Stuffleufagus

Many people have recently commented that although I seem to have disappeared into a black hole, whenever I come out, I seem happy.

I AM happy

I am loving Mosso - the people are pretty amazing and I have a lot to learn. I love learning!

I am also adjusting to working in an office again - it has been a LONG time (close to 7 years, I think) since I routinely went into an office for a full day (and to me a full day is 8 hours - not 9, or 12!)

And when someone wants to have a 1:1 conversation at Mosso that usually means taking a stroll along the River Walk. Our offices are located right on the river, which is nice. But there are a lot of stairs, which my bum ankle and bad back are having trouble adjusting to. I am sure in the long run that I will be better off for all of the exercise - but for now, it is just a lot of pain!

The people I have met make me want to walk through the pain and wake when it is still dark. I never realized how much I missed working with bright people - especially bright, young people.

And I write this post using my new MacBook Pro, which is really a wonderful piece of engineering.

I will miss Windows Live Writer (the best blog publishing tool I ever used by far) - but I will adjust.

written by rob

I “met” Major Hayden on Twitter.  I think it was after the Scoble visit to Rackspace.  I invited Major to lunch, and we met a couple of months ago.  I also started reading his blog.  His posts are pretty technical, so I had to really study them (I am NOT a developer).

What I learned was that Major is a really smart guy!  We met again once since then, at a Tweet-up.  And we have chatted online fairly often.

It is people like him – smart and passionate people - (and him in particular) that convinced me that Rackspace/Mosso was where I needed to be.

Thanks, Major

From his “About” page:

I’ve been a Linux system administrator for about 6 years, and along the way, there have been many influential people who have taught me best practices, problem solving skills, and patience. I feel that this blog is a way to give back to those who have helped me, and to those who are still learning.

Currently, I’m a Linux Senior Systems Engineer for Rackspace Managed Hosting, a full-service dedicated hosting provider in Texas. I am a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and a Certified MySQL Database Administrator (CMDBA) (#6520).

written by rob

Mr. Gates,

  We have met on two occasions, although I do not expect you to remember me.  You spent both opportunities to ask me what I thought about Microsoft, and what I thought you could improve on.

You have provided me with a method to make a living for over 20 years – you built the foundation that I built off of.  You did so willingly, and you encouraged me to contribute, and to profit.

You forced me to help build Windows drivers that worked without interrupting the user experience – you forced excellence even though it took great effort and expense on our part (and yours).  You were right to be strict.  You were right to be demanding.

I have been a beta tester of every version of Windows since “Windows for Pen Computing”.  We have not always agreed, but we have gotten along.  You have always built products that included tools I could use to profit from.  I appreciate that.

And now your tools are finally almost free – and I think Microsoft will benefit from that move greatly.  I know many young programmers, especially in emerging nations that are already benefiting from that.

More importantly, you have demonstrated the value of giving back – and I have tried to follow that example.  I help people when and where I can – and even though I know I cannot ever have the level of charitable contribution that you have – I strive to do my part.

I have never been a “fanboy” – not of Apple, or Microsoft, or anything else – I have always been a realist – I use the right tool for the right job.  For 20+ years the right tool has often been a Microsoft tool.  Not always, but often.

Although I use a lot of Microsoft products, I also use Linux and Mac OS.  Again – the right tool for the job.

I also met Ray Ozzie at “When 2.0” at Stanford in 2005 – I am confident that the intellectual path for Microsoft is in good hands.  Ray is an amazingly low-key guy.  He hides his brain-power behind a stand-offish grin that is both friendly and challenging at the same time.

I think you leave Microsoft in good hands, and honestly, I think people have (and will continue to) under-estimate what Microsoft is doing.  XBOX, Microsoft Points, Media Center – all wonderful products that make my life just a bit more “fun”.  Fun is important.

  Go and do great things for charity, Bill.  Let that be your legacy.  Microsoft was your “Bill 1.0”.  I firmly believe “Bill 2.0” will have an even greater impact on the world.

Don’t look back – you’ve left things in good hands.  Help the children.  Inspire the world.  Change things, yet again.

I have been glad to have met you – but I imagine I would rather meet you ten years from now – when you have helped change the world again – not just the computer world, but the real world, for real people.  The ones that most need your help.

Rob

written by rob

I am posting this now because I want to see how the numbers might be different next month - 30 days after FireFox 3 was released.

Right now FireFox 3 accounts for 7% of the browsers used here. Internet Explorer 7 accounts for 51%

Combined, IE accounts for 62% and FF 32%, as you can see on the chart.

written by rob

This kid has an amazing singing voice – he certainly doesn’t look like he could produce this sound!

written by rob