Hi all,
Well, this thread happened to blow up on one of the busiest work days I've had in a long time. I want to respond to some of the things that have been said, but as for the more personal things, I'll keep it brief.
Laura, I want to echo what Pete K, Eugene, and others have said -- you have been a longtime and important torch-bearer for RCC and wiki, and have done many good things. I have supported your work in the past, and I will continue to do so in the future, as I consider you a friend, and I know you are capable of doing all kinds of good things. That said, in these last few emails, you have not made it easy.
You have said things about me and about others I care about that are untrue. Some of them, you know are untrue. I don't know why you're doing that, but it hurts, and I'd like to ask you to stop.
Here are the two things that bugged me the most:
* Although I have a strong connection to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, I have built numerous wiki sites (some alongside you) that have no relation to Wikimedia. My first was Free Geek's "FreekiWiki," you and I worked together to establish the Dreamfish wiki, and I gave you business advice and reached out to a prospective buyer for your Fan History wiki, to name just a few. I care passionately about the wiki model, and have never been a "partisan" of any kind in this wiki world. Period.
* I did not drop the ball on Portland RCC, or on other RCCs. In fact, I've contributed rather heavily. Others have contributed more, but my contributions have been significant -- including helping you, personally, offline, with some of the early challenges of getting RoCoCo going.
I would appreciate it if you would take more care in the future. If you're angry with me about something, please let me know, and tell me what it will take to work through it. But stating falsehoods about me and other people on this list is just not cool.
I have some comments about the less personal aspects too, but I'm still reading through and absorbing the various things that have been said. For the moment, I just want to repeat some of what others, like Anne, and Nicole, have already stated clearly: that the Open Space model, a diversity of wiki software and communities, and and "do-ocracy" are all of deep, central importance to RCC. Those are the things that brought me to the first one I attended, and those are the things that will keep me coming back.
Looking forward to planning something great with all of you.
-Pete