[Foundation-l] Announce: Brion moving to StatusNet

[Sue Gardner]

2009/9/28 Brion Vibber <brion at wikimedia.org>:
> I'd like to share some exciting news with you all... After four awesome
> years working for the Wikimedia Foundation full-time, next month I'm
> going to be starting a new position at StatusNet, leading development on
> the open-source microblogging system which powers identi.ca and other sites.

Obviously I've talked with Brion in person, so he knows this, but I
will say it publicly too: he will be hugely, enormously, massively
missed.

What Michael says is true: people have a right to pursue their dreams
and goals and personal development wherever it takes them, and I too
am happy that Brion will continue to be moving forward the free
culture agenda and helping to build a better ecosystem of projects and
organizations. I've got an account on identi.ca which I haven't yet
used: perhaps my first use of it will be congratulate Brion on his new
job :-)

IMO Brion is the single most central figure in the Wikimedia movement,
second only to Jimmy.  His work with us should be honoured and
celebrated.  We'll be doing some of that inside the staff within the
next few weeks, and I expect the Board will plan something for him
too.  But we'll need to be creative: after all, there is already a
Brion Vibber Day.  New ideas are welcome :-)

Thanks,
Sue