---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lila Tretikov <lila@wikimedia.org>
Date: 3 June 2014 02:22
Subject: [Wikimedia-l] Venture Beyond
To: Wikimedia Mailing List <wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org>


A month ago, I met some of you for the first time at the WMF’s monthly
metrics meeting. Officially, today is my first day as Executive Director of
the Foundation. In practice, it’s a day like many others: Today and in the
future, we’ll keep working together towards our mission.

When I first started learning about Wikimedia, I thought to myself: this
will be different. Now, seeing the world from within the information Big
Bang <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang>, I know: it is.

Every second the universe of information is expanding around us, and
Wikimedia is a major force that turns this information into knowledge. It
is beholden to no one, yet accountable to each and every human being. We,
the people who create knowledge and bring it to every corner of the world,
are the ones that help it expand. We, the people who read and learn, are
the ones that hold the power to make this world a better place.

I often speak about human experience. Most have understood this as talking
about user experience: the way we access the information or contribute
knowledge. You are — partially — right. But what I mean is bigger than that.

What I am after is our connection to the world and each other through
knowledge. What I’d like us to do is to think big. Think beyond ourselves.
Think about humanity as a whole. Because you can. Because Wikimedia is the
place to transcend the now and to build the future.

This means that what’s ahead is bigger than any one of us. Yet, together,
we can make it happen. It means thinking beyond ourselves. It means
thinking as a student in Cambodia learning about Khmer poetry
<https://km.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%9E%80%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%98%E1%9E%84%E1%9F%89%E1%9E%BB%E1%9E%99>,
or a doctor in France writing about infectious diseases
<https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maladies_infectieuses>. This means empathy,
altruism and compassion. It means making things accessible, friendly and
easy for everyone.

This is what makes Wikimedia big.

This is what makes each of us bigger than we could ever be.

This is the what. Our job, as the community and the Foundation, is to build
the how. Where is the will, there is a way. We are here to walk it.

Let’s think big.


*Lila Tretikov <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:LilaTretikov>Executive
Director*
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