I was at IBM's Impact conference in a smart fire side chat type of format with a bunch of media folks and an IBM VP. We went around the room and introduced ourselves. The IBM executive and I shook hands and then he said "I know you." I quickly went through my memory trying to figure out where I had met the executive. Sometimes the brain doesn't work the way it used and I couldn't figure out where we had met. Then he said, "I read your blog." My first reaction was reading my blog doesn't mean you know me. I've shared this story with a few and had a few laughs. Then one of the my data center friends said well given the way you write and share your thoughts beyond the data center industry, people do feel like they know you.
After a few days in LV last week and a few days in Santa Clara catching up with friends and making new ones. I do think people know me through this blog.
This past week I hosted 30 - 40 people in a brew pub. Went to a small dinner party that I helped reach out to some thought leaders who were in town to attend. Last week was in LV was another pub social, dinner with IBM execs, and a 100 person party at PURE nightclub. So kind of socially burnt out. I have two days of rest before we host 50 people at our house for a going away party. Only one guy going does any work in the data center industry that I know of, although there are a few real estate people who have done some data center work. I think I'll take some pictures with my Canon 6D and post some. I am surprised how photography does show up in some of the conversation I have on the road.
Part of what got me writing in the style to share more than data center stuff is when Olivier Sanche and I would jump into conversations and I would mention blog posts. He cut me off and said I read everything you post, so let's just reference various ideas you have discussed and I'll tell you if I agree or disagree. It's kind of like we were having linked cross referenced discussions with footnotes of relevant ideas. It really tests my memory to remember what I posted on. Sometimes I need to look at the daily e-mail posting from the site to remember what I posted on. :-) And, my local friends read my stuff more than my wife does and will send he posts to her with their comments. In fact, I think the readers of my blog have a better idea of where I am going next than my wife does. Next week is North Carolina, then 7x24 Boca, then GigaOm Structure in SF.
Thanks for visiting this blog. And, I guess people do know me through what I post.
-Dave Ohara