Wikimedia Foundation: Jimmy Wales 'absolutely' not out

Updated January4 at 3:04 p.m.: This story has been changed to correct the number of members of the Wikimedia Foundation's board.

Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is "absolutely" not out of a job at the Wikimedia Foundation, according to the foundation's director of communications.

On Saturday, Valleywag editor Owen Thomas reported that Wales was "out of a job," writing, "Imagine an online encylopedia anyone can edit -- and no one can run. Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia's...cofounder, is no longer a board member of the site's nonprofit foundation. Who's in charge here?"

It was reported Saturday that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is no longer on the board of the Wikimedia Foundation. But the director of the board said the report was not true.

(Credit: Wikimedia Foundation)

The Valleywag report didn't cite any sources saying that Wales was no longer on the foundation's board, though it did point out that Wales' seat on the board--along with those of two others--had expired on December 31, 2008.

But in an e-mail to CNET News, Sue Gardner, the director of the foundation, wrote, "(t)here's nothing to it. Jimmy is a much-valued board member of the Wikimedia Foundation, and I expect he will hold that role permanently: I know of no reason for anyone to speculate otherwise."

In addition, Jay Walsh, the foundation's director of communications, said that Wales is "absolutely" still a member of the board and that he, along with the two other members, had been "unanimously" confirmed for another term on the board.

Wales' official position is Community Founder Trustee. According to Walsh, the Wikimedia Foundation's board decided that rather than make Wales' appointment infinite, or indefinite, it would allow his seat to come up for re-appointment at the end of each term, giving Wales a way to bow out if he needed to do so for any reason.

"I don't foresee any (time) in the near future where he wouldn't continue in that position he holds," Walsh said.

Indeed, in an e-mail sent on December 28, 2008, to the Wikimedia Foundation's e-mail list, board chair Michael Snow wrote, among other things, "We...had a unanimous vote to re-appoint Jimmy Wales to his position as Community Founder Trustee."

Wales did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did Valleywag's Thomas.

Last April, the foundation re-organized its board, formalizing Wales' position as the Community Founder Trustee, and setting forth its current structure, in which the board is intended to be comprised of 10 members, including Wales, three community-elected seats, four "specific expertise" seats, and two chapter seats.

As of right now, the board has just seven members and is still looking for three more, said Walsh.

[Time1965]

Maybe he SHOULD be off the Board. As the Wikimedia community discusses things (for example, they are currently debating how to handle Biographies of Living People [BLPs], which get vandalized easily and then Wikimedia gets sued because some snot-nosed junior high kid thinks it's funny to call someone gay), all you hear is "Jimmy says..." and "But Jimbo wants...." He rules Wikipedia like a dictator. Even if his positions are ill-thought out, dead-wrong, or too casually tossed off, because "Jimmy says" -- well, that's the end of the matter right there. Debate over. That's not how it should run.

[HlLLARY CLITON]

Looks like Owen Thomas should be out of a job

[mattflaschen]

"Indeed, in an e-mail sent on December 28, 2008, to the Wikimedia Foundation's e-mail list, board chair Michael Snow wrote, among other things, "We...had a unanimous vote to re-appoint Jimmy Wales to his position as Community Founder Trustee.""

Surely, you're not suggesting that ValleyWag got a story wrong?

[David Gerard]

Valleywag/Gawker/The Register are basically ad-banner trolls, who will write any ludicrous BS that will GET THE PAGE CLICKS.

Don't feed the trolls.

[AppleSuxLeo]

I heard Johnny Elephant Seal is his big competition.

[thekohser]

David Gerard is basically a Jimmy Wales sycophant who calls a "troll" any legitimate critic of his Free Culture puppet-master. Just look at any mainstream media story that questions the integrity of Wales or the Wikimedia governance -- Gerard is typically right there in the Comments field, defending his life's cause and belittling professionals who hold themselves to standards that the Wikimedia Foundation and its culture can't even comprehend.