Sad to see you go Florian. Since I'm new to participating in both
projects, I don't yet see the conflict of interests many have written
of in their resignations. As a strong believer in the future of
OpenOffice, I can see nothing but good coming from the new Document
Foundation and LibreOffice. I don't think the two are mutually
exclusive and I'm excited to see what comes from both projects.
Best of luck on your new path. It's going to be a busy journey but one
that is well worth the effort.
Regards,
Anthony Papillion
On 10/24/10, Florian Effenberger wrote:
> Dear Community,
> Dear OpenOffice.org marketing contacts,
> Dear OpenOffice.org marketing project members,
>
> this e-mail is to inform you that I hereby, effective immediately, fully
> step back from all my roles and duties within the OpenOffice.org
> project, including those as marketing project lead and German marketing
> contact.
>
> I would like to take the chance to say a few very personal words to all
> of you.
>
> I had the honour to be a part of this project for six and a half years
> now -- serving as German marketing contact since March 2005, as
> marketing project co-lead since July 2007, and as marketing project lead
> since January 2010. Not only did I learn many things for life, have been
> part of exciting times (remembering moments like the long anticipated
> release of OpenOffice.org 2.0 back in October 2005), and had the
> privilege of being part in one of the largest open source projects
> worldwide. Even more, I also experienced wonderful teachers, brilliant
> colleagues, and -- most important and above all -- made true friends for
> life. It's not a secret if I say that this project has given me the
> busiest but also the most exciting moments in life so far, and I am
> proud and thankful for the time I had the honour to spend here. No
> matter where my future ways will lead me, my time in the project always
> will be a very important part of my life, something I look back to,
> being very proud and very thankful.
>
> We now have exciting times again.
>
> Many of you have seen the recent announcement of The Document Foundation
> and LibreOffice, a so very important step and major initiative that I am
> proud of being a part in, helping to shape the future of the Community,
> to bring not only our software, but also our project to the next level.
> I fully stand behind this step, and I envision a future even brighter
> than the past has been, a next decade even more successful than the
> previous one which passed by in, it feels, just a moment of time.
>
> I leave with no bad feelings at all, and I still feel being a part of
> this Community, not leaving you alone. It comes with great sadness to
> hear the concerns the step we've taken has led to for some people, that
> there is the fear of conflicts of interest, thinking about two different
> projects and products. I don't share these feelings at all, but even if
> I did, we, after all, have so many things in common - independent from
> any name, to me there is one joint vision, one joint goal, and there is
> one Community. Differences are in the way we want to achieve these
> goals, in how we would like to have the project governed - but all
> powers we invest to fight each other right now can much more wisely be
> spend with doing good and positive things, and so I want to move on.
>
> These last weeks have been extremely exciting, exhausting, busy and
> interesting. Many of us need time to relax, to think, and to understand
> what is happening, what is going on. My last wish being on duty in this
> project is an invitation to all of you for next year, to talk about
> where we stand, and what options we have. Even if right now it doesn't
> look likely, I am deep inside absolutely convinced that there will be
> chances and options of working together, united. Call me a dreamer, but
> remember my words next year. ;-)
>
> I hereby would like to hand over all of my duties in the marketing
> project to my colleague Peter Junge, whom I propose for the role as
> marketing project lead from now on.
>
> Talking of Peter, there are dozens of people who I personally would like
> to express my deepest thankfulness to. Counting and naming them would be
> an undoable task, as there are so many, and chances are that I forget
> someone - so, let me take this chance of thanking you for what we have
> achieved the past years. For what we have shaped, formed, created, for
> what we have enjoyed together, and for all those wonderful moments we
> spent together.
>
> I will not make a recommendation on which mailing lists you should
> subscribe to in the future, which project you should join. Instead, I
> would like to quote
