Note to the WMF Board, after my resignation in December 2006Happy new year, Board. I have departed, but I have a few small comments for the remaining Trustees which I would like to share. First, I hope you will not worry too much about criticism. If everyone in the community were upset, you would hear nothing but criticism. If one person in a thousand were upset, you would hear nothing but criticism. In itself, the fact that you are hearing criticism means nothing. It is a mistake to assume that criticism represents community consensus. This is especially true of the more vocal critics, who are likely to be more extreme in their opinions. If you pay too much attention to the critics, you give their opinions more weight then they merit. It it much better to lay your reasons on the table and do what you think is right, and let the critics mind themselves. Second, it may surprise you to learn that I've never actually wanted to be on the Board. In fact, I am suspicious of anyone who would want to be on the Board. Being on the Board is a pain. It means obligations and responsibilities, and large commitments of time that could be spent elsewhere, and basically nothing in return. I imagine this is true of most boards. The people who want to be on the Board will likely consist of power grubbers, status seekers, and various sorts of crazy people. These are probably not the ideal candidates. It is much better to seek out people who are willing to serve, rather than those who want to serve. I have been willing to be on the Board because I believe the Foundation's mission is great and important, and that my presence could add some stability at a time when the Foundation was small and vulnerable, and could be knocked over by small things. I am relieved to be leaving, not because I am released from the burdens of Trusteeship, but because the Foundation is now large and stable enough that, I am confident, my departure will not cause any sort of disruption. The 4th quarter of 2006 has been an extremely productive time for the Foundation. We have laid the groundwork for the important changes that will help turn WMF into a mature, lasting organization. So thirdly, I am not worried that the Foundation will fail. I am worried that, going forward, it will fail to do anything interesting. A mature organization is less likely to be an innovative organization. I hope the Trustees will be mindful of this, and not allow stability to come at the expense of creativity. There are a thousand things just as cool as Wikipedia waiting to be invented. Don't get so hung up on managing yesterday's achievements that you fail to create tomorrow's.
Timothy Shell
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