: > > > On Mon, Dec 5, 2011 at 19:01, CherianTinu Abraham > <tinucher...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> I am very much in favour of ( sincerely wishes so) the active community >> members being part of the chapter and its leadership and taking the chapter >> is next level. The chapter will have lose its relevance unless the >> community takes control of it and shape its future. > > Word. > > I keep iterating this often, May I ask to kindly remove the notion that >> Chapter = EC. Each one of us has an equal responsibility ( and opportunity) >> to take it forward and drive the chapter. > > > With the very same intent, I opened up the thread, which EC has not opened > / made much progress, so that we can do something to have more members who > are informed and involved. I would like to point reply of R Srikanth. There > are many such folks on the list, beyond it on various wikis in the "silent > contributors" category who do not like to be a chapter member and this > could be one of the reason. Instead of reaching to events and getting > membership and at some stage tell the world chapter is X members strong, > Chapter must put in more efforts in getting more members of community as > its members and this thread can very well be a start. > > Having said that, when our founding members drafted the MoA, the chapter >> membership was made open to any Indian who is above the 18 years of age. We >> didn't want to say No to anyone who is coming forward to join the chapter. >> We wanted it to be open and inclusive, we wanted to set no barriers for >> anyone to join, anyone who is genuinely interested and enthusiastic , just >> like in Wikipedia > > > It is one thing to say "No to anyone who is interested" / but barriers to > join, another thing to give out forms, ask them to fill up and canvass its > just 100 Rs saying you can be chapter member without letting them know what > it is. > > > -- > Regards > Srikanth.L > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > >
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