Dear Wikimedians, I have decided resign from the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation. There are many reasons behind my decision. Overall, it's not because I'm unhappy being involved with Wikimedia, though I am concerned about certain events and tendencies that have arisen within the organisation since the start of this year. I would prefer to be involved in Wikimedia from a different angle rather than focusing my attention on Board matters. I'm certainly not leaving -- just leaving the Board. I still intend to be involved with editing the projects, and with the formation of the Wikimedia Australia chapter, and, if the opportunities still arise, I hope to continue promoting the projects at conferences and other events. It's been a great two years and I've enjoyed the role, but the collaborative consensus-based nature Wikimedia had before the start of this year continues to deteriorate and it's no longer an environment I can work effectively in. My resignation will be effective upon the election of my successor. Elections will be held in September, and the planning for those should begin immediately. Discussions are currently underway about general restructuring of the Board, and it is possible more positions will be available by the time the election starts. I would like to encourage anyone who shares the Foundation's goal of distributing free content to become more involved in the organisation and to consider standing in the upcoming elections. There are a lot of changes planned to the structure of the Foundation but I'm confident Anthere and Jimmy will manage those well and in accordance with what is best for the projects and the communities behind them. Please contact me offlist if you have any questions. Angela. -- Angela Beesley Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. http://wikimediafoundation.org/