Revolution of 2016/Location of WMF/eo
Ne San-Francisko
A direct consequence would be that one should think again whether San Francisco is the best location for the WMF office, rather than a place better known for culture and education and less for proximity to Silicon Valley. Boston was named in the same discussion.
— Yaroslav M. Blanter, https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-February/082705.html
If we were choosing a location from the scratch - definitely. As it is now, I think that relocating would involve really huge intangible costs for our staff, and our staff is our unique asset. I would be cautious to rush any changes in this respect.
— Dariusz Jemielniak, https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-February/082707.html
The relocation does not have to happen overnight. It can easily take several years (which is likely longer than the average time a WMF employee spends in the organization). But I think discussing this as a strategical direction would be beneficial for the movement. The topic was raised several times in the past, and I did not get the impression that there was any willingness to discuss it from the Board / WMF. (I might be wrong though, and pointing out to such discussions will be appreciated).
— Yaroslav M. Blanter, https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2016-February/082708.html
General discussion
Considering relocation of the office (or, indeed, considering whether we even need a centralised office at all) is a topic of debate amongst staff. Lots of staff have opinions, some stronger than others. I imagine this debate will ultimately inform whomever decides whether we should relocate or not.
No centralized office
Considering relocation of the office (or, indeed, considering whether we even need a centralised office at all) is a topic of debate amongst staff. Lots of staff have opinions, some stronger than others. I imagine this debate will ultimately inform whomever decides whether we should relocate or not.
Kunteksto
Boston was actually the runner-up choice when Sue Gardner was seeking a home base in 2007(?). The relative merits of the two cities were summarized in a spreadsheet, which Tim Starling (at least) still had as of April 2015. Source: https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikimedia-l/2015-April/077585.html