Apple

On Apr 15, 2014, at 5:11 PM, Lon Varscsak <email@hidden> wrote:

Did you stop off in Colorado for some "recreation" on your way home? ;)

-Lon

On Tue, Apr 15, 2014 at 12:24 PM, Aaron Rosenzweig <email@hidden> wrote:

I am now in “battle position” (see the two attached photos). Back from Quebec and slamming code.

Thanks to all who attended and made this year another great gathering of minds and spirits. WOWODC in Montreal was a blast, perhaps a year from now we’ll all meet in Germany.

Not all of us could attend this year, but many of us really wanted to. Here are many photos of various moments from the conference. Included is Dave Avendasora splitting a tree trunk in two with an axe:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ubzada5a4l7k7sn/W1LYmaVKoV

Thanks to Maik Musall we have the state of the wocommunity video integrated with Pascal’s recognition ceremony. You can find that here:

http://wocommunity.org/podcasts/wowodc/2014/StateOfTheCommunity.mp4

My presentation slides are available:

http://www.chatnbike.com/presentation_existsQualifier/

Everyone is encouraged to think and reflect on what we are doing, and why we are here.

A Roman emperor may have said it best:

"What stands in the way becomes the way”

I looked it up, his name was Marcus Aurelius and his full statement was:

"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

The modern version of this is:

“When life gives you lemons, make some lemonade."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_life_gives_you_lemons,_make_lemonade

It’s embodied in a country song from Garth Brooks called “Unanswered Prayers”:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garthbrooks/unansweredprayers.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKqZjgIfxe0

Garth remembers his high school girlfriend whom he wanted to marry and be with forever but it was not to be. Years later he bumped into her and reflected on the way his life is now. He is so glad they didn’t get married.

What does this have to do with WO? What does it have to do with us?

We have enjoyed using a set of closed-source tools for many years. We’ve learned a lot and have solved real problems for real people.

We must accept that these tools we love will never be open-sourced.

But we are not simply a bunch of WO programmers. Rather, we are “real thinkers” who sometimes choose to use WO to help solve real problems. The key word is “choose” to use WO.

Some of us will continue using the tools as they are for a few years. Others of us will make something even better. Others still will move on to other technology.

I’m glad WO will never be free. Now that I’ve accepted this, I am free.

“There is no knowledge which is not power!”

Let’s take what we’ve learned and move forward. Let’s move beyond the borders of current reality.

I hope many of us board the “treasure boat.” Others have already taken our treasures to the “seaside” or created a “montage” of new ideas infused with old. I love it all. (Those words have weight, google all three of them)

Remember this! We can always tell the difference between a “want-to-be” and the “real deal.”

“Want-to-bes” are drawn to stories of overnight success. They look for what “big names” are doing. They attempt to copy the success of the famous. They want fast cars and faster women.

“Want-to-bes” look for shortcuts. They look for charismatic leaders. They drool to find the latest trick from the guru. They follow the common path and guess what? They get common results.

“Want-to-bes” are fear driven. They are afraid of missing out. They hope to catch the next big wave just as it is starting and ride it through to riches with little work. They are scared but never admit it.

“Want-to-bes” want to be taken care of and trust in somebody or something.

“Real deals” overcome life’s many challenges. They sweat. They fail. They get up. They keep going. They drive a mini-van. If they have a fast car it probably has a “wankel” engine in it because it does more with less. If they have a trophy wife, she has brains and charms to match.

“Real deals” look for mastery. They look for community. They look for “give and take.” They look for understanding the principles of success not just following someone’s previous steps of achieving it. They build friendships of mutual respect. A veritable brotherhood / sisterhood of champions covering for each other in battle.

“Real deals” are fearless. They pathologically avoid mindless imitation. They are like Bruce lee: learn from everyone, take what makes sense to you, reject the rest, make your own style. They question, they break, they improve.

“Real deals” ask for more responsibility. They trust in themselves, they help their friends.

Does this resonate with you? Do you see how our community is the “real deal?”

Don't ride the wave, create it.

Aaron Rosenzweig / Chat 'n Bike
e: email@hidden t: (301) 956-2319

<battle_position_1.jpg><battle_position_2.jpg>

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