Dear all,

It was while Rigo and I were in Leipzig last December for a Big Data Europe project meeting that I was told that ERCIM could not fund me full time for a year and that I should look for additional work. I began doing so the very next day and, if half the 'oh yes, we've got lots you could do' conversations I have had subsequently had actually turned into contracts, I'd be very busy and this mail would have been unnecessary. None of them did. After 6 months of stressful uncertainty, a week ago exactly, the ERCIM position was finally confirmed in the offer of a 6 month half time contract that I received from Caroline on Tuesday.

I'm writing to let you know that I will not be signing it and will leave ERCIM/W3C when my current contract expires at the end of the month. Over the last 6 months I have been through 4 of the 5 stages of bereavement: denial, anger, bargaining and depression. As I write this I realise that I haven't quite got to the final stage of acceptance. Being a member of the W3C team is an enormous privilege and, like so many of our colleagues, I have poured my best into the role that I am so proud to fulfil.

Taking a less emotional view, the circumstances are straightforward. One of my "might you have any part time work I could do?" requests quickly turned into a discussion about a substantial full time role at GS1 for which I have just received and accepted an offer. I will be working to improve online product data, making better use of the Web for eCommerce and associated behind the scenes operations. This means that the payments work and the new Commerce Interest Group are likely to be of direct interest. Whether that means I personally will be involved I cannot say, but I hope so.

I further hope that you will understand that this move was not prompted by me. It is not of my choosing. Therefore, should circumstances change in future, I hope that a return to the W3C fold would not be unthinkable.

Regretfully

Phil.

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Phil Archer
Data Strategist, W3C
http://www.w3.org/

http://philarcher.org
+44 (0)7887 767755
@philarcher1