Open Letter to the Wikimedia Foundation:

I am writing to announce my decision to withdraw all my contributions related to the Adiutor extension in response to the Wikimedia Foundation's approach to volunteer developers. After dedicating nearly two years of effort to developing the Adiutor extension and waiting over a year for an official review, I am disappointed to see a lack of responsiveness and action from the Foundation. The consistent delays have been attributed to limited team capacity, yet no steps have been taken to expand resources or to trust and empower volunteer developers to bridge the gap.

I have offered to serve as a volunteer staff member, taking on the necessary responsibilities without compensation, and even suggested formal applications for roles that would support my contributions. Yet, the Foundation's responses have either been noncommittal or entirely dismissive. When attempting to apply for a formal position, I was informed I couldn’t apply due to my location, effectively blocking my contribution opportunities despite my willingness.

The Wikimedia Foundation often promotes ideals of diversity, openness, and inclusivity, yet in practice, volunteer contributors who work outside the Foundation’s geographic and structural boundaries are faced with numerous obstacles. For an organization that publicly prides itself on values of inclusion and community, these barriers send a conflicting message, particularly to long-time contributors like myself, who have devoted over a decade to volunteering.

If the Foundation is willing to disregard the input of someone with over twelve years of volunteer experience, perhaps I have been supporting the wrong organization. Alternatively, it may be that the Foundation is disconnected from the reality faced by its contributors, assuming volunteers will remain supportive regardless of how their efforts are received.

For those of us who contribute to Wikimedia’s mission, this approach is disheartening and unsustainable. I hope the Foundation will reassess its policies and foster a more genuinely inclusive environment that values the contributions of volunteers, not only in word but in action.

Sincerely,
Doğu Abaris