User:Eloquence/Thank you

Thank you, Erik Moeller

Erik! On the occasion of you leaving the Wikimedia Foundation, I've taken the liberty of creating a little page where we can thank you for everything you've done for the Wikimedia movement. All love & respect -- Sue Gardner (talk) 19:41, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

I don't plan to write anything long/complicated here, because I will thank & praise & take you to dinner IRL. But I will tell a little story. When I joined the Wikimedia Foundation in June 2007, one of my first priorities was to prep for the winter fundraising campaign, with hopes of raising enough money to begin to grow and "professionalize" the organization. At the time, you were of course an elected board member. We, the tiny motley staff crew in the St. Petersburg office, then spent several months getting ready for the fundraiser, with me overseeing and guiding every step. On the morning of October 22, 2007, we launched the campaign from our office in Florida, and at noon I stepped off a plane in Washington DC and turned on my Blackberry (!) to see a flood of furious reaction from community members. They were mad because the campaign was awful. (Html marquee code in the banners, with "Satan made me do this" in commit messages! WMF staff wearing Renaissance Faire hats, alongside images of famine victims! Everything was terrible! I will not link to it!) I stood in the terminal in DC, my heart sinking, reading email after email of fury. And the very last email was from you. It said "Everything is a disaster. But don't worry. I have a plan, and I will fix it. Call me when you get this." And I did call you, immediately, and by the time I had, you were well on the road to fixing everything, and the campaign went on to become a massive success. That is why, two months later, I hired you as my deputy. And it's why I was so delighted and honoured, always, to work with you in the subsequent seven years. You are a rock. You instincts are flawless. You always have a plan. And you get shit done. Thank you, Erik, for the approximately 40,200 hours you have given to the Wikimedia movement since the creation of Wikipedia. We will always be grateful to you <3 Sue Gardner (talk) 19:41, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

PS don't delete this page! I think under policy it's fine to have it here, as long as you don't mind :)

From Brad

Erik, you were, first, a formidable online presence, full of knowledge, and grand ideas. You dreamed big. You knew you had a role to play, but it was impossible to predict how you would make your mark. Then, when we first met at MIT in Hacking Days and later Wikimania, it was clear how much you had to look forward to. Wikidata was already more than a glimmer in your eye. Mediawiki refactoring and dozens of other issues danced around behind your eyes. You were concerned with your English conversation, of all things. The plans for the Board and the need to move forward with a growing foundation staff fit perfectly with your interest, capacity, and talents. Over time you have demonstrated again and again how much the movement means to you, and the work you have done reflects it. I am so very glad you made the move to San Francisco, and teamed up with Sue, and did the work to bring the Foundation to its current state. I remember in particular the night I got to know more about you personally, when we ate at New York, New York in Rotterdam. I don't know what is in store for you, but I know we will all pay attention and support your next iteration. Thank you for your enormous contributions, and Bestes Glück!! --Brad Patrick (talk) 20:02, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

We are not worthy, Great Leader! We are not worthy!

Erik, you were the best personnel manager I ever had. At a time when I genuinely thought about just throwing in the towel, you came closer than anyone to convincing me that there was still good to do here - still something worth working towards, still people who were here for the beauty and the wonder and the nitty-gritty, rather than the abstract idea of "I guess a peer production community is pretty cool". You were the first person who put their money where their mouth was on personal health, on professional development, on all of the things that actually make a place a good place.

This is made even more amazing by two things: that I spent the previous two years grumping at you and panicking whenever things went sour with $PROJECT, and that, well...something something joke about German senses of humour ;p. Not only were you the best personnel manager, you were the best personnel manager after many justifiable reasons not to be, and despite all the assumptions people would've had. I will miss you terribly, and I wish you the best of luck. Ironholds (talk) 19:54, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

thank you

It is hard to think of WMF without you—it seems like everything has had your hand in it in some way and that perception is probably not far from true. I have appreciated talking with you, working with you, and even arguing with you (mostly) over the many years I've known you. And I admire your commitment to the present and future of free knowledge, and for putting action behind your ideas and doing what you believe needs to be done as well as you can possibly do it. Thank you for everything, and I look forward to hearing what you do next. Kat Walsh (spill your mind?) 20:05, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

For the better

Erik,

I can honestly say you have changed my life. Literally. Starting from that day in 2009, when you sent me that email asking if I was interested in joining the Multimedia usability project; Six years later, I regret nothing. Last year, you changed my life again by giving me another opportunity that led to my second transatlantic move. It's obvious that I wouldn't be where I am today, both professionally and geographically, had you not taken a chance on me all those years ago. I've always enjoyed your clarity of thinking, your honesty and your mentoring, and I've learned a lot from you. You're one of the people at the WMF who knows and understands me best, and your departure is not just a loss for the organization, but a personal one.

I can't imagine the WMF without you. In many ways, you were the WMF. I'll reluctantly say good-bye to Erik Möller, but I'm excited to see what User:Eloquence comes up with during his renewed Copious Free Time.

Thank you for changing my life, not just for good, but for the better. I know you'll go on changing the life of many other people. guillom 20:15, 14 April 2015 (UTC)

The very model of a modern Wikipedian

It's hard to put into words a thank you to a Wikipedian called Eloquence without feeling at least a little intimidated. And that is also the feeling I have when I meet you, Erik. For me, at least, you're one of the smartest people in the room, whichever room you happen to occupy. Unlike all of the others who have commented so far, I didn't have the pleasure of working close to you for very long. But that can perhaps make my perspective more interesting: how do you appear to people who only come to work for a short while? You needn't worry. During my short visits to the office, I spent a few hours in your company, and you almost always found the best way to proceed with my project within seconds of hearing about the problem or dilemma. I learned so much. So thank you.

Also, thank you for everything you've done for the Foundation over the years. You will be missed.//Hannibal (talk) 20:38, 14 April 2015 (UTC)