Celebrating Paul Bech's 10 Years of Service

Question

WikiTreers,

I recently mentioned that Eowyn has been our "Forest Elf" for 10 years. There's another WikiTree team member who has been serving our community for just as long: Mr. Paul Bech.

Paul is quiet and modest. Some of you may not know him. But if you have been around here for long, you have been touched by his contributions. Our entire community has.

Take a look at the headline stats on his profile today:

354,897 contributions
12,235 thank-yous
7,289 connections

(!!!)

Paul joined WikiTree way back in 2010. (I happened to notice just now that he is one of the first people to earn a badge. He is one of only eight to have the November 2010 Club 1,000.)

He is one of the first people who became really active and generous in his contributions. Most members were just growing their own family trees back then. To be honest, that is how I imagined WikiTree working. I didn't imagine many people wanting to help strangers connect with their cousins and ancestors.

Today, this genealogical generosity is an integral part of our community culture. But it wasn't back then. We had no community. We had no culture. We had members growing their own trees. It was Paul and a few others who changed that. They led the way to create the community that we know now.

Paul organized and led some of the very first projects: the Australian Convicts and First Settlers Project, and the Global Cemeteries Project. (Just a few weeks ago his incredible work on Australian cemeteries was featured in an ABC radio interview.)

He also led the first group of language translation volunteers on WikiTree. He pioneered the use of free-space profiles. He was one of the first to use categories. Categories might not even exist on WikiTree if it weren't for Paul and one or two others.

He was one of the first WikiTree evangelists. He gave speeches and presentations, and personally invited many others to join him here. He created one of the first YouTube videos about WikiTree.

All this was before he became a team member. In 2013, WikiTree's need for sysops was growing because of the broad-based collaboration that Paul and others were leading. Here's how I explained what Paul would be doing in a May 2013 email: "He'll be starting with opening up project-related profiles that shouldn't be private." Someone then asked, "Will Paul also be handling unresponsive profile manager requests, along with the open profile requests?"

Yes, as it turned out, he would. Paul took responsibility for handling all Unresponsive Profile Manager and Open Profile Requests. In 10 years, virtually no other team member has even had to think about them. Paul has done every one, carefully, with respect for people's privacy and an immaculately polite manner. Day after day, month after month, year after year.

Personally, I am so thankful to Paul Bech. His dedication and hard work for our community is unmatched.

Sincerely,

Chris

Comments

Thanks, Chris, for the wonderful summary of my time on WikiTree, both before joining the Team and after. I can say it has been a wonderful time. Meeting or helping so many interesting people who share the WikiTree dream.

Eowyn, yes, I do look forward to the next ten years with the working with the Team and helping to spread the word about WIkiTree.

To all the WikiTreers out there that I have had contact with (and those that I yet to hear from) I can say it has been a pleasure.

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Paul was soooo very helpful to me when I first started working on Unknowns and was so overzealous and didn't know what I was doing or what the rules were!!! Thank you, Paul, for your patience with me and the tremendous amount of work you did at my request!!

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Such a wonderful WikiTreer and person.  He has helped me a lot and especially while I was going thru chemo/radiation!

He is a blessing to WT!!!!!!

Sheila

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You wrote the words I was thinking ... a true blessing.

We are all indebted to you, Paul!--GeneJ

Answer 1

Thank you Paul. I have appreciated every profile you have opened for me.

Answer 2

Thank you Paul for all your hard work and your dedication and love for Wikitree!

I often come across the many profiles you have created for fellow Australians — almost every single day. These profiles are often backed up with a grave photo, from so many different cemeteries (how did I miss this ABC interview?!). You are so prolific!! Everytime I come across another profile I am amazed at just how much you have contributed. You have created more than 64,000 profiles!

Quite aside from that, you have always been happy to help me anytime I ask, thank you.

Thanks too, Chris, for this lovely post. It's wonderful to celebrate Paul. Here's to the next 10 years, it's exciting to think what might be in store for Wikitree in that time, with people like Paul contributing :)

Answer 3

Spectacular Genealogy Achievements, Outstanding WikiTree World Service !  An Absolute Inspiring "Pleasure!" 

Thank You Paul Bech .. for your leadership initiatives, your civil professional service to others and the plentiful happiness you've shared the world over .

Wow ! C'est Bon Magnifique ! .. 

Answer 4

Thank you, Paul, for all of your contributions. It is truly appreciated!

Answer 5

Thank you for *everything* you do, Paul. You are one of the best of WikiTree!

Answer 6

Paul is sterling silver around here! I am so happy that people know how he has been one of the main wheels around here for years. Thank you for everything, Paul 

Answer 7

Paul,

Thank you for everything that you do. You might not hear from many of us unless we want you to do something, but it is very much appreciated.

Answer 8

When I started on Wikitree with my family tree, my maternal grandmother and her tree was already there. Thanks to you Paul, my tree was immediately connected to the greater Wikitree and that was so exciting and encouraging for a beginner! And sorting out those unresponsive profile managers I ran into, sounds like that was probably you too.

Thanks cuz, for all that you do.

Answer 9

Congratulations on 10 years, Paul! Thank you so much for all your hard work and your generous spirit!

Azure Rae

Answer 10

Thank you for your very valuable contributions to WT.

Answer 11

Paul: Thank you for your ten years of service to WikiTree. It is so interesting to learn that many of the things I value in WikiTree come from you. WikiTree is so lucky that you chose to be involved and shape its existence. Thank you. Anne

Answer 12

Congratulations on your 10-year WikiTree anniversary, Paul, and thank you for so many acts of selfless service to our community. You got me involved in my first WikiTree project when I was a newbie - the Global Cemeteries Project. Thank you for opening the door for me to the much broader WikiTree community.

Answer 13

Awesome contributions and work done on WikiTree. 10 years is a lot of years to add people, help others and to monitor this site. May he have more successful years here.

Answer 14

Paul is a real treasure for WikiTree. Whenever you "need" to get a profile opened and you put in a request, rest assured, the latest a few days later he opened the profile(s) that have to be opened according to the WikiTree-rules.

Thanks for doing your part to make WikiTree work.

Answer 15

Thanks, Paul,

Count me among your fans-- I'm very appreciative of all that you've done for me over the years, and I admire your style!

Answer 16

Oh, wow.  Paul has helped me and I didn't even know it was him.  Thank you, Paul!

Answer 17

WOW!!  A HUGE thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for "our" tree!

Answer 18

Thank you for everything you have done and still do to make WikiTree better Paul.

Answer 19

Paul, thank you for your 10 amazing yours of involvement with WikiTree.  Your many contributions and connections provide measurements of your deep commitment to the community.  I am in awe.

Answer 20

Your collaborations and work are really appreciated. THANKYOU PAUL