My name is Jon Cates, and I have decided to run for the Board of Trustees of Wikimedia Foundation. In the nearly two years I have been on Wikipedia, I have noticed that it is sometimes difficult to understand certain nuances of this collaborative world we are apart of. It is my aim to see a friendlier environment for the development of editorial skills.
Welcoming new editors is essential, in that many first time contributors see their works deleted or otherwise altered without a clear understanding of why. Whilst some enter a Welcome snippet on member's talk pages, I would like to work on refining this into a more cordial welcome and introduction.
Policies can be overwhelming and unclear. Editors should have easy access to Policies and manners in which to contest certain actions. Any appeal processes and contestation guidelines should be clearly posted on every policy page.
Foundation Focus is an important function of the Board of Trustees. Having served on the Boards of many organizations, it is clear that many times Board members can be project-centric. I vow to ensure that all Wiki-projects receive the proper attention they deserve, while at the same time working towards the betterment of Wikipedia as the flagship of the Foundation.
