MANILA, Philippines – The New York Times reports that Sue Gardner of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that oversees Wikipedia, will be stepping down as a member of the board.

Gardner explained she would leave in around 6 months, once the Foundation’s board found a successor for her post.

In an interview with the New York Times, Gardner explained that she would like to “advocate more directly on behalf of an open Internet, by starting a nonprofit group, writing a book or joining an advocacy organization.” While she thinks Wikipedia would be fine due to the following it has, she was worried “about the broader conditions of a free and open Internet and the future of other Wikipedia-like projects.”

Gardner also said her decision to leave was to prevent the Wikimedia Foundation from suffering from a “founder’s trap,” in which a group is too dependent on one personality.

“It’s important not to let any organization be overly defined by any single person,” said Gardner. “That’s particularly the case in the Wikipedia movement because it’s a collaborative movement.” – Rappler.com