On Thu, Jan 7, 2016 at 2:12 AM, Michael Snow wikipedia@frontier.com wrote:
With their long and diligent service on the board, Jan-Bart and Stu are two of the best examples of something we should appreciate more in general - volunteers and movement participants who were not first and foremost active in wiki editing. I'm thankful they managed to break through the barriers we sometimes create for "outsiders", so that we could in turn benefit from their extraordinary talents.
In Jan-Bart's case, I believe his optimism and gift for making everyone feel welcome made it much easier for us to welcome him in return. And if you ever had a discussion with Stu, I think for many of us his desire to explore and understand movement metrics of all kinds (not just financial ones) helped identify him as a kindred spirit.
By focusing on their personalities, I know that I'll fail to do justice to the actual work they did on the board. I would likely fail anyway, given how much of it I've seen and the long list I'd need to make. But to be honest, I think who they are is as important as what they have done. Thank you, Stu and Jan-Bart, for being Wikimedians.
--Michael Snow
+1. I always laughed -- and cringed a little -- whenever someone referred to JB and Stu as "appointed outsiders" -- the two of them are some of the most dedicated Wikimedians I have ever known.
I met Jan-Bart at Wikimania 2005 and Stu at Wikimania 2007, and then later served on the board with both of you for four years. Over the years we've discussed, argued, solved the world's problems, created the world's problems, come to consensus, influenced each other, and gotten through some tough times and some joyous times. I have also stayed up with you more late nights in hotel lobbies than I can count, debating the state of things, and have learned a tremendous amount from you both. It is hard to imagine Wikimedia without either of you; thankfully, once a Wikimedian always a Wikimedian.
As someone who has managed to leave the board twice now, I am happy to offer advice on how to manage the withdrawal ;) But more than that, I hope to see you at future events and online, and hope you enjoy your newly cleared calendars.
with stroopwafels, Phoebe