Today’s date is a day to look inward and into the past.
For those of us who have been touched by this process, this project, this product and these wonderful people – it has been a defining experience. One that we will tell our children about. And one that has left a positive mark on our small planet. I say this without a trace of skepticism or sarcasm.
We have managed to create change in the world and we should be pleased. And we should thank the thousands of contributors and millions of people who have explicitly made the choice to be part of something larger than themselves.
But today is also a day when we should look outward and to the future.
Imagine today as a midpoint. Halfway from the past to the future. We have our foot in the door and enjoy some small measure of leverage. We know his. And we should understand it for what it is – an opportunity. But each opportunity requires those who would rise up to meet it. I believe that we should use this date as a point in time to recommit ourselves to our larger goals and understand the struggle that it will take to meet them.
We end our first ten years at a high point. We are about ready to release the best web browser the world has ever seen. Innovation and competition are alive and well and the web continues to move forward. We are giving users the chance to define their own experience and how they interact with the Internet. We continue to learn from being one of the largest open source projects on the planet. And we continue to push the bounds of how a public benefit organization can compete, organize, operate and drive change in the world.
What will our next decade look like? I have no idea, but I’m sure that our little project will play some part. And I can only hope that the second decade ends as well as the first.
To each of you who has taken part over the last ten years, I hope that you will find the strength and passion to take part in the next ten. We have much work left to do.
