Personally, I feel the data speaks for itself and does not to be "interpreted" by any amateur (or, for that matter: not even by a professional) historian.

It seems to me like this is creating a task that the board was not asked to resolve. please see:

http://www.omidyar.net/group/tra nsition/ws/index/#what-does-the- board-do

Let us not leave it to amateur or professional historians. Let us write our own story.

Does anyone else feel this is beyond the scope of the board? Does anyone else feel a statement of our time here is important?

Maybe something like a summary, which can be edited by each of the individuals that would like to participate? . . .

Jan, can you say one thing that you saw this network do that you think is important?

Maybe we can get a short list of 25?

For example:

• Seeing Beyond Sight and Why Do You Do What You Do? provoked many of us to experience the world and ourselves differently.

How about get lots of people to answer the question "What was the best thing that happened at o/net (3 lines or less)" and then just post that?

There are actually a number of discussions that did that, perhaps we could just excerpt such comments, to include people who've already left.

Jean Russell (CCAL30) said:

Let us not leave it to amateur or professional historians. Let us write our own story.

Does anyone else feel this is beyond the scope of the board? Does anyone else feel a statement of our time here is important?

Jean that was really great: First you clearly declare that you want to "write our own story"; Then you ask whether anyone else feels that is beyond the scope of the board. Who do you expect might respond? Do you want someone to start arguing with you?

The way I see it, Omidyar Network wrote down the tasks the board is supposed to perform -- and this is not one of them.

Boy, am I glad I wasn't elected -- 'cause it appears a long time...

I think it is very much within the scope of the board, but as a transition board member, I am supposed to try and represent not only myself but others as well. So if I hear more people say it is not what we want, then I will drop it.

However, I think, myself, that is is really important for us to have a brief statement. And I have been thinking about it since the announcement. This to me, is about identity. And it doesn't surprise me at all that you think the links and such give adequate identity..that has always been your story--that we need to do those things well, because they say who we are.

I think identity is about story. And I think this is a chance for us to tell a brief story of what has happened here. I think it is important for people who find this work in the future. AND, I think it is important and valuable for us--as a collective, to say, in positive terms, who we are as we direct people to where we are going. Why would a stranger follow any of the redirect links if they don't have a sense of who we are? Why would we not, in our leaving the space, take a moment of healing to assert our collective being with a short story?

Jean, why don't you write the story, first draft.

I agree....an example would be nice.

We agreed, for the purpose of brevity, to be very concise on the revised home page, but we can link out to a workspace listing examples.

Mark suggested something like this (if I don't come up with anything).

We gathered here during between 2004-2007 under the following shared belief.

So that more and more people discover their own power to make good things happen.

My first stab....

We met, beginning in 2004 and continuing to 2007, to make discoveries and make good things happen. We often had different ideas, projects, approaches. We debated. We got activated. We met new people, sometimes very different from ourselves. We had gatherings across the world. We championed each other. From this nascent beginning, we emerge and spread out into the world beyond. Come join us in making discoveries and making good things happen!

It is a bit rough...can you help refine it?

Reads great to me.

(mine was just to cover for you if your travels kept you from it)

Thank you Mark. And yours is great too. Much more finished feeling than mine. ;-)

I am hoping to say a tad bit more, if we can...if not, then let's default to yours.

Interesting question as to who has the right to make the final framing statement. I assume that the right is the Omidyars as the owners, and their delegatees. The most interesting way to get a final statement might be to ask Tom Kriese if he thinks the Omidyars would like to provide any final lines, and, if so, whether it would be appropriate for the group here to propose such a final framing statement for the Omidyars consideration. If the final statement, whoever drafts it, were signed by Pierre and Pam it would give us a sense of closure. At least it would for me.

Thanks Phil. The reason for the story is that I, along with a few others, believed that we should tell our own story. Thomas and Haney have given indication that they are open to the community having a few lines of introductory story on the home page (the whole story is never to be known, but can be better understood by digging into the site. ;-)

It is my understanding the the org communications team has a story they will tell from the org side. This is a chance for us to speak up, if we so choose.

I don't think even minimal satire would make it through the transition board. But I could be proven wrong.

Sometimes at the end, you reflect back upon the beginning. Pretty nice, decent, approachable really... sure became much less fun at the end though.

First post on omidyar.net...

Astonishly, we came together from every continent, from many walks of life and found in this space a way to connect with one another. We shared gains and losses. We mourned together and celebrated together, we taught one another. We learned from our weaknesses and our strengths, our failures and our successes. And out of all of it some remarkable things were kindled and grew, ideas, projects, new ways of doing things, life long friendships.

This sort of thing, if y'all feel like getting wordy.

: )

Awesome Rory! How about these edits:

Astonishingly, we came together from every continent, from many walks of life, and found--in this space--a way to connect with one another. We shared. We mourned together and celebrated together. We taught one another. We learned from our weaknesses and strengths, our failures and successes. And out of all of it some remarkable things were kindled and grew, ideas, projects, new ways of doing things, life long friendships. We grow on, come join us, together we can continue to discover our ability to make good things happen.

with the things link leading to a workspace listing some of the things...

and the come join us linked to the Where We're Going page.

What do you think?

Jean Russell (CCAL30) said:

We agreed, for the purpose of brevity, to be very concise on the revised home page, but we can link out to a workspace listing examples.

Mark suggested something like this (if I don't come up with anything).

We gathered here during between 2004-2007 under the following shared belief.

We believe every individual has the power to make a difference. We exist for one single purpose: So that more and more people discover their own power to make good things happen.

As we've move on to different places we look forward to your positive contributions wherever you choose to make them.

My first stab....

We met, beginning in 2004 and continuing to 2007, to make discoveries and make good things happen. We often had different ideas, projects, approaches. We debated. We got activated. We met new people, sometimes very different from ourselves. We had gatherings across the world. We championed each other. From this nascent beginning, we emerge and spread out into the world beyond. Come join us in making discoveries and making good things happen!

It is a bit rough...can you help refine it?

I think it lacks imagination...

In 2004 we were emboldened by a shared vision. This brought together, during the next three years, more than 15,000 people from around the world: sharing, creating, attacking impossibilities in a grand scheme that said we should be daredevils and not calculators.

Consumed with passion, dressed in ideals, willing to face and challenge local, regional and global issues utilizing and creating new technologies and ways to cooperate...this was O-net: community virtual in cyberspace but real in minds and acts.

We built many groups discussing inside out while flaying apart the leaves of humanity's greatest problems of not only today and tomorrow but yesterday. Separated we came together in unique bundles of energy racing and stumbling, delivering and holding back, challenging and always seeking what could be done even though told it could not.

Breaking apart, recognizing the impermanence of reality new avenues and doors opening even as closure appears and destroys, new beginnings on old problems.

O-net tried to build a bridge between materiality and spiritualism...failure in the face of success creating participation and hope even as the fires of destruction consume and transform. An ancient myth rising from the ashes stretches a glorious phoenix seeking its dragon in the suns and moons of tomorrow's tomorrow.

Salutations to Pierre and Pamela, Thomas and Haney, to all participants and visitors...Peace be with you and Peace be amongst you. O-net perhaps a time machine built to explore distant ideas and regions created by their vision and faith in each of us...a new time machine will no doubt come to those who believe as did this one.

Thank you to each and every visitor, participant and especially to those whose membership in this community offered so much.

Rory Turner (CCAL30) said:

Astonishly, we came together from every continent, from many walks of life and found in this space a way to connect with one another. We shared gains and losses. We mourned together and celebrated together, we taught one another. We learned from our weaknesses and our strengths, our failures and our successes. And out of all of it some remarkable things were kindled and grew, ideas, projects, new ways of doing things, life long friendships.

This sort of thing, if y'all feel like getting wordy.

: )

Well done!

I am with Rory!

I'm with Brian! ;)

I would also mention Pierre's original 'moving the needle' visions

Jean, yeah...the links in it would be fantastic.

I love Brian's passionate and poetic elegy! It is, though, a very personal and powerful statement, perhaps too strongly personal for a collective farewell?

I wonder if it might be possible for the home page to link to a workspace where those who wanted to could share their final elegy? This would create the heteroglossia (this fun word especially for Maranda and Jean) fitting for this place. Could something like : "Hear our final words "be inserted into the final text, along with the kind of links Jean suggested?

The thought that led me back to log on again tonight was the importance of incorporating some acknowledgment of gratitude to the Omidyars for making this place possible. I hope we can do that.

Well, I disagree with everyone except Brad...so far (ha)!

Did anyone of you come here with any idea other than to challenge the status quo and to work to change the world?

Tell the truth now!!!