[Wikimedia-l] Farewell

[Bishakha Datta]

(Posted on India list and would like to share with larger wikimedia
community)


Dear Hisham,



I’m thinking back on your time here and want to thank you for so much that
you’ve done and built in these one and a half years. For setting up things
from scratch when there was neither a team nor an office and you were on
your own. For building and motivating a small team to venture into unknown
terrain (and for even daring to step into this terrain) without any
surefire guarantee of success. For tirelessly and successfully supporting
many Indic language wikipedias and the first-ever community-led
WikiConference India. For keeping up team morale in the difficult days
following the India Education program. For reaching out to hundreds of
people in India through any means necessary to create new editors. And,
yes, for being bold.



One of the things that makes this kind of work difficult is not just its
newness or its experimental unsure nature, but also its publicness.
Brickbats pour in much faster than bouquets in public fora, creating a
narrative of their own that is hard to buck. I want to thank you for being
able to smell the roses, for having a tough enough hide to survive the
brickbats while continuing to steer India programs and motivating your team
to do its best. I also want to urge the Wikimedia India community to be
constructive and rigorous in holding India programs accountable in its next
avatar - without being destructive or personal.



You’ve laid a very solid foundation for India programs that I expect the
team will continue to build on. I hope you enjoy your remaining time here
and leave with many more good memories than bad.



Will miss you, my friend!

Bishakha

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 9:55 PM, phoebe ayers <phoebe.wiki at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 3:43 AM, Hisham <hisham at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> > Dear Wikimedia Community
> >
> > Here's a copy of an email I have just sent to all the individual
> community mailing lists in India.
> >
> > I'm writing to inform you that I plan to leave my current role
> supporting Wikimedia in India.  I am going to be exploring opportunities
> and evaluating options that are closer to my career aspirations and my
> personal circumstances.  I will be working through to ensure that there is
> a smooth transition - and this is likely to take 2-3 months.  I am writing
> now because I felt it appropriate and opportune to inform you as early as
> possible.
>
> :( I am sorry to hear this -- you will be greatly missed! I hope the
> transition is smooth and productive, and the future brings wonderful
> things for you.
>
> all best,
> phoebe
>
> --
> * I use this address for lists; send personal messages to phoebe.ayers
> <at> gmail.com *
>
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