Sometimes (always?), things don't go as planned. I wanted my next blog post to be about my new perspective on community events and how they can provide the most value to the developer community, but I needed to separate that topic from my experience attending the Jacksonville code camp. I wrote a post telling the tale of my trip to Jacksonville and the frustration I experienced there in order to keep the two issues discrete. One would be a stepping stone to the other. At least, that's how I meant for things to play out.
It turns out that in my rush to get out the first post, I did not take the time and care necessary to communicate with clarity and accuracy. I wrote the post, spellchecked it and re-read it. It said what I wanted to say, so I published it. It did not, however, say what I wanted people to hear. That is, I did not read the post from the point of view of readers unfamiliar with the events described, which turned out to be everyone but me.
Upon posting, I immediately got feedback that indicated that I had failed in my intentions. In fact, the feedback on my previous post has been universally negative. When everyone tells me I'm wrong, I'm willing to consider the possibility.
Honestly, I violated the directive given to me by my friend Jeff McWherter which is: "Dude, don't be a dick." And so, I am sorry for being a dick. I am not angry with anyone associated with the Jacksonville Code Camp. At this point, I'm only angry with myself for confusing the issues.
As I stated in my final email, I was coming to Jacksonville no matter the status of the Community Courtyard. My wife and I planned to stay with friends, and we were going to visit with them whether or not I attended the code camp. Ultimately, I left JaxCC at lunch and spent the rest of that Saturday in St. Augustine having a wonderful time.
My point all along has been to tell the tale of how this experience shocked, frustrated and disappointed me to the point that I stepped outside my normal frame of observation and began to see things from a different and larger perspective. What has been most frustrating to me this week is that I created drama, through my own incompetence, which distracted from and delayed that discussion.
Namaste,
++Alan