[OT] The trick is to keep breathing

[Alex Karasulu <ao...@bellsouth.net>]

Hi all,

I've been following some conversations on some private Apache mailing  
lists recently regarding the "Apache Way" and have had conversations  
with friends about it in passing.  Without disclosing the exact  
conversations I'd like to make a few points.  These conversations  
helped me to understand once again what we're all about in the end.   
Sometimes we all get a bit stressed out about OSS and each other  
because we're all passionate people and love what we do here.  It is  
very important not to loose sight of each other as people.  Swimming  
in a sea of code is not what it's all about.

A friend keeps quoting the following song in emails.  He does so I  
think to relieve nervous tension that can result when we sometimes  
rub each other the wrong way.  Here are the lyrics:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garbage/thetrickistokeepbreathing.html

It's important to stop and take a breath.  Realize you have friends  
and people that appreciate you here at the ASF.  Realize the ASF is  
not a click but a group of living and breathing people that care  
about one another.  Flame wars and the occasional brushing of  
personalities aside this really is the case.

Another friend said to me that it is important not to have a thick  
skin sometimes.  Yes be sensitive but confront any social tensions  
openly and sincerely.  Put feelings on the table and trust our  
friends who have this tight bond to do right by us.  That trust goes  
a long way.

I have found in my years now (wow) at the ASF true wealth is in the  
quality of friendships and relationships I have had.  I know this all  
sounds like a mushy touchy feely email but please try to look beyond  
that.  To me, the people is what the Apache Way is about ... not just  
the code.  I'm not putting down the code but the code is just a  
substrate for a social phenomenon.  The code is a direct reflection  
of who we are in the purest sense.  Computer science is a misnomer,  
writing code is really an art form.  So when we write code it is a  
matter of self expression and we share that with each other under a  
social context.  Who are we expressing our selves the most to?  In  
the end it is always about people.  Think about what it's like  
without having the people there to share and comment about your ideas  
and means of thinking.  The people bring the code to life.  They help  
us learn and improve.

This is why community is at the forefront at the ASF.  This is why we  
could not have graduated incubation with just the code.  I'm very  
proud of how this community has grown and the people involved in it.   
It's touching and a bit mushy but I don't care.  I have friends and a  
light skin but my strength is in trusting them knowing that I am not  
error free.

Let's remind ourselves when we stress out and perhaps rub each other  
the wrong way that we're compadres first and foremost.  BTW I'm not  
writing this email because of anything negative that happened nor am  
I anticipating it.  Just wanted to share in this repeated realization  
that does not come all to often.

Sincerely,
Alex Karasulu

Re: [OT] The trick is to keep breathing

[Phil Steitz <ph...@steitz.com>]

Thanks for this, Alex. This is good stuff and very important for us all
to think about. The other day someone asked me why I work on apache
projects. My stock response used to be that I do this because I like to 
code and I want to "give back" something to the community who produce 
the great apache products that we all use.  This is all true, but does 
not explain the passion (and sometimes pain) and attachment that we all 
experience here. The code is like the food in a restaurant - a good 
reason to go there and drink ;-) And drink we do...Cheers!

Thanks again for sharing.

Phil

Alex Karasulu wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I've been following some conversations on some private Apache mailing  
> lists recently regarding the "Apache Way" and have had conversations  
> with friends about it in passing.  Without disclosing the exact  
> conversations I'd like to make a few points.  These conversations  
> helped me to understand once again what we're all about in the end.   
> Sometimes we all get a bit stressed out about OSS and each other  
> because we're all passionate people and love what we do here.  It is  
> very important not to loose sight of each other as people.  Swimming  in 
> a sea of code is not what it's all about.
> 
> A friend keeps quoting the following song in emails.  He does so I  
> think to relieve nervous tension that can result when we sometimes  rub 
> each other the wrong way.  Here are the lyrics:
> 
> http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/garbage/thetrickistokeepbreathing.html
> 
> It's important to stop and take a breath.  Realize you have friends  and 
> people that appreciate you here at the ASF.  Realize the ASF is  not a 
> click but a group of living and breathing people that care  about one 
> another.  Flame wars and the occasional brushing of  personalities aside 
> this really is the case.
> 
> Another friend said to me that it is important not to have a thick  skin 
> sometimes.  Yes be sensitive but confront any social tensions  openly 
> and sincerely.  Put feelings on the table and trust our  friends who 
> have this tight bond to do right by us.  That trust goes  a long way.
> 
> I have found in my years now (wow) at the ASF true wealth is in the  
> quality of friendships and relationships I have had.  I know this all  
> sounds like a mushy touchy feely email but please try to look beyond  
> that.  To me, the people is what the Apache Way is about ... not just  
> the code.  I'm not putting down the code but the code is just a  
> substrate for a social phenomenon.  The code is a direct reflection  of 
> who we are in the purest sense.  Computer science is a misnomer,  
> writing code is really an art form.  So when we write code it is a  
> matter of self expression and we share that with each other under a  
> social context.  Who are we expressing our selves the most to?  In  the 
> end it is always about people.  Think about what it's like  without 
> having the people there to share and comment about your ideas  and means 
> of thinking.  The people bring the code to life.  They help  us learn 
> and improve.
> 
> This is why community is at the forefront at the ASF.  This is why we  
> could not have graduated incubation with just the code.  I'm very  proud 
> of how this community has grown and the people involved in it.   It's 
> touching and a bit mushy but I don't care.  I have friends and a  light 
> skin but my strength is in trusting them knowing that I am not  error free.
> 
> Let's remind ourselves when we stress out and perhaps rub each other  
> the wrong way that we're compadres first and foremost.  BTW I'm not  
> writing this email because of anything negative that happened nor am  I 
> anticipating it.  Just wanted to share in this repeated realization  
> that does not come all to often.
> 
> Sincerely,
> Alex Karasulu
> 

Re: [OT] The trick is to keep breathing

[Emmanuel Lecharny <el...@apache.org>]

Hey,

I'm a little too bit too close to the ground to be an Apache
philosopher, but anyway, there are many different reason we are all
doing what we do, i.e spending a lot of hours working on an Apache
project :

 - it is funny to code, and when you get older, this is something
difficult to do for money (it seems that you need to be under 23 to do
valuable code in a private company ;-)

 - it helps when you are a light sleeper... ok, I know, I also tried
Thomas Mann, Soljenitsyne, Balzac, Kant, De Lilo or Paul Auster, but
when you can't sleep, it's too boring. Let's do something funny !

 - you are able to work on projects that have close to zero percent
chance to grow in your private company. For instance, how many companies
are writing a LdapServer ? 5 ? How lucky are you to be part of their
crew, being french or corean? (hi, Trustin ;)

 - the only pressure you feel is the one your pride put on you. It can
be an heavy pressure ;)

 - when you are the one who has broke something, no customer while yell
at you. Your pride will do...

 - no marketing bullsh*t !!!

 - nothing will be more important that deliver the best product. No more
design-to-cost/cost-to-design bullsh*t. Just common-sense.

 - no manager to put some pressure on you and telling you "forget unit-
tests ! we have customer, don't we ???"

 - a lot of smart people around the block to share ideas/drinks with.

 - no "I have a biggest salary than you, jerk", or "bet who is the
boss?"

 - a lot of thing to learn !!! 

 - a way to explain your girlfriend/boyfriend that having a computer in
the living-room is not only to watch mellow/porn movies ..., it's also
to be part of the Free World.

Well, I above all agree that it's an opportunity to drink beers and good
wine with good mates. Guys, this is certainly the most important thing
with Open Source : it helps to Open Bottles.

EL.